Dosa with Sambar

Crisp on the edges, soft in the middle, and mildly sour from a slow ferment, dosa is proof that a rice and lentil batter left alone overnight can turn into something far more interesting than either ingredient managed on its own. Pair it with a lentil and vegetable sambar and you've got a bowl that's doing real work for your digestion. It sits alongside idli with coconut chutney as one of the best fermented ways to start the day, and fits neatly into our roundup of fast gut-friendly breakfast ideas.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups short-grain rice
• 1/2 cup urad dal
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil, for cooking
• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (drumstick, carrot, pumpkin, okra)
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oil

Instructions

1. Soak rice and urad dal with fenugreek seeds separately for 5 to 6 hours, then grind each into a smooth batter and combine with salt.
2. Let the batter ferment at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours, until airy and slightly risen.
3. Meanwhile, pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric until soft, then mash and set aside.
4. Simmer the vegetables in water with tamarind and sambar powder until tender, then stir in the cooked dal and simmer another 10 minutes.
5. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chilies in oil, then pour over the sambar.
6. Heat a flat griddle, ladle on the dosa batter, and spread thin in a spiral. Drizzle with oil and cook until golden and crisp underneath.
7. Fold the dosa and serve immediately alongside a bowl of hot sambar.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Two days of planning for a five minute breakfast, and somehow it's still worth it.

This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.