Crispy Indian Crêpes (Dosas)

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

*Your Chef will lead you through all the techniques, so prepping ahead of class is optional

Ingredients for the batter:

  • 1 ¼ cups rice flour
  • 3/4 cup urad dal flour (lentil flour) or semolina flour
  • 2 ¼ – 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ghee or avocado oil, as needed

Ingredients for the saag paneer:

  • 1 tablespoon ghee or avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne powder
  • 6 ounces paneer, cut in ½ inch cubes
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced (seeds removed if you don’t like it spicy)
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Ingredients for the mint chutney

  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, leaves and stems
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced (seeds removed if you don’t like it spicy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or water
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Procedure:

  1. To make the crêpe (dosa) batter: whisk together the flours and the smaller amount of water in a medium bowl until smooth, adding more water as needed so that you have a loose but not runny batter. Cover with a clean dishtowel or cling film and leave it out at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
  2. To make the saag paneer: Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the ghee then add the garam masala, turmeric and chili powder. Swirl the pan and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the spices are very aromatic. Add the paneer and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally until the paneer has browned all over, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the paneer to a plate or board.
  3. Tip the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeno into the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach along with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the liquid has cooked out and evaporated.
  4. Add the paneer back to the pan and cook until warmed through. Remove from the heat, taste and season with salt and lemon juice as needed.
  5. To make the chutney: place the mint, cilantro, cumin, jalapeno, honey, garlic and yogurt in the carafe of a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth, turning the blender off to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and season with salt and lemon juice as needed.
  6. To finish: Stir the salt into the dosa batter along with any water needed so that it is the consistency of crêpe batter (like a very runny pancake batter).
  7. Heat a crêpe pan over high heat and brush with ghee or oil. Spoon or ladle ¼ cup of the batter onto the hot pan, using the bottom of the spoon or ladle to spread the batter all the way around to the edge of the pan. Allow it to cook for about 2 minutes, until the top looks dry and the bottom is crispy and golden brown. Using an offset spatula or fish spatula, carefully loosen the dosa from the pan. Spoon ½ cup of the saag paneer into the middle of the dosa, spreading it out into a thin strip from edge to edge. Use the spatula to fold each side over the middle to create a roll; transfer to a plate. Repeat until all of the batter is used. Serve immediately with the mint chutney.