306) MOOG UDUDHA POLO

MOOG UDUDHA POLO

A KONKANI GREEN GRAM, BLACK GRAM DOSA

A HIGH PROTEIN, VEG BREAKFAST DISH

Introduction:

          Moog ududha polo was my father’s favourite dosa. Though a breakfast dish, my mother would make him nice, hot dosas in the evening. When we hungry kids return from school, we would see father so happy at the dining table.

A quick wash later, I delighted in dipping hot pieces of moog ududha polo into crunchy, tangy, hot piyyava gojju. I relished every bite, tapping my feet in joy. After eating 5 or 6, I would be just as hungry as before. Such was the freshness and the texture of the polo with the gojju.

The best thing about this dosa, other than the vegetable protein is that diabetics can safely enjoy this tasty dish to their heart’s content since it contains neither rice nor wheat.

Ingredients (for 4 large servings):

     1)    Mung beans (green grams – moog in Konkani and cherupayar in Malayalam) – 150 gm.

     2)    Urud dal (black gram lentils – ududha dali in Konkani and uzhunnu parippe in Malayalam) – 150 gm.

     3)    Grated coconut – 100 gm.

     4)    Hot green chilies – 15 gm.

     5)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     6)    Fresh ginger – ½ inch piece.

     7)    Salt – 5 gm.

     8)    Water – 750 ml.

     9)    Coconut oil – to grease the pan

To prepare:

          Soak the first two ingredients in water overnight (at least 6 hours). Rinse well twice or thrice in tap water.

Drain off the water and transfer to your food processor. Tip in the coconut, the green chilies, the ginger, the curry leaves and the salt. Add enough water to grind to fine paste.

          If the food processor is smaller, you can grind in 2 or 3 batches. Take care to use exactly 750 ml. of water for the entire process. Transfer the batter to a vessel.

To cook:

A 75 ml. ladle will hold enough batter for a perfect thin dosa. Set a cast-iron dosa pan or a flat wide pan (or two) on high heat. Stir the batter well.

As soon as the pan is hot, grease it with coconut oil (if you are using a non-stick pan, do not grease it but drizzle the oil onto the dosa) and pour in a ladle of batter in the centre. Move the bottom of the ladle lightly from the centre to the sides of the pan in widening circles to make a beautiful paper-thin dosa. Turn down the heat and cover with a cloche.

As soon as the batter is cooked (a minute or two depending on heat and pan), lift up the cloche and let the dosa take its time to roast a little bit. Serve delicious, fresh, hot moog ududha polos with crunchy piyyava gojju or with coconut chutney. Eat polo after polo and enjoy!

Note:

          It is best if you use the cast iron pan greased with coconut oil to get the full taste of this stimulating dish. However, you can use any other cooking oil as well. The cast iron pan also infuses tiny doses of soluble iron in your meal for good health.