Pan-Roasted Eggplant Dosa (My JFI Redemption)

August 13, 2006 at 11:21 pm · Filed under Cooking

Finally recovered from vacation travel, I wanted to redeem myself for my hurried JFI-Flour entry.
Dosa was on my mind. With no time for soaking, grinding, and fermenting a batter, I went cruising for a quick version. Krithika’s Wheat Dosa looked crisp and delicious!

Then I looked in the veggie drawer; a few things remained from pre-vacation shopping and one was eggplant. With Vineela’s magic eggplant masala in the freezer, I decided to experiment. I used Krithika’s recipe as a guide.

diced eggplant, crushed garlic, green chile and magic masala powder

Pan-Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Dosa

2 c diced eggplant (I used long asian variety)
4-5 big cloves garlic
1 green chile, slit
2 heaping TB Vineela’s Magic Eggplant Masala Powder
1 tsp oil or ghee
2 TB water

1 c atta
1 c rice flour
1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
3-4 c water
salt to taste

Soak diced eggplant in salted water if you fear bitterness (my eggplant was somewhat old, so I did this – I would not think it necessary for fresh). Be sure to drain before cooking.

To peel and crush garlic in one easy step, whack each clove lightly on a cutting board with the broad side of a large knife or cleaver. Remove peels and set aside.

In saute pan, heat oil or ghee over medium-high heat. When hot, add drained eggplant and saute 4-5 minutes, until it begins to take on some color. Reduce heat to medium and add crushed garlic and chile. Saute another 4-5 minutes, add magic masala powder and stir well to coat veggies. Add 2 TB water and mix. Reduce heat to med-low, cover and cook 5-10 minutes or until veggies are soft and well seasoned. Remove to a plate and allow to cool. When cool, puree in food processor or blender with one cup of warm water. This should make a smooth puree.

pan-roasted eggplant and garlic with spices

In large mixing bowl, combine atta and rice flour. Add veggie puree and sufficient water, 3-4 cups, to make a thin, smooth batter. Stir in cumin seeds if using. Salt can be added here but be sure to go lightly if you salted the eggplant. I let this batter rest 30 minutes.

adding veggie puree to flours

~~

finished dosa batter

To cook, I followed Krithika’s excellent instructions. Lacking a dedicated dosa pan, I used my tavva and greased it slightly with oiled paper towel. I must say the results were awful ;).

dosa disaster on my tavva

Not one to admit defeat, I switched to a nonstick frying pan. This time the dosas came out wonderfully brown and lacy. Hooray!

Thanks, Krithika, for an inspiring recipe, and Vineela, for the yummy magic masala.

at last! crispy pan-roasted eggplant and garlic dosa with onion chutney and yogurt

Permalink