Multigrain Dosai with Mint Chutney (பல வகை சிறுதானிய மாவு தோசை & புதினா சட்னி )

Multigrain Dosai with Mint Chutney (சிறுதானிய மாவு  தோசை & புதினா சட்னி )

Gluten is a protein found in wheat. Over time, wheat varieties with more gluten have been cultivated for commercial purposes  to give an elastic quality to the flour.
Foods rich in gluten are fairly acid-forming as it is not easy for our bodies to digest more gluten. An acidic environment  created in the body  leads to a host of problems – fatigue, acidity, obesity, cancer, diarrhea etc.. Millets are grains that do not have any gluten.

Those who have experimented with rolling out ragi, jowar or bajra rotis will vouch for how much easier it is to roll out wheat rotis(chapathis). However, this makes millets easy to digest and mildly acidic, if not alkaline. If your diet is rich in gluten (foods such as noodles, pizza, biscuits,bread, etc), consider adding millets to your diet to help create a more alkaline medium in your body. This will go a long way towards improving your health.
Millets are particularly high in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.
Along with the millets, I have used flax seed powder in a small proportion in this recipe.

In addition to improving blood pressure and lowering fasting glucose level, flaxseed intake also help decrease central obesity (as measured by waist circumference) Sprinkle a few flaxseed powder in your daily cooking. Be it your morning cereal, afternoon currries or chapathi for dinner.

Ingredients:

1. Finger Millet  Flour     (கேழ்வரகு மாவு )  -- 1/4 cup
2. Foxtail Millet Flour     (திணை மாவு)     -- 1/4 cup
3. Barnyard Millet flour ( குதிரைவாலி மாவு)   -- 1/4 cup
4. Pearl Millet flour       ( கம்பு மாவு )    -- 1/4 cup
5. flax seeds  powder    ( ஆளி விதை தூள் ) - 2 tbsp

Thin sliced onion - 2Nos.

Grated Cabbage - 1/2 cup

Grated Carrot - 1/2 cup

Finely chopped Coriander and Curry leaves

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Black Pepper 2 tsp

Cashew nuts - 8 (split into quarters)

Ghee  -  2tsp
Salt  -  to taste


Mix the flours in sufficient water to make a thin batter. Add sliced onions, carrot and cabbage. In a small pan heat the ghee and add black pepper n cumin seeds. When it splatters, add in the cashew nuts. Fry till golden brown and add to the batter. Add the chopped coriander and curry leaves and salt. Let the prepared batter be allowed to remain at room temperature for 30 min for all the ingredients to combine well and form a smooth batter.

In a hot tawa, spread the batter to form a dosai. Add  oil around the corner.

Cover it with a lid for a  minute. This enables faster cooking and also make it easy to turn the dosai

When dosai is crisp at the bottom, turn top side to the heat and let the top side be roasted as well.

Serve crisp, hot dosai with coconut chutney, mint chutney or idli podi. Choice is yours.

Mint Chutney 

Mint leaves has a lot of health benefits and I have been using it quite often in my cooking. My Children didn't like the strong taste except when it is added to Briyani or added to mixed vegetable kurma. 

To consume in a substantial portion for its benefit, chutney was the only option.

I learnt the below recipe from my friend, Swathi. A few ingredients added to enhance the taste and balance the pungent aroma of Mint leaves.

Ingredients:

Fresh Mint Leaves  -  2 cups ( stems removed)

Coriander Leaves  - 1/4 cup ( can use with the stems)

Curry Leaves  -  a handful

Tomato (big)  - 1

Onion (big)  -  1

Green chillies  -  2

Dry red chillies  -  2

Split black Urad dal  -  2 tsp

Asafoetida  -  1/4 tsp

Steps:

Clean all the three types of fresh leaves together in running water and drain.

Heat oil in a pan, fry the dry red chilli and green chilli, remove and add the split Urad dal and asafoetida. Remove and keep aside. In the same pan add 1 tsp oil and fry the cut onions and tomato.

Remove the onions and tomatoes and saute the leaves for a minute. Donot over cook them. 

In a mixie jar add the chillies , urad dal and salt and make a fine powder. Later add the rest of the ingredients and make a paste. Water may not be necessary or if need be, use sparingly.

Mint chutney is ready. If refrigerated, this can be used for 3 to 4 days.

My Notes:

Mint is a great appetizer or palate cleanser. The aroma activates digestive system and so generally given as a starter drink before a main course. Also used in various preparations.

Mint Chutney goes well with Idli, dosai or even mixed with hot steamed rice. As an accomplishment for curd rice as well. 

My son likes to use as a spread for his toast which he got the habit from his paternal Grandmother.

I have added vegetables to the dosai batter to meet the daily fiber requirement and also it gives a enhanced taste.

Enjoy yr dosai and mint chutney.