Southekai / Zucchini Spongy Dosa
ಸೌತೆಕಾಯಿ ದೋಸೆ·(sow-the-kai doh-seh)
South Indian Breakfasts: The Fermentation Engine
This isn't the three-day, temperature-fussy project that keeps dosa out of reach on a Tuesday night at 6:30, nor is anyone asking you to pull a massive, yellow Mangalore cucumber out of a relative's suitcase like a brick of gold. True texture comes from an overnight fermentation engine, and with just a standard box grater, we use the natural juices of grated zucchini to grind the rice, letting wild yeasts and vegetable enzymes do the heavy lifting while you sleep. Grease a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, pour, and listen as the batter hisses.
Before you start
Soak the grains.
Combine the rice, poha, and methi seeds in a large bowl, wash vigorously until the water runs clear, and cover with a few inches of fresh water to soak for at least 4 to 6 hours.
Drain the soaked mixture completely.
Discard the soaking water entirely before grinding, as you will rely exclusively on the zucchini juice for hydration.
Ingredients
- Sona Masoori rice2 cup
- thick poha1/2 cup
- methi seeds1 tsp
- zucchini1 large
- frozen grated coconut1/2 cup
- fine sea salt1 1/2 tsp
- cumin seeds1 tsp
- fresh ginger1 inch
- green chilies2 med
- fresh cilantro2 tbsp
- ghee2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Blend the zucchini and coconut into a vibrant liquid.
Place the grated zucchini into your blender first with the thawed coconut and pulse a few times. The blades will pulverize the vegetable and instantly release a pool of green juice.
- 02
Grind the batter without adding a single drop of tap water.
Add the drained rice mixture to the blender and blend on high until you achieve a smooth, slightly thick batter. Let the vegetable do the work.
- 03
Ferment the batter overnight.
Pour the batter into a large, non-metallic bowl, cover loosely, and place in a warm spot like an off oven with the light turned on. Let it ferment for 8 to 12 hours until slightly aerated, puffy, and carrying a mild sour tang.
- 04
Stir in the aromatics just before cooking.
Gently mix the salt, cumin seeds, grated ginger, minced chilies, and cilantro into the fermented batter until it reaches the consistency of heavy pancake batter.
- 05
Pour the batter into a warm pan.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, lightly grease it with ghee, and pour a third of a cup of batter into the center. Use the back of the ladle to gently guide it into a 5-inch circle, being careful not to spread it paper-thin like a restaurant dosa.
- 06
Cover and steam to create the spongy holes.
Drizzle a bit of ghee around the edges, cover the pan with a lid for 45 to 60 seconds to trap the steam, and cook until the top is set, porous, and the bottom is golden.
- 07
Serve immediately.
Remove from the pan and serve piping hot alongside fresh coconut chutney.
Notes
The sweet grandma variation.
First-generation kids often remember this as an impromptu breakfast dessert. To reproduce it, omit the ginger, chilies, cumin, and cilantro. Instead, stir a half cup of powdered jaggery and a half teaspoon of ground cardamom into the fermented batter right before cooking.
Skip the urad dal entirely.
Adding lentils ruins the delicate, spongy nature of this vegetable infusion. The starch from the poha combined with the wild yeasts from the methi seeds provides all the structural integrity and softness needed.
Handle cold kitchens with a pinch of baking soda.
If your kitchen is incredibly cold and the fermentation engine stalls, you can cheat by adding a quarter teaspoon of baking soda ten minutes before cooking to manually force the aeration.