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Dosas (South Indian Fermented Lentil and Rice Crêpes)

These savory crêpes made with pounded, soaked rice and black lentils are a go-to comfort food for almost everyone hailing from South India. Some of the most common dosa toppings include coconut chutney, sweet-sour tamarind sambar, and spiced mashed potatoes. When preparing them, it’s important to spread the batter quickly, from the center of the pan to the edges, to ensure wide, thin, evenly cooked crêpes.
From: Saveur MAKES ABOUT 24 DOSAS

3 cups long grain white rice
1¼ cup urad dal (skinned split black lentils)
½ cup chana dal (yellow split peas)
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sugar
Melted ghee, for cooking
Masala potatoes, for serving (optional)
Coconut and coconut-cilantro chutneys, for serving

Rinse rice and dals in a bowl until water runs clear; cover with 8 cups water and let sit 3 hours. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve; transfer to a blender. Add 3½ cups water and purée until smooth to create a slightly thick, grainy batter. Cover; let sit at room temperature 6 hours to ferment.

Heat a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high. Stir salt and sugar into batter. Brush skillet lightly with ghee. Using a ladle, pour ½ cup batter into center of pan. Immediately and in a circular motion, spread batter from center toward edge of pan, creating a thin pancake (some holes are fine). Drizzle 1–2 tbsp. ghee around edges and on surface of dosa. Cook until golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes. Slide spatula around edges of dosa and fold in half; slide onto a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with ghee between dosas. Serve with masala potatoes and chutneys if you like. Leftover batter can be chilled 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.

Thengai Chutney (Coconut Chutney)

In coastal south India, coconuts are used for a variety of dishes, including this sumptuous ivory-colored chutney. Made with yellow split peas, grated coconut, and green Thai chiles, it’s traditionally served with dosas, south India's fermented lentil and rice crêpes. MAKES 2 CUPS

2 tbsp. chana dal (yellow split chickpeas), rinsed and soaked 30 minutes, drained
1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 small green Indian chiles or 1 serrano, stemmed
2 tbsp. canola oil
½ tsp. black mustard seeds

Purée chickpeas in a spice grinder into a powder; transfer to a food processor. Add coconut, lime juice, chiles, and ½ cup water; purée until smooth and transfer to a bowl. Heat oil in an 8" skillet over medium-high. Cook mustard seeds until they pop, 1–2 minutes; let cool and stir into coconut mixture.

Aloo Masala (South Indian Masala Potatoes)

These flavorful mashed potatoes are spiced with mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, turmeric, and ginger and mixed with peas. SERVES 4–6

2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
¼ cup canola oil
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
½ tsp. asafoetida
½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
20 fresh or frozen curry leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, halved
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
½ cup frozen peas
1½ tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground turmeric
2" piece ginger, peeled and grated
Kosher salt, to taste
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Cook potatoes in boiling water until just tender, 25–30 minutes; drain, peel, and cut into 2" pieces. Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high. Cook mustard seeds until they pop, 1–2 minutes. Add asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves; cook 1 minute. Add garlic, chiles, and onion; cook until golden, 8–10 minutes. Add potatoes, the peas, coriander, turmeric, ginger, salt, and ½ cup water; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, 8–10 minutes. Uncover and stir, mashing lightly; cook until slightly dry, 4–5 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Sambar (South Indian Vegetable Stew)

Cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey describes sambar as "a split-pea stew which is varied daily with the addition of, say, caramelized shallots or tomatoes or okra or aubergine (eggplant) poached in tamarind juice." What we discovered in our test kitchen is that any combination of vegetables, such as yams, zucchini, or eggplant, can be added to this aromatic south Indian dish. SERVES 6–8

½ cup toor dal (yellow pigeon peas), rinsed, soaked 30 minutes, and drained
½ cup coconut or canola oil
8 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
1 small red onion, cut into 1" pieces
2" piece ginger, peeled and mashed into a paste
4 small green Thai chiles or 2 serranos, chopped
2 drumsticks, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2" pieces
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
½ cup sambar masala
3 tbsp. fresh or frozen grated coconut
3 tbsp. tamarind paste
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
10 small okra, trimmed and halved crosswise
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tsp. black mustard seeds
10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
5 chiles de árbol
¼ cup cilantro leaves
Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

Bring 1/3 cup toor dal and 4 cups water to a boil in a 6-qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until dal is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Wipe pan clean; heat half the oil over medium-high. Cook garlic, onion, and ginger until slightly caramelized, 8–10 minutes. Add green chiles, drumsticks, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and 3½ cups water; boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until vegetables are tender, 15–20 minutes. Stir in reserved toor dal, the sambar masala, coconut, tamarind paste, cumin, turmeric, okra, and salt; simmer until okra is tender, 10–15 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in an 8" skillet over medium-high; cook mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chiles de árbol until seeds pop, 1–2 minutes; pour over sambar and garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice on the side if you like.

Beetroot Thoran (South Indian Beet Stir-Fry)

When author VK Sreelesh's in-laws get together in the South Indian state of Kerala, they prepare traditional Keralan dishes such as this beet thoran, which his mother-in-law, Shyamala, and her cousin Jayanti make with tender ruby-red beets that are stir-fried with chiles, turmeric, and coconut oil. SERVES 4–6

1½ lb. beets, peeled and cut into ¼" pieces
½ tsp. ground turmeric
2 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, halved
1 small red onion, minced
1/3 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
1 tbsp. coconut or canola oil
12 fresh or frozen curry leaves
Kosher salt, to taste

Bring beets, turmeric, chiles, onion, and 1 cup water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; cook, covered, until beets are just tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and stir in coconut, oil, curry leaves, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly dry, 8–10 minutes.