“Maida~Oats Panna Polo (Seasoned Dosa)” served with "Sweet~Spicy Drumstick Leaves (Moringa/ Mashing Pallo)~Amla (Avalo)~Tender Ginger Chutney" and “Kadak Adraki Chai (Strong Ginger Tea)” along with some apple pieces … health is wealth, so here are some totally healthy dishes … Breakfast could not have been better than this …...
** Maida (APF) dosa / polo is a very age old traditional~famous dosa from Konkani Saraswat’s Cuisine and is every child’s delight. Children simply love this thin flimsy dosa with lots of holes. This is usually relished with chutney or thickened Jaggery syrup or even with date syrup. Of course, it’s a pleasure having this with fresh homemade white butter. While children happily gobble these up us elders who have grown up eating these dosa’s too enjoy them. I am posting the link to the original method of preparing the Maida dosa the age old way at the bottom of this recipe, please do go through the link and check out on that dosa too. The recent study that Maida / APF is not good for health as it is loaded with starch has put off people from preparing and relishing this delicious dosa. However, I always feel that our elders were very wise enough to know such matters, so if it has not harmed them, it will not harm us; that is if eaten within limits. However, then those days they worked harder than us manually, not that we don’t slog, but things have changed drastically now.
** Frankly there are times when I work for almost 17 hours sometimes, but then ours is more of brain work than labor. We have machinery that gives us instant result unlike how they worked, so I guess it was much easier to digest such food for them than us. So considering this fact, I too sometimes give second thoughts while preparing dishes that include the addition of Maida much, after all one has to give utmost priority to health aspects. Oat’s has been on the health list for quite some time now. For the last decade or so, we hear a lot about dishes with inclusion of oats and cornflakes. As of now, millets have come into the bracket of healthy food. So, after giving considerate thoughts on same, I feel it’s high time I added these more into my daily diet. So the research and development on introducing these into food the way my family likes is on process. I do not want to hurry on it, as I want to add them on slowly as our body, which is used to normally cooked food will not adapt suddenly to the change.
** I have added in a few millet dishes before too, but I have yet to prepare it in proper manner. Oats, I found that unlike millets is easy and adapts very well with any dishes you want to prepare. And now it has become a sort of passion with me to experiment with them on new dishes. In the last few weeks I have posted quite a few of them and many more are sure to follow. I have roasted and powdered them in bulk and kept ready and keep adding them in dishes I feel will absorb the same well. Well, today, I decided to prepare Maida dosa with the addition of oats that will give it healthier twist and the same can then be relished without guilt of eating Maida. To my surprise the dosa came out so well that it simply showed no difference either in taste nor in texture. Now what more does a person want, I felt happy that I cracked at least the desire of eating the Maida dosa without the guilt pangs. Now I can prepare them more often and not wait for 3-4 months like before to have them. My hubby was the happiest as it is his most favorite dosa and always kept cribbing that I was not making it more often.
** Here is my simple method of preparing “Maida~Oats Panna Polo (Seasoned Dosa)” … My Style … Try it, tastes awesome with any chutney of your choice ….
** Ingredients :
Maida / APF : 1 cup
Oats : 1 cup (fine powder)
Fine / Chiroti Rava : ¼ cup
Green Chillies / Hirvi Mirchi / Tarni Mirsanga : 2-3 finely chopped
Coriander Leaves / Dhania / Kottambari Pallo : 1 tblsp finely chopped.
Salt to taste
** For Tempering :
Oil : 1 tblsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds / Sasam / Rai : 1 tsp
Fresh Curry Leaves / Kadipatta / kabev : 5-6
Red chilly : 1-2
Asafoetida / Hing Powder : ¼ - ½ tsp depending upon its aroma.
** Put maida, oats powder and rava in a bowl along with salt to taste, finely chopped green chillies and coriander leaves and mix it well. Add in about 4-5 cups of water and mix well, there should be no lumps. Add more water if necessary as the consistency of the dosa batter should be that of milk or as we do for neer dosa / panpolo. Let it rest aside for 10 minutes, then give the batter a good mixture and check the consistency too and keep it ready.
** Note : For Oats Powder, I roast the oats in microwave for 1-2 minutes mixing once in between about 3 cups and then make a fine powder and store it in an airtight container and use as and when I want. You can also roast it on a thick bottomed kadai on medium flame for 2-3 minutes about 3 cups and then powder the same. This way it is easier to use whenever necessary.
