Dosas are my favorite Indian food and I miss getting to eat them almost every day in India. The dosa batter usually has to ferment overnight, but this recipe for black bean dosas from Asha Shiv of Food Fashion Party is instant and perfectly delicious! I've paired it with her sweet and spicy green chutney and NYT food's potato masala. This dish is just wonderful. I highly recommend making the chutney and potato masala a day or two in advance / over the weekend. Then dinner only takes 30 minutes! It is well worth the time and prep.
Clean the potatoes, add to a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until you can easily pierce with a fork, ~20 minutes.
Dosa batter: Add the black bean flour, all purpose flour, yogurt, sesame seeds, salt and water to a mixing bowl. Whisk to remove lumps. The batter should be more watery than pancake batter...more like crepe batter.
Chutney: Add the white wine vinegar and apple juice to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and simmer it until it becomes a light syrup. ~10-15 minutes. Add all the ingredients for the chutney along with the apple juice-vinegar syrup to a food processor or blender. Blend it to a smooth runny consistency. Set aside.
Make the potato filling: Put the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. When oil is wavy, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. The spices will sizzle and pop (takes ~1 minute) and then add the red pepper flakes and onion. Stir until onions have softened, ~5 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Add turmeric, coriander, ginger, curry leaves (OR 3 bay leaves + zest of one lime), garlic and serano peppers. Stir to coat for ~1 minute.
Add the peeled and chopped potatoes and ½ cup water. Cook ~5 minutes while stirring well to combine until the water has evaporated. Slightly mash some of the potatoes with your cooking utensil. Taste for seasoning. Add salt if desired. Set aside.
Dosas: Heat a non-stick pan, griddle, or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Brush with about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Ladle ½ cup batter in the center of griddle. Holding the handle twirl the pan around for the batter to spread evenly. Drizzle ½ teaspoon oil over the top. Cover, and cook for 1 minute. Check to make sure the dosa has browned and slightly crisped on the bottom. With a spatula, carefully loosen it, flip, and cook 1-2 minutes on the second side. Set aside and repeat for the rest of the batter.
Serve everything on the table and let people assemble their own dosas.