Neer Dosa with Hurali Saaru

Cook the Neer Dosas (25 minutes)

• Heat a non-stick tawa or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. To check if it's ready, sprinkle a few drops of water; if they sizzle and evaporate immediately, the tawa is hot enough.
• Lightly grease the hot tawa with a few drops of oil using a paper towel or half an onion.
• Stir the batter well from the bottom each time before making a dosa, as the rice flour settles very quickly.
• Take a full ladle of batter and pour it quickly onto the hot tawa, starting from the edges and moving towards the center in a circular motion. Do not try to spread it. The batter will naturally form a lacy pattern.
• Drizzle a few drops of oil around the edges if desired.
• Cover the tawa with a lid and cook for about 60-90 seconds on medium heat. The dosa cooks with the trapped steam and does not need to be flipped.
• Once cooked, the edges will begin to lift away from the pan and the surface will look cooked (no raw batter visible).
• Gently fold the dosa in half, and then into a quarter (triangle shape). Remove it from the tawa and place it in a casserole to keep warm.

Repeat and Serve

• Repeat the process for the remaining batter, remembering to stir the batter and lightly grease the tawa before each dosa.
• Serve the Neer Dosas immediately while they are hot and soft, with coconut chutney, sambar, or a spicy curry like Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast or Vegetable Kurma.

Simmer and Flavor the Saaru

• Place the pot with the horse gram stock on the stove over medium heat.
• Add the finely chopped tomato, crushed garlic cloves, tamarind extract, jaggery, rasam powder, and salt.
• Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the raw taste of the tamarind to cook off.

Prepare the Tempering (Oggarane)

• While the saaru simmers, heat ghee in a small tempering pan (tadka pan) over medium heat.
• Add the mustard seeds. Once they begin to splutter, add the cumin seeds, broken dry red chillies, and curry leaves.
• Sauté for about 30 seconds until the curry leaves are crisp and the spices are fragrant. Add the asafoetida, give it a final stir, and immediately turn off the heat.

Combine and Garnish

• Carefully pour the hot tempering into the simmering saaru. It will sizzle.
• Stir in the finely chopped coriander leaves.
• Let the saaru rest for 5 minutes for the flavors to infuse before serving.
• Serve Hurali Saaru hot with steamed rice, a dollop of ghee, and a side of papad or the prepared horse gram usli.