** For Tempering : Heat oil in a small pan, when hot add in the mustard seeds, when they begin to splutter add jeera, hing powder, curry leaves cut into pieces and fry for a few seconds, remove from heat and Keep it aside to cool, when slightly colled add in the red chilly also cut into small pieces, mix and allow to cool completely. Pour this into the batter once it cool enough and mix the batter well.
** The Maida~Oats Dosa batter is now ready to be used for preparation of dosa’s. If still not sure of the consistency of the batter, check it by dipping the ladle into the batter. When you remove the ladle out the batter SHOULD NOT form a coating on the back of the ladle. If it does, then add more water to the batter. The batter is not to be fermented so it is ready to be used immediately. However if you need to remove the dosa after a few hours refrigerate the batter and bring it to room temperature before you proceed in making of the dosa.
** Heat Iron or non stick large sized tava to smoking point, lower the heat apply oil all over, rub with a tissue paper so as leave only a thin film of oil on the tava. Do not rub of the oil from tava just spread it with the tissue evenly. If you want you can spray or sprinkle some drops of oil in the center of the tava. Now turn on the gas flame to high and let the tava be very very hot. Using a deep rounded ladle that holds about ½ to ¾ th cup of batter, pour the batter on the hot tava after lowering the heat to minimum in a quick and swirl pattern by pouring in such way that the tava gets covered with a thin layer of batter all round.
** The batter should be poured from at least 4-6 inches above the tava and the ladle should not be allowed to touch the tava nor should you attempt to spread the batter as we do for normal dosas. Move from outward to inwards while pouring the batter. Because of the thin consistency of the batter, it will spread over the pan quickly and a thin textured dosa with holes will be formed. This does need practice and is difficult to explain and will help the novice if they watch any video demo on you tube for the purpose.
** The gaps or holes in the dosa, if large can be filled with little bit of batter, however leave out the small holes as it is, that is the way the dosa is prepared. Pour a little bit oil round the edges of dosa on the pan and let cook on medium heat. The dosa is done if the top portion of the dosa looks glazed and the batter does not touch your fingers, when touched lightly. This dosa is cooked on ONE SIDE ONLY, so do not flip over the dosa and try cooking on the top side, but if you want to you can flip and cook it for a second. However, we do not.
** “Maida~Oats Panna Polo (Seasoned Dosa)” is done and ready to be served. You can relish this with any chutney of your choice. I served it with "Sweet~Spicy Drumstick Leaves (Moringa/Mashing Pallo)~Amla (Avalo)~Tender Ginger Chutney" and “Kadak Adraki Chai (Strong Ginger Tea)” along with some apple pieces for breakfast and we enjoyed the combo very much. Do try this dosa and enjoy with your family and friends. You can prepare the same instantly whenever guest drop in suddenly too as it is an instant dosa and need not be prepared and kept ahead.
** Note : This dosa is snow white, soft and will not turn brown so do not attempt to make it too crisp. Gently remove the dosa and put it on a plate as it is with the same side down as it was on the tava. Remove rest of the dosa with the batter in similar way. Season the tava before you remove each dosa to ensure that the dosa comes off evenly without being torn. This dosa is not flipped over to cook. Ensure that the dosa has cooled a bit before you pile another on top of the first or else they will stick to each other and may tear off when you try to separate them while serving.
** Best way is to serve them each single immediately once they are cooked and ready. Hot and fresh maida-oats dosa direct from pan is a pleasure to eat. You can serve this dosa with any side dish of your choice. Goes very well with chicken curry, kurma, panna upkari etc. Children love this dosa simply with Shrikhand or homemade butter. You can serve this with jaggery ravo (syrup) or dates syrup which is the most hit combination for this particular Dosa. Enjoy these soft dosa’ as a snack or for breakfast.
** Here is the link to the Maida Polo (Dosa), prepared as per traditional method, please go through the link and check the recipe. In that recipe, the maida is soaked overnight and then the next morning the water is drained off. However, the same can be prepared instantly too.
** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of different types in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it or have a query, please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible. Do try out various types of dishes included in the Blog and Enjoy them with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible. I have also started a food group for by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" where in you will find many more recipes by members and you too can share some of your own. The link to the group is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring" … Thank You ….
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