Potato Pallya

Serves: 4 – 8 dosai

Lordy, this is a seriously fine dosai filling.

In fact, it is as good as I have had at any restaurant.

The trick is to ensure that the final product is not too oily. If anything is going to kill the delicate shell of your dosai, it is oil.

Otherwise, be as adventurous with the spices as you want with this recipe. Make it sing with flavour, smoke, spice and flavour. And don’t worry that the lentils will be crunchy… that is half the fun.

Boom!

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tbsp split chickpea lentils
½ tbsp split black lentils
1 – 2 dry chillis, torn
¼ tsp Asafoetida powder*
¼ turmeric powder
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
Half an onion, sliced
Salt to taste
250gm potatoes, boiled, peeled and roughly mashed
¼ bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the black mustard seeds and allow to splutter.
2. Add both the lentils and cook on a medium heat, stirring constantly until the lentils turn a light golden in colour.
3. Add the chillis and the asafoetida powder and cook for a few moments.
4. Add the turmeric and the curry leaves and cook for a few moments.
5. Add the onions and salt and cook until the onions turn translucent. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
6. Cook on a medium heat for a few minutes, checking the seasoning.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
8. Use as the filling of a dosai. Or just eat it because it is seriously that good!

* I know, I had only heard of this once and I didn’t know what it was. Like turmeric which is really only used to enhance colour (and flavour), so too is Asafoetida powder. Though more so to reduce flatulence as far as I can tell. If you can get it, awesome, if not, not to worry.