Pesarettu Moong Dal Dosa

For a dosai that is made with just one legume it is an extraordinarily tasty dish in addition to being a very healthy one. You can make it flavorful by adding spices like cumin or carom seeds. You can make it into a meal in and itself by adding your favorite vegetable stuffing. It is also one of those dosas you can eat without any additional condiments. It is also much easier to make compared to the standard rice dosai. Except for the time it takes to soak the legume, prep time is quite short.

Preparation

Green moong dal whole (unskinned): 1 cup
Salt to taste
Chili powder or paprika to taste (optional)
Cumin (optional) 1 teaspoon
Carom seeds (good for digestion) (optional) 1 teaspoon
Dessicated coconut or shredded coconut  2 tablespoon
Red onion (large) 1
Coconut oil

1. Soak moong dal for at least 24 hours. Soaking will soften and plump up the dal. You will need it to be soft to grind.

2. Drain and grind the legume in a food processor or a standard grinder. You can add salt and paprika at this stage. Grind it to a smooth batter.

3. Meanwhile, chop onions to finely. Heat oil in a skillet and sautee the onions till they becomes translucent. Remove from heat and transfer into a dish. (Or you can substitute onions with a vegetable of your choice)

4. Heat the griddle or a non-stick pan. When the griddle is hot, wipe it with a little bit coconut oil. This will keep the dosa from sticking to the griddle.

5. Pour a ladle of dosa batter onto the griddle. Using the ladle spread the batter in a circular motion till it has the desire thickness and size. You should do this fairly fast before the dosa starts cooking. Drizzle a small amount of coconut oil around the edges of the dosa.

7. When the edges turn brown and cripsy, flip over to the other side and cook it for a few minutes. Always make sure that dosa is not overcooked or burnt.

7. Flip again and layer the dosa with filling.. Carefully turn one half side of the dosa over the other. Gently lift it with the spatula and transfer it to a plate. Top it with a little pickle or brown sugar and enjoy.

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Art Covers for Journals

I love making soft cover journals, especially ones with canvas covers. But, what I enjoy more is creating art on the canvas. Should not be surprising since I am still an artist at heart. These types of journals enable me to combine the craft of journal making with the art of painting. My only challenge is finding the time to both. Here are a sample of a few I have done recently.