South Indian fare tonight!
From the top, going counterclockwise:
2 Dosai (thin, crisp rolled crepes made from a fermented rice/lentil batter) stuffed with potato masala (spicy-sweet fried onions, potatoes, cashews, and spices); bowl of sambhar (spicy vegetable soup–mine’s got eggplant, potato, onion, and drumsticks–flavored with a smoky-hot-sweet powder and coconut milk); side of coconut chutney (coconut ground with chilies, cilantro, and roasted lentils, flavored with mustard seed and chili-pepper-infused oil).
I’ve been making and eating Indian cuisine for a few years now, but a trip to a South Indian buffet a few months back really kicked off a rush of activity; I’ve probably made at least one dish each week since then. The above is a crazy flavorful, healthy meal that has components that will combine well and make other foods, too (the same dosai batter can also be spread less to make savory “utthappam” pancakes that you can cook chopped veggies and grated cheese into; or it can be steamed into little buns called idlys–perfect for soaking in the flavorful sambar soup). I’ve got enough food for a few days now, though I’ll probably make dal makhani (sweet and creamy buttered lentils and red beans) around Tuesday to complement these leftovers.
More pics (linked to larger versions):
The sambhar soup:
The dosai batter:
The potato masala and coconut chutney:
Some dosai I made previously (on a larger, but harder to clean, skillet, heh):
