In all my years, I've never woken up more excited on a weekend morning than those when my Mother makes Dosa (pronounced dough-say). It has such a savory taste from the buttermilk and sugar. It can be eaten with almost anything and, best of all- it can double as a pancake when eaten by itself or with some maple syrup.
 |
| fresh, warm, and buttery goodness |
My Mother, like most Guyanese, cooks by sight and taste. She does not measure anything. It's some supernatural ability that clearly was not passed down to me. I asked her to measure (for my sake) when she made Dosa this past weekend. Whatever she makes comes out perfectly every time, so you can understand why I had to try out the measurements for myself this morning to make sure everything was just as perfect as it was over the weekend.
I set out on my Dosa-making adventure and let me tell you- they came out just as good as my mother's and, that's living up to a lot!
The recipe is as follows:
Dosa
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
2 Tbsp. melted Butter
2 Tbsp. room temperature Butter (to top the Dosa after cooking)
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup milk (any kind you have: the higher fat content, the richer the Dosa)
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2-2 cups All-Purpose Flour
Cooking Utensils
A Medium-Size Mixing Bowl
A whisk
A spoon
A flat griddle pan (Guyanese use a cast-iron pan called a
tawah)
A spatula
A sheet of paper towel
A plate
Preheat your griddle pan on the stove on low-medium heat (depending on your pan type and stove power).
Whisk together the egg, sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg in your mixing bowl. Make sure the egg is well blended with the other ingredients. Add the melted butter and continue whisking. Once incorporated, add buttermilk, regular milk and, continue whisking.
Add baking powder and flour. Incorporate the flour a little at a time, making sure to fully blend it into the batter until the consistency is smooth but, not watery. My mother suggests using the whisk to incorporate the flour for better blending. If the consistency is off, add flour or milk depending on if it is watery or too thick.
Using a wadded up paper towel, dip it into the vegetable oil and coat your griddle pan completely. If the oil begins smoking heavily, your pan is too hot. Adjust the heat, as needed. The cast-iron tawah works best on low-medium heat.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle pan. Using the back side of the spoon, gently spread the batter until it is thin but, not transparent. This may take one or two practice Dosa's to perfect, so don't worry. Once tiny bubbles appear, use the spatula to flip the Dosa. The other side should be a deep golden brown-dark golden brown color (see photos). Continue to cook for about 30 seconds and remove the Dosa.
Place it on the plate and spread some of your room temperature butter on the inside. Fold up the Dosa in fours (2 half folds) and set aside.
Continue this process until all Dosa has been cooked. This recipe yields about 6 Dosa, depending on size.
I like my Dosa fresh off the stove and all by itself. That's the best. Guyanese sometimes eat Dosa like a
roti paired with a meat dish. My fiancé likes his topped with some fresh fruit and maple syrup. How do you all like to eat your Dosa?
Love & sweet breakfast wishes,
Charnelle
P.S.- if you are curious about Guyana, Guyanese people, culture or customs, I suggest these sites for more information:
Wikipedia: Guyana
Guyanese Pride: Recipes
Metemgee Blog: Guyanese Cooking
