When I lived in Tamil Nadu, I would visit Auroville often. I became very close with Johnny who was one of the original community members of Auroville. He is a renaissance man who can create just about anything and he has the uncanny ability of bringing community together - both young and old. If you spend time around Johnny you are always in for a hell of an adventure that's for sure.
One thing that I loved about staying in his community (Fertile) was the Sunday dosa party. It was a potluck and you never knew who would show up. Johnny started it because in his family in Australia, his grandmother would always have Sunday family suppers. I think the story goes that one time he tried running away from home but then got so hungry he ended up at the doorstep of his grandmother's home for Sunday supper. When he set up the community in Auroville, this was his way of carrying on his grandmother's tradition. There is always an eclectic mix of music, potluck food and people. Johnny makes everything over the fire. He even grinds the dosa batter with a fire powered grinder. His griddle is a huge cast iron slab seated on top of a barrel that he burns wood in. The morning routine before everyone comes is to make sambar over the fire, grind chutney in the stone grinder and whatever other snacks to add to the table. I loved the vibe of SUndays at Fertile and I hope to recreate the same kind of dosa party potluck gathering wherever I settle down the line.
I always thought it was a complex fermentation process but actually it ended up being very simple. Skyping with my grandmother, I was able to get the right combo of ingredients. I
2 cups 'idli rice' (parboiled rice - kind of brownish color)
3/4 cup urad dal
2 tbsp fenugreek
1/2 cup avil
1 tsp salt
1) wash and soak rice for 5 hours
2) mix urad dal and fenugreek in a bowl and soak for 3 hours
3) soak avil for 3 hours separately
4) combine everything in a super mixie such as vitamix and mixie until smooth without any graininess - add appropriate amount of water to bring about smoothness. BUT DON'T MAKE IT TOO WATERY! IT SHOULD BE THE CONSISTENCY OF PANCAKE BATTER
5) add salt, loosely cover and store in a warm, dry place overnight or for 8 hours (like to oven not while it's on though! In the summer time you can just leave it out on the counter)
The next day, the fermentation process would have made the batter rise slightly. mix it and add more salt if necessary. Sometimes you can't tell until you have made the dosa if it needs more salt. The best pan for making dosa is cast iron but this nonstick pan also has worked really well. Make it thin or thick - whatever you prefer. Use a large ladle and pour one ladle full into the middle of the pan on medium to high heat. Circle the batter outwards making concentric, continuous circles into the batter. Put 1-2 tsp of corn oil or ghee around the circumference of the dosa. Turn once it is golden brown on the underside and cook the other side to the same color. Serve with sambar, chutney, sugar and ghee or whatever your fancy!
One thing that I loved about staying in his community (Fertile) was the Sunday dosa party. It was a potluck and you never knew who would show up. Johnny started it because in his family in Australia, his grandmother would always have Sunday family suppers. I think the story goes that one time he tried running away from home but then got so hungry he ended up at the doorstep of his grandmother's home for Sunday supper. When he set up the community in Auroville, this was his way of carrying on his grandmother's tradition. There is always an eclectic mix of music, potluck food and people. Johnny makes everything over the fire. He even grinds the dosa batter with a fire powered grinder. His griddle is a huge cast iron slab seated on top of a barrel that he burns wood in. The morning routine before everyone comes is to make sambar over the fire, grind chutney in the stone grinder and whatever other snacks to add to the table. I loved the vibe of SUndays at Fertile and I hope to recreate the same kind of dosa party potluck gathering wherever I settle down the line.
I always thought it was a complex fermentation process but actually it ended up being very simple. Skyping with my grandmother, I was able to get the right combo of ingredients. I
2 cups 'idli rice' (parboiled rice - kind of brownish color)
3/4 cup urad dal
2 tbsp fenugreek
1/2 cup avil
1 tsp salt
1) wash and soak rice for 5 hours
2) mix urad dal and fenugreek in a bowl and soak for 3 hours
3) soak avil for 3 hours separately
4) combine everything in a super mixie such as vitamix and mixie until smooth without any graininess - add appropriate amount of water to bring about smoothness. BUT DON'T MAKE IT TOO WATERY! IT SHOULD BE THE CONSISTENCY OF PANCAKE BATTER
5) add salt, loosely cover and store in a warm, dry place overnight or for 8 hours (like to oven not while it's on though! In the summer time you can just leave it out on the counter)
The next day, the fermentation process would have made the batter rise slightly. mix it and add more salt if necessary. Sometimes you can't tell until you have made the dosa if it needs more salt. The best pan for making dosa is cast iron but this nonstick pan also has worked really well. Make it thin or thick - whatever you prefer. Use a large ladle and pour one ladle full into the middle of the pan on medium to high heat. Circle the batter outwards making concentric, continuous circles into the batter. Put 1-2 tsp of corn oil or ghee around the circumference of the dosa. Turn once it is golden brown on the underside and cook the other side to the same color. Serve with sambar, chutney, sugar and ghee or whatever your fancy!
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