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Wikipedia. [Map] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradesh
The Dravidian Region: Andhra Pradesh
The Dravidian Region: Andhra Pradesh
Andhra is a state in the Southern region of India bordered by the states of Tamil Nadu, Telegana Karnataka, and Odisha. The eastern border of the state is the Bay of Bengal. The capital city of Andhra is Hyderabad. Telegana was a region within the state of Andhra for many years, however in 2014 the region split off into its own state. Andhra is home to some 86 million residents according to the 2011 census. The state is named for the Andhra people, a tribal group from the time of the Mauryan Empire (325 BCE- 185 BCE). Their language, Telugu, is the official language of Andhra Pradesh as well as Telegana. Telugu is a dravidian language, meaning it comes from a family of over 70 related languages from South Asia. These languages include Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. These 4 languages are spoken by 22% of the population of India.
Andhra is one of India's main rice-producing states. This rice can be eaten, turned into rice flour, rice oil, or even soaps, paint, and cardboard. The region also produces certain grains, peas, lentils, and beans that are commonly used in cooking. Rice is a staple to many Andhran meals. Not only is rice served with most meals, it is also used as the base to commonly made dishes, such as dosa or idli. Dosa is a paper thin crepe-like dish made from a batter of fermented urad dal (black lentils) and rice. Idli is a soft savory cake made from a very similar batter. Often, these are served with Sambar, a stew made from lentils, tamarind and vegetables. Many people in the south of India enjoy finishing off their meal with curd rice, or yogurt mixed with rice. Meals are also often served with various pickled vegetables and chutneys.
Dosa is a meal that is typically associated with the southern region of India. But there are many variations to this type of meal, many ways of making it, the delicacies that go along with it, and the style of how it's made. The taste itself helps distinguish the details of who is making the dosa, what state they are from, and how they learned to make it. The western fusion interpretation of Dosa is to add cheese instead of the aloo masala potato filling. Rice is a major crop and a staple food of Andhra Pradesh. Many South Indian dishes are all rice based meals. In North India, there is less of an access to rice and more of an access to wheat which is why many meals have a bread component. This is not the case in southern India, hence rice being the most common side component to a meal.
Dosa
Dosa
Ingredients:
1 cup short or medium grain white rice
1/4 cup black lentil (urad dal)
1.8 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
1/2 tsp non-iodized salt
Vegetable oil as needed
Water
Optional: rice flour as needed
Cook with Manali. [Photograph] https://www.cookwithmanali.com/crispy-masala-dosa/
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine rice, urad dal, and methi.
Rinse thoroughly, then add 1.5 cups water. Cover and soak for 6 hours or overnight.
Drain water and add soaked dal and rice mixture to a blender. Add up to 3/4 cup water and blend until the batter is a smooth consistency. If your batter becomes too thin or watery, you may add rice flour to thicken it.
Add 1/2 tsp salt to the batter.
Cover batter and allow to ferment for 8-12 hours. When the batter has been fermented it will double or even triple in size and have a slightly sour smell.
To a cast iron pan, add 1/4-1/2 tsp oil and spread evenly to avoid sticking. Heat your pan on low to medium flame. Using a ladle, take a spoonful of batter and pour it into the center of your pan. Use the bottom of the ladle to very thinly spread the batter out.
Once golden brown, take a small spoonful of oil and carefully drizzle it around the dosa's edges. Optionally flip the dosa to cook slightly on the other side.
Once there are no more spots of raw batter, remove from the heat. Serve immediately. This dish is usually served with a potato masala, sambar, or coconut chutney.
Remaining batter may be stored for 3 days in the fridge or frozen.
Serving Size: 14-16 dosas.
Amit, D. (2021, July 6). Dosa recipe and dosa batter (sada dosa). Dassana's Veg Recipes. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/dosa-recipe-dosa-batter-recipe/
Krishna, P., & Krishna, S. (2016, October 6). A beginner's guide to the great wide world of indian dosa. Saveur. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.saveur.com/indian-dosa-crepes-guide/
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