Neer Dosa/ Rice & Coconut Crepes

So as long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being ~ Franz Kafka

Happiness is waking up to the sound of crepe batter poured on griddles, the serenity of the morning hours before everyone is up, the freedom to go back in time with classic Bollywood music while enjoying every sip of your morning tea. I wish I had the luxury of making traditional Indian breakfast to go with all of the above, but the early morning rush to pack lunches and get the kids to school on time, has turned breakfast menu into lunch or dinner options 😉

‘Neer Dosa’ is rice and coconut crepes, that were a regular breakfast food,  in my casa growing up. ‘Dosa’ generally means pancakes or crepes made out of rice and lentil batter; soaking raw rice/lentils for hours, grinding them to a smooth paste and allowing to ferment overnight for that little sour kick! Neer Dosa is beautiful for it’s simplicity, because unlike traditional dosa, it does not require fermenting. However, what also sets it apart is the way you fold into a triangle making it a treat for the eyes and tongue alike. 🙂

I made ‘Neer Dosa’ for a luncheon I hosted previously (and never got to blogging about it) for my husband’s family. Since we are from Kerala, this was like an exotic foreign  item on the table, because it is a delicacy from Karnataka (Southern neighboring state in India). When served as a breakfast item, it is typically served with chutney- a coconut condiment, but as an entrée item it gets along with about anything that’s spicy or flavorful, like the ‘Mutton Kurma’ and the ‘Fish masala’ that were a part of the luncheon spread. 🙂

So next time you want to have friends or family over, try this easy and exotic traditional recipe and see how it turns into a conversation piece, as people rave about the folds, the texture and taste…yumm, yumm!!! 😉

 

Neer Dosa Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (use dosa rice if available, otherwise use any normal uncooked rice/ basmati rice)
1/2 cup coconut milk or 3/4 cup coconut

Method:
Soak rice overnight. Grind with salt and coconut. Make the batter very thin. Prepare dosas. These dosas have to be cooked from only one side. (Since coconut is used, there is a chance of dosas getting stuck to the griddle)

Tips & tricks :

*When you heat the griddle or non stick frying pan, make sure it’s no too hot or the batter will start forming clumps as soon as you pour it.

*Once you spread the batter on to the pan, turn the heat low and let it cook slow, before you fold.

*Be patient, it may take a couple of ruined dosas to get it right.

*Don’t worry about perfect circular shapes, since you will be folding them anyway.

Here’s what it should look like, if you are doing it right 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neer Dosa is now served