Ash Gourd Dosa

          Today I would like to share this healthy veggie dosa with ash gourd, which is high in calcium, iron and vitamins besides other nutritional benefits. If you want to give a twist to your usual breakfast recipe with dosa, then do try this out. 

          It turned out absolutely delicious and soft and I relished with tomato-coconut chutney and sambar. I added rice flour to the ground ash gourd but you can also grind soaked rice too instead. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup Ash Gourd, chopped
• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup coriander stems, chopped
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• oil to shallow fry
• chutney and sambar to serve

          Grind ash gourd, ginger, coriander stems and green chilies into a smooth paste. Add the rice flour, cumin powder and required quantity of water to get the perfect consistency. Ferment overnight.

          Heat a non-stick tawa and drizzle some oil. Then sprinkle some water and wipe clean with a kitchen towel.

          Now drop a ladleful of the batter and spread it round in a circular motion with the back of the ladle. Drizzle some oil over and around the edges.

          Cook on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes and then flip it over to cook the other side too. 

          Prepare similar dosas with the remaining batter and serve them hot with chutney and sambar.

   

                                   Ash gourd.

                       Blend ash gourd, ginger, coriander stems & green chilies into a paste. 

                   Add rice flour, cumin powder & water to make a batter of perfect consistency. 

                                  Ferment overnight.

                   Drop a ladleful of batter & spread it round in a circular motion with 
                   back of the ladle. Drizzle some oil over & around edges. Cook on a 
                   med. flame for 1-2 minutes & then flip it over to cook other side too. 

                                  Serve them hot with chutney & sambar.

Multi Coloured Neer Dosa (Thin Rice Crepes - Mangalorian Cuisine)

          Neer Dosa is a speciality from the Mangalore region of India. They are thin and fluffy rice crepes made out of rice paste, with or without coconut. This is an instant version where I have used rice flour as the basic ingredient.

          These multi coloured Neer Dosa has the goodness of spinach, carrots and beetroot, besides tomato paste and turmeric powder to complete the colour combination. They not only have a visual appeal but are also healthy.

          They are a wholesome and nutritious meal by itself as they are cooked without oil, except for greasing. They serve as perfect breakfast recipe and are generally relished with any non-veg gravy. They equally tastes great with sambar and coconut chutney too.

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 4 & 1/2 - 5 cups water
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 bunch spinach, chopped
• 1/2 medium beetroot, grated
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste (store bought) + 1/2 tsp. kashmiri red chili powder
• salt to taste
• coconut chutney to serve
• sambar to serve
• oil to grease the skillet

          In a bowl add the rice flour, coconut milk and water to make a runny batter just like buttermilk. Grind the spinach, carrot and beetroot separately to a paste by adding very little water. Keep aside.

          Divide the rice batter into six bowls. Add the carrot paste, beetroot paste, spinach paste, turmeric powder and tomato paste + red chili powder into each of the bowls, leaving one for the white colour.

          Grease a nonstick tawa / skillet with very little oil. Let it heat up and then sprinkle some water. After it evaporates, wipe it clean with a kitchen towel.

           Pour 2-3 ladleful of the batter (depending on the size of the ladle and the pan). Swirl it around for an even coating, Drain excess batter if any.

          Cover and cook on a low flame for a minute. Remove the cover and gently fold into half with  a spatula and then into a rectangle. Keep aside.

          Make similar neer dosa from the remaining coloured batter, using a different ladle for each bowl in the above mentioned method. 

          Keep them separately as it tends to stick if stacked one over the other. Serve with chutney and sambar.