Neer dosa

This recipe is an ode to my this month’s concept which is LESS IS MORE.
How can something made only with rice, water and salt be so irresistibly tasty and at the same time so easy ? !!  This is a  fine example of minimalistic cooking.

A very humble preparation like neer dosa can bring happiness to a hungry stomach.  It can feed an entire family with minimum resources.  This was my number one reason for choosing IT as my first recipe on LESS IS MORE. 

Neer means water in Tullu / Kannada language (Tullu is spoken in the Indian state of Karanataka).  This dosa basically looks like a lacy soft crepe.  It is a big part of meals prepared in Manglorean households.   It is eaten as breakfast, had with curries for lunch, or served as an accompaniment with tea in the evening.  Extremely versatile and light on the stomach.
Also something to note here, is  that this humble neer dosa, NEEDS NO FERMENTATION once you soak the rice for 4 -5 hours you can start making it.  Also, the fact that it is  vegan and  gluten free, makes it even more loved by all who have those preferences.

We all know how tasty Udupi cuisine is.  At some point of time in our lives, we Indians have tasted the idlis, sambars, dosas and the lovely chutneys that this cuisine has to offer.  Neer dosa too is an Udupi preparation and though it may look quite plain, you really have to admire it for it’s versatility.  You can keep eating and won’t feel heavy or run down.

Truly LESS IS MORE isn’t it ?

In life, we often relate happiness to a lot of material things and  complicate our lives.  Haven’t we all  experienced that the materialistic happiness eventually fades out within short span of time.  Long lasting and true happiness comes from simple things.  Like a child’s laughter,  watching a  pet jumping around you for attention,  witnessing the sunsets in the quite of nature or a hot sumptuous meal on the table shared with family and friends –  these things will always warm your heart and leave you pleasantly happy. 

Nowadays, if we look around not many are fortunate enough to have all of the above.  But if you do have these things and people in your life, then consider yourself lucky and be grateful. 😊😊

NEER DOSA (recipe)

2 cups raw rice
4 cups water
Salt to taste
A little oil (for cooking the dosa) 

Soak rice for around 5 – 6 hours and grind with little water to make a fine paste.
Once done, remove in a large bowl and add the water to make it into a thin consistency.
Stir it to ensure there are no lumps.  Add salt and that’s it, the batter is ready.
Sprinkle few drops of water on the hot dosa pan and wait till water evaporates then wipe the tava with a cloth or halved onion.
Prepare  thin neer dosas on a cast iron pan or a non-stick pan.
Pour a ladle full of batter to thinly cover the entire surface of the pan, you will notice the holes start to form.
Drizzle a few drops of oil on the sides of the pan and cook the neer dosa till it starts leaving the sides.
This dosa is cooked only on one side.  It will take a minute at the most to cook it.
Take care not to brown the dosa.
Once cooked remove and fold it into triangular shapes.

This dosa can be had with chutney, curries, coconut mik and  jaggery mix, or simply with sauce even.

Point to remember :
1. Use only required amount of water while grinding rice, else the rice won’t grind into finely.
2. After grinding add enough water to make a thin buttermilk like consistency.
3. When you pour the batter on the hot pan if you do not notice holes on the surface it means the batter is thick, add some water to adjust the consistency.
4. Stir the batter well  before making each dosa.
5. Allow the dosas to cool separately and then stack them, else they tend to stick to each other.

Stay happy everyone 😊😊  and do write to me in the comments below will love to hear from you.