Surnali Dosa with Sweet Fried Banana Slices

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak Rice and Poha

   • Rinse the dosa rice under running water 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
   • Soak the rice in a bowl with ample water for at least 4 hours.
   • About 15 minutes before you plan to grind, rinse the thick poha in a sieve and let it sit to soften.
2. 2

   Grind the Batter

   • Drain all the water from the soaked rice.
   • In a high-speed blender, combine the drained rice, softened poha, fresh grated coconut, jaggery powder, turmeric powder, and sour buttermilk.
   • Blend until you get a completely smooth, fine batter. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, only if needed to facilitate grinding. The final batter should be thick, similar to a pancake batter.
3. 3

   Ferment the Batter

   • Transfer the batter to a large bowl, ensuring it's only filled halfway to allow room for rising.
   • Add salt and mix thoroughly with a clean hand or a whisk for about a minute. This helps in aeration.
   • Cover the bowl with a lid (not airtight) and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to ferment for 8 to 10 hours, or overnight.
   • The batter is ready when it has risen, looks bubbly, and has a pleasant sour aroma.
4. 4

   Cook the Surnali Dosa

   • After fermentation, gently stir the batter once or twice. Do not overmix, as this will deflate the air pockets.
   • Heat a cast-iron or non-stick tawa over low to medium-low heat. The jaggery can cause the dosa to burn if the heat is too high.
   • Lightly grease the tawa with ghee. Pour one ladleful of batter onto the center. Do not spread it. Let it form a thick, round pancake, about 4-5 inches in diameter.
   • You will immediately see bubbles forming on the surface.
   • Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of ghee around the edges and on top of the dosa.
   • Cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat. The dosa is cooked on one side only.
   • The dosa is ready when the top surface is cooked through (no longer liquid) and a beautiful net-like pattern has formed.
   • Gently slide a spatula underneath and remove the dosa from the tawa.
5. 5

   Serve Hot

   • Repeat the process for the remaining batter, greasing the tawa lightly each time.
   • Serve the hot, soft, and spongy Surnali dosas immediately with a dollop of fresh white butter (loni) or more ghee.