Cucumber Dosa (using Mangaluru Southekaayi)

Feeling thirsty or hungry….oh both is it?…so sorry, don’t get angry! Why not have this….yeah it’s not a broth….but something that you can almost swallow down that shallow pipe called oh…eeh…yess got it…oesophagus!” Ha…now I see you smiling. For, with this dish, you can “grind” your water and eat it too! While the water is grinding, let me share my poem in praise of “Mangalore Southekaayi” – click  Hu hoo, Cu Coo, Cucumber

Read down for Recipe - Cucumber Dosa

Dish type: South Indian Breakfast Dish

Soaking time:  5 to 6 hours

Grinding time: 10 to 15 min

Yield: 10 nos. approx.

Ingredients   (for preparing batter)               

Rice                             250 gms

Methi seeds                1 tsp

Raw grated coconut    ¼  fresh coconut

Cucumber                   250 gms (measure after chopping it fine)

Salt                              1 tsp approx.

Directions

Soak rice and methi seeds together for about 5 to 6 hours with just enough water required to soak. Drain the water after soaking time is over. Save this water in case more water is needed for batter later.

Wash Cucumber (Mangaluru variety), peel the skin and chop cucumber fine. Grate raw coconut.

Grind the soaked n drained rice and methi seeds along with fine chopped cucumber, raw grated coconut and salt in grinder or mixie. Stir the batter at intervals.

The batter keeps sticking to the sides of the grinder/mixie. Keep clearing the sides off the batter by pushing the batter towards the centre.

Let the grinding continue till the texture of batter becomes smooth with a flowing, buttermilk like consistency. To test the consistency, dip a spoon in the batter. If the spoon has a thick coating of the batter, then more water has to be added. If required, use the drained water that you saved earlier. Transfer it to a vessel.

Cucumber Dosa Batter is now ready. This batter doesn’t need fermenting and can be used immediately.

To prepare dosa….

Heat a greased tawa (preferably iron) on high flame. Sprinkle few drops of water on the hot tawa. It should sizzle. Now reduce the flame to low.

Mix the batter thoroughly with a ladle. Do this for every dosa. Pour a ladleful of batter on the tawa in circular fashion starting from the outer sides of tawa towards the centre.  Actually, the batter flows by itself towards the centre. Fill big holes if any with the batter. Let tiny holes remain. No need to add oil, unlike many other types of dosas.

Cover it with a lid. Turn the flame to medium and cook the dosa for a few seconds. Cucumber Dosa cooks quite fast and doesn’t turn brown. So, make sure dosa is not overcooked expecting it to turn brown. When the top layer appears no longer raw and looks cooked, lift the sides by sliding a flat spatula from beneath. No need to flip the dosa to cook the other side. Fold the dosa into half and again into half to form a triangle. Place it on a platter of size bigger than the size of the dosa you prepared. Wipe the tawa clean, before making the next dosa.

When you continue to prepare more Cucumber Dosas, place them away from each other, since they tend to stick to each other when hot. Once cool, they can be placed one above the other in a covered bowl and served warm later. A fully cooked Cucumber Dosa will have a rich white colour.  

Serve it steaming hot or cool, with coconut chutney, peanut chutney, ginger chutney, sambar, pickle, onion tomato curry or jaggery-coconut mix.

Tete-a-Tete

Cucumber dosa batter can be refrigerated. Before using, thaw it to room temperature. Also you will see a layer of water on top and the batter settled below. Discard this layer of water and add fresh water (it should be at room temperature). Mix thoroughly and if required, do add a pinch of salt.

Ideally, Cucumber Dosa boasts of a rich white complexion.

Cucumber is known as “Southekaayi” in Kannada, “Dosakaayi” in Telugu, “Vellari” in Tamil, “Kheera” in Hindi

Recipe Courtesy: Smt. Mankali, a septuagenarian lady from Idagunji Taluk and an expert cook.

Other Recipes contributed by Smt. Mankali:
Beetroot Gojju (Sauce)
Brahmi leaves Yogurt Sauce (Ondelaga Thambuli)
Banana Fritters / Yeridevu
Spicy Yogurt with Coleus (Doddapatre Thambuli)


Also view:
Akki Thari Upma (Broken Rice Upma)
Black Grapes Gojju
Heralekaayi Gojju (Citron Lime Sauce)
Recipes viewed here are a part of  "Mangala's Potluck" section in this blog