Kavuni Arisi Dosai Recipe

Rinse the black rice and parboiled rice separately under running water until water runs clear. Combine them in a large bowl.

Rinse the urad dal and place in a separate bowl. Add fenugreek seeds to the urad dal bowl.

Cover the rice mixture with cold water (about 2–3 cups above the rice level) and the urad+fenugreek with about 1–2 cups of water. Soak both for 6–8 hours or overnight at room temperature.

Drain the soaked rice mixture and reserve the soaking water. Drain the soaked urad dal and fenugreek and reserve its water separately.

In a wet-grinder or high-speed blender, grind the urad dal and fenugreek first with about 1/2 cup of the reserved urad soaking water. Grind to a smooth, fluffy batter (3–6 minutes in a wet-grinder; longer in a blender). Scrape sides occasionally.

Transfer the urad dal batter to a large clean bowl. Next, grind the rice mixture with about 1/2 to 1 cup of its reserved soaking water to a slightly gritty, smooth pourable batter (not as fluffy as urad). Adjust water in small increments to reach a dosa-batter consistency (thicker than a crepe batter but pourable).

Combine the rice batter with the urad batter and mix thoroughly with a spoon or by lifting and folding. The combined batter should be smooth, slightly thick but pourable.

Add salt and mix again. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it in a warm place to ferment for 8–12 hours (overnight). The batter should rise slightly and show tiny bubbles. Fermentation time varies with room temperature.

After fermentation, stir the batter gently. If it is too thick for spreading, add water 1–2 tablespoons at a time to reach a flowing dosa batter consistency.

Heat a nonstick or cast-iron dosa tawa (griddle) over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle a little water; if it sizzles and evaporates, the tawa is ready.

Lightly grease the tawa with a few drops of oil and wipe with a cut onion or paper towel to create an even surface.

Pour a ladleful (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) of batter in the center of the tawa. Using the back of the ladle, spread the batter outward in a circular motion to form a thin dosa (about 8–10 inches). For thicker, chewier dosai, do not spread too thinly; for crisper, spread thin.

Drizzle 1/2 to 1 teaspoon oil around the edges and a little in the center. Cook on medium heat until the edges lift and the underside turns golden brown and crisp (2–3 minutes).

If you prefer the top also slightly cooked, cover with a lid for 20–30 seconds, then uncover.

Using a spatula, fold or roll the dosa and remove to a serving plate. Brush with a little ghee if desired. Repeat with remaining batter, reheating and oiling the tawa lightly between dosas.

Serve hot Kavuni Arisi Dosai with coconut chutney and sambar. These dosai have a characteristic purple-black hue and a mildly nutty-sweet aroma from the black rice.

Leftover fermented batter can be refrigerated for up to 2–3 days or frozen for longer storage. Stir well before making more dosai; add a little water if too thick.