Mysore masala dosa
Garlic chutney dosa with potato
Crisp dosa spread with fiery red garlic chutney and filled with potato palya (plus 5 hours soaking and 8–12 hours fermenting)
Mysuru in Karnataka gave its name to this bolder dosa: a slightly thicker, golden crêpe that is crisp outside and soft inside, painted with a hot red chutney of dried chillies, garlic and roasted chana dal before the potato palya goes in. The chutney melts into the dosa as it cooks, so every bite has a sweet-spicy, garlicky kick. In Mysuru's old cafés it's served flat and folded, with coconut chutney to cool things down. Chef's tip: use Byadagi or Kashmiri chillies for the chutney; they give a deep red colour without blowing your head off, so you can spread it generously.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dosa batter
- 3 ½ oz whole skinless urad dal
- 2 tbsp chana dal
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 ½ cups cold waterabout, for grinding
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the red chutney
- 8 dried Byadagi or Kashmiri chilliesstalks removed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp roasted chana dal (dalia)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot or small onionroughly chopped
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
For the potato palya
- 16 oz potatoesboiled, peeled and crumbled
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 onionlarge, thinly sliced
- 2 green chillieschopped
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
To cook
- 4 tbsp vegetable oilfor the griddle
- coconut chutney (optional)to serve
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Rinse 7 oz parboiled rice (idli rice) and 3 ½ oz raw short-grain rice (such as sona masuri) together until the water runs clear and soak them with 1 oz thick poha (flattened rice). Soak 3 ½ oz whole skinless urad dal, 2 tbsp chana dal and ½ tsp fenugreek seeds separately. Leave both for 5 hours.
Step 2: Grind the urad dal mixture with a little of 1 ½ cups cold water to a smooth, fluffy, pale batter, about 8–10 minutes. Grind the rice and poha with more water to a fine paste with a very slight grit.
18 minStep 3: Mix both batters with 1 ½ tsp salt by hand, cover loosely and ferment in a warm place for 8–12 hours, until risen by half, bubbly and pleasantly sour. Stir; it should be a little thicker than for plain dosa.
Step 4: For the red chutney, soak 8 dried Byadagi or Kashmiri chillies in hot water for 15 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry 6 cloves garlic and 1 shallot or small onion for 2–3 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
3 minStep 5: Drain the chillies and blend with the garlic and shallot, 2 tbsp roasted chana dal (dalia), 1 tsp tamarind paste, 1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar and ½ tsp salt and 2–3 tablespoons of water to a thick, spreadable paste. It should be like tomato purée; too runny and it soaks the dosa.
2 minStep 6: For the palya, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium heat, pop 1 tsp black mustard seeds, then fry 1 tsp urad dal until golden. Add 10 fresh curry leaves, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing), 1 onion and 2 green chillies and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft.
6 minStep 7: Add ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ¾ tsp salt and 16 oz potatoes with a splash of water and cook for 3 minutes, mashing lightly to a soft, chunky mix. Stir in 2 tbsp fresh coriander.
3 minStep 8: Heat a cast-iron griddle over a medium-high heat until a sprinkle of water sizzles away instantly, then lower to medium and wipe with a little of 4 tbsp vegetable oil.
4 minStep 9: Pour on a ladle of batter and spread it in quick spirals into a 22 cm round, slightly thicker than a plain dosa. Drizzle oil around the edge and cook for 1 minute until the top starts to look dry.
1 minStep 10: Spread 1 tablespoon of red chutney thinly over the whole surface with the back of a spoon. Cook for 1–1½ minutes more until the underside is deep golden and crisp and the edges lift.
2 minStep 11: Place 3 tablespoons of palya in the middle, fold the sides over and serve straight away, with coconut chutney if you like. Cool the griddle with a sprinkle of water before each new dosa.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mysore masala dosa take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of parboiled rice (idli rice)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of raw short-grain rice (such as sona masuri)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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