andhraMediumveganvegetariandairy freenut free

MLA Pesarattu

Name: MLA Pesarattu
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: andhra
Ingredients: 1.5 cup green gram (whole, soaked 6 hours and drained); 0.25 cup rice (raw, soaked with the green gram); 3 pcs green chili (divided); 2 inch ginger (divided); 1 tsp cumin seeds (divided); 0.5 tsp salt (divided); 0 water (for grinding batter); 1 cup semolina; 2 tbsp oil (divided); 0.5 tsp mustard seeds; 0.5 tsp urad dal; 0.5 tsp chana dal; 10 pcs curry leaves; 2 pcs onion (medium, divided; 1 finely chopped for upma and 1 finely chopped for topping); 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)

RATING

4.6/5(98)

TASTE SCORE

8/10

A hearty Andhra-style pesarattu stuffed with soft upma and folded into a crisp green gram dosa. It is filling without feeling heavy and makes a popular breakfast or tiffin with ginger chutney on the side.

PREP

25m

COOK

35m

SERVES

1 LARGE PESARATTU STUFFED WITH UPMA

540 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 10 STEPS

prep · ~360 min
Soak the green gram and rice.
Wash the green gram and rice well. Soak them together in plenty of water for 6 hours, then drain completely before grinding.
TIPDrain well so the batter stays thick and spreads neatly on the pan.
mix · ~7 min
Grind the pesarattu batter.
1.Add the soaked green gram and rice to a blender jar.
2.Add 2 green chili, 1 inch ginger, 0.5 tsp cumin seeds, 0.25 tsp salt, and water for grinding.
3.Grind to a smooth but slightly grainy batter that pours easily.
4.Pour into a bowl and mix well.
saute · ~3 min
Roast the semolina.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan over low to medium heat. Add semolina and roast for 2 to 3 minutes until it smells nutty, then transfer to a plate.
TIPKeep stirring so the semolina colors lightly and does not burn.
temper · ~5 min
Make the tempering for the upma.
1.Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same pan over medium heat.
2.Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3.Add urad dal and chana dal and cook until lightly golden.
4.Add curry leaves, 1 chopped onion, 1 green chili, and 1 inch ginger.
5.Cook until the onion turns soft and translucent.
boil · ~6 min
Cook the upma.
1.Pour in 2.5 cups water and bring it to a boil.
2.Add 0.25 tsp salt and stir.
3.Sprinkle in the roasted semolina slowly, stirring all the time to avoid lumps.
4.Cook until the upma thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
rest · ~5 min
Rest the upma for 5 minutes.
prep · ~1 min
Prepare the topping onion.
Mix the remaining chopped onion with cilantro in a small bowl. Keep it ready for topping the pesarattu while cooking.
fry · ~4 min
Cook the pesarattu.
1.Heat a dosa tawa until medium hot and lightly grease with the remaining oil as needed.
2.Pour a ladle of batter in the center and spread it into a thin circle.
3.Scatter some onion-cilantro topping over the surface and press lightly.
4.Drizzle a little oil around the edges and cook until the bottom turns crisp and golden.
TIPSpread the batter quickly on a medium-hot tawa; a very hot pan makes it hard to spread.
assemble · ~1 min
Stuff with upma and fold.
Place a small mound of upma in the center of the cooked pesarattu. Fold it over and cook for 30 seconds more so the filling warms through.
serve
Serve the MLA Pesarattu hot.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Keep the batter slightly grainy, not ultra-smooth, so the pesarattu gets its typical crisp bite.
2
If the batter feels too thick to spread, add water a tablespoon at a time; runny batter will tear and turn pale.
3
Use a medium-hot tawa and spread quickly from the center outward; on an overheated pan the batter will clump instead of forming a thin dosa.
4
Press the onion-cilantro topping gently into the wet batter so it sticks and does not fall off when folding.
5
Let the upma turn thick enough to leave the sides of the pan; loose upma will ooze out of the folded pesarattu.
6
For the crispiest base, cook the pesarattu until the edges lift easily before adding the upma filling.
7
You can make the upma a few hours ahead and keep it warm or reheat gently before stuffing, so assembly is faster.