Real dosa is a South Indian toasty, thin, crepe-like, sheet of rice and lentil paste. They are served folded in half over a tasty filling, often potatoes with masala seasoning. To make the dosa you soak the rice and lentils for multiple days so they ferment slightly and then mash them into a paste.

This version of dosa is what we threw together last night when we didn’t know what to make for dinner. It does not compare to the real thing, but luckily, dosa is the kind of food that is so incredibly good that even a hacked imitation is super tasty.

Quickie Masala Dosa

Dosa:
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup rice flour (NOT glutinous/sticky/mochiko)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS oil
3/4 cup + 2 TBS cold water

Stir together the flours and salt. Slowly add the oil and water while stirring to avoid lumps. Mix till smooth. Cook in a skillet much like crepes. Oil your pan (cast iron or a steel crepe pan) or use non-stick and heat it up to medium. Then pull the skillet off the heat and pour on a 1/4 cup of batter while swirling the pan in order to make a large, thin, round, sheet. Pop your pan back on the heat for about 30 seconds. Loosen the dosa around the edges and flip. Cook the second side for 30 seconds. Both sides should be golden, you may need to increase the burner heat to achieve that. Add another couple drops of oil to the pan and continue cooking.

Filling:
2 potatoes
3 carrots (or another potato instead)
salt
pepper
1 tsp garam masala

Peel, chop, and steam potatoes and carrots. Heat up oil in a pan and add the cooked potatoes and carrots along with salt, pepper, and garam masala to taste. Saute a little bit.

Serve:
Lay a dosa on your plate, spoon in some filling, top with a drizzle of honey, and fold the dosa over the filling. Or you can be scandalous and just roll them up like burritos.

Makes a small dinner for two