Pesarattu (with grated cheese filling)

Pesarattu (with grated cheese filling)
( Moong dal dosa - Signature dish of Andhra Pradesh )

Makes: 8

Ingredients

1 cup ( 200 g ) yellow moong dal (split yellow dal)
1/4 cup (3 tablespoons) raw rice
1 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 - inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 onion, very finely chopped
4 cheese cubes, finely grated
Salt to taste
Cooking oil or ghee

Method

Soak the moong dal and rice for four to five hours. Grind them together to a coarse paste with chopped green chilli and ginger. Set aside.

Heat a thick, flat griddle.

Smear a very tiny quality of oil all over the pan. Spread some of dal – rice batter (1 ladleful / 120 ml) on the pan to form a round shape. Since this is thicker than the normal dosa batter, it needs to be patted out carefully and slowly. Use the back of a ladle to spread it as thin as possible ( but slightly thicker than the normal dosa ).

Drizzle some oil (or ghee) all round the batter as well as on the top.

Spread chopped onion (3 teaspoons) on the batter, (so they get well – embedded in the batter , that is why you need to chop them so fine).

Cook on medium heat till the underside become golden color.

Flip carefully ( it’s normal for a few pieces of onions or ginger to fall off during this process ) and roast the other side.

Turn over again and roast for a few seconds more. Turn the other side sprinkle grated cheese ( 1 tablespoon) evenly. Fold and serve hot with coconut chutney , or a dip made with a mixture of fresh yogurt and Andhra mango pickles.

Pesarattu (without filling)