Chickpea and Coconut Curry Dosas

When I first heard about these thin little pancakes stuffed with a curry filling I was pretty intrigued. I had never made anything like these pancakes before and they really are more like crepes. It took a couple tries (and throwaways) to perfect the thin pancake. The cake uses spelt flour which is kind of a unique grain so it’s harder to find at grocery stores. If you have a non-stick pan definitely use it on these for easier flipping. The curry filling was the easiest part to make and the flavors were great–a little spicy and a little sweet. Since the curry filling is enough for 4 meals, I made 1 batch of dosa batter each day.  You can’t go wrong with coconut curry and wrapped up in the thin pancakes made it all the better!

Chickpea and Coconut Curry Dosas
(Makes 12 dosas)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cardamom, ground
• 2 tsp coriander, ground
• 1/2 tsp mustard, ground
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp fennel, ground
• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 tsp cloves, ground
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 12 oz. tomato paste
• 3 serrano peppers, diced and seeds removed
• 15 oz. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 potatoes, softened and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 15 oz. coconut milk
• 1/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro, for garnish
• 1 tomato, sliced for garnish

Dosa Pancake Ingredients:
(makes 7-8 pancakes)

1 cup spelt flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp reserved curry powder

1/2 cup milk (or almond, rice or soy milk)

3/4 cup water

vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix all the dry spices together.
2. Toast on a saute pan until fragrant, about a minute.
3. In a sauce pot, heat the oil and butter until melted. Add the carrots, onion and serrano peppers.  Heat for 10 minutes, or until the carrot starts to soften.
4. Add the tomato paste, garlic, ginger, and curry powder (reserving 1 tsp for the dosa pancakes) and stir until the paste begins to caramelize.
5. Add the potatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, water and stir. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
6. Towards the last 5 minutes of cooking the filling, combine the flour, 1/2 tsp curry powder (save the other 1/2 tsp for the next day), salt and baking powder in a bowl.
7. Add the milk and water slowly, whisking until smooth.
8. Heat a nonstick pan and spread 1 tsp of vegetable oil on it.
9. Ladle 2-3 tbsp of batter into the center and spread the batter outwards in a swirling motion with a spoon.
10. When the pancake starts to look dry and bubbly (about 4-5 minutes) flip it over and cook for a few seconds.
11. Set aside and repeat. Fill with a few tablespoons of the curry filling and enjoy.