Mysore Masala Dosa| Karnataka Style Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa finds pride of place on the menu in most eateries across Karnataka. It is a popular breakfast dish in the state, and there’s no surprise there. This is such a lip-smackingly delicious dosa, after all! I’m here today to share with you guys my aunt’s recipe for Mysore Masala Dosa. She makes them beautifully, and I always make them as per her recipe.

The typical Mysore Masala Dosa is thicker than your regular dosa, crisp on the outside and soft within. A fiery, red, garlicky chutney is spread inside the dosa – the star of the dish, in fact. There is a potato filling inside too, similar to that of the Masala Dosa. Looks-wise, the Mysore Masala Dosa looks quite similar to the Masala Dosa – it is the spicy red chutney in the former that makes all the difference.

The Mysore Masala Dosa is believed to have originated in Mysore, the erstwhile capital of Karnataka state. It is one of the most popular dosa versions around the globe, Karnataka included. Different restaurants have their own style of making the Mysore Masala Dosa, but most do come with one or the other version of spicy red chutney in them. My aunt’s recipe uses a simple red chutney made with coconut, the renowned Bydagi chillies of Karnataka, garlic and salt. We love this dosa to bits – the husband and I – and it features often on our dining table.

This is a completely plant-based recipe, suitable for those who follow a vegan diet. It can easily be made gluten-free too, by avoiding the asafoetida used here.

Without further ado, let’s now check out the recipe for Mysore Masala Dosa.

Ingredients (makes about 8 dosas):

For the potato filling:

1. 4 medium-sized potatoes
2. 1 medium-sized onion
3. 2 green chillies
4. 1/2 tablespoon oil
5. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6. 2 generous pinches of asafoetida
7. Salt to taste
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
9. Red chilli powder to taste
10. Lemon juice to taste
11. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

For the red chutney:

1. 4-5 Bydagi dried red chillies
2. Salt to taste
3. 5-6 garlic cloves
4. 2 teaspoons chana dal
5. 1/2 teaspoon oil
6. A small piece of ginger
7. A small piece of tamarind
8. 2 teaspoons jaggery powder
9. Half of a small onion
10. Water as needed

For the dosas:

1. 8 ladles of dosa batter
2. Oil as needed to make the dosas

Method:

We will start with some basic prep work.

1. Soak the tamarind in a little warm water for at least 15 minutes or for it to soften. Let it cool down completely.

2. Cut the potatoes in halves, and transfer to a wide vessel. Add in enough water to cover them. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook the potatoes for 4 whistles or till they are well cooked. Let the pressure release naturally.

3. Slit the green chillies length-wise, and keep them ready.

4. Chop the onion finely. Keep ready.

Now, we will prepare the red chutney.

1. Peel the garlic cloves, ginger and onion. Chop roughly.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add in chana dal and dry red chillies. Saute on medium flame for 1-2 minutes or till the dal turns brown. Transfer to a plate.

3. To the same pan, add the garlic, ginger and onion. Saute on medium flame for 3-4 minutes or till the raw smell is gone. Transfer to the same plate. Allow the sauteed ingredients to cool down completely.

3. Now, transfer all the sauteed and cooled ingredients to a small mixer jar. Also add in the soaked tamarind along with the little water they were soaked in. Add in salt to taste and jaggery.

5. Grind the ingredients in the mixer jar together to a smooth paste. This is the red chutney you will be using to spread inside your dosas.

We will now get the potato filling for the dosas ready.

1. Get the cooked potatoes out of the cooker, once the pressure has gone down completely. Discard the water that the potatoes cooked in.

2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and roughly mash them.

3. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add in the mustard seeds and let them sputter.

4. Add in the slit green chillies and asafoetida. Let them stay in for a couple of seconds.

5. Add the chopped onions to the pan. Cook on medium flame till they start browning.

6. Add the mashed potatoes to the pan, along with salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Mix well. Cook on medium flame for about a minute.

7. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Switch off gas, then mix in lemon juice and finely chopped fresh coriander. Your potato filling is ready.

Next, we will prepare the Mysore Masala Dosa.

1. Place a dosa pan on high flame. Let it get nice and hot.

2. When the pan is hot enough, lower the flame to medium. Now, place a ladleful of dosa batter in the centre of the pan and spread it out quickly into a large circle. Use the back of the ladle to do this.

3. Drizzle a little oil all around the dosa. Let it cook on medium flame till it browns on the bottom. This takes 1-2 minutes.

4. Now, flip over the dosa. Cook on the other side for about a minute. Transfer the dosa to a serving plate.

5. Spread a little of the red chutney we prepared earlier, on the inside of the dosa. Place some of the potato filling inside too, in the centre of the dosa. Fold the dosa so as to close it. Serve the Mysore Masala Dosa immediately.

Notes:

1. I use home-made dosa batter to make the Mysore Masala Dosa. You can use store-bought batter instead, too.

2. Carrots and/or green peas can be added to the potato filling. I occasionally use them.

3. Ghee or butter can be used to make the dosas, instead of oil.

4. Some people add chana dal and/or curry leaves to the potato filling. I don’t.

5. Bydagi dry chillies give the chutney its red colour, without making it way too spicy. Make sure you use Bydagi chillies to make the red chutney.

6. For best results, make sure you keep the dosa a little thicker than usual. If the dosa is too thin or too crisp, you will find it difficult to spread the red chutney inside.

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This recipe is for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop. Every Monday, we food bloggers who are part of the group showcase recipes based on a pre-determined theme.

The theme this week is #NashtaTime, which was suggested by me. For the theme, all of us are presenting regional breakfast dishes from our home state.

I’m sharing this recipe with Fiesta Friday #285.