Rosematta Rice Dosa (Ukhdo Tandla Bhakri)

After contemplating for several months, I finally bought a 20 lbs. bag of Rosematta rice last year. Rosematta Rice also known as Kerala Red Rice/ Matta Rice/ Palakkadan Rice is easily available in few Indian groceries and is very nutritious as compared to its counterpart, Basmati or Sona Masoori Rice which is a part of our regular diet. Eating it frequently needs a certain acquired taste which comes with time. Since the bag is huge in quantity I wanted to be completely sure before I buy it. For so long, my Red Rice stash from India came to my rescue and it dwindled very fast. I like Soupy Red Rice (Ukhde Paej) and Cooked Red Rice (Ukhde Sheet).

Ma also made this tasty, crispy Bhakri out of Red Rice for breakfast. Do not mix this with its familiar counterpart - Akki Roti or Tandla chi Bhakri, both are different from this Bhakri. At one point as a kid, I went through a phase of only-Bhakri-for-breakfast, so much to my Ma's chagrin that she had to pull all the stops to make me eat something else. In my home, both of us like the taste of this Dosa - its soft, has the nutty taste of Rosematta rice and is very filling for breakfast. Best part the whole process is fermentation free. My Dad loves eating the Bhakri with fresh home churned butter, Loni which Ma makes everyday without fail. On few days, he also prefers honey and he promptly tells me his sugar level is low. Dad still loves the Bhakri with a dollop of butter dunked on top. Come to think of it, my late Grandma often told me that her MIL never made Chutney and the entire family had Dosa paired with Honey or Butter. A very odd combination for me but I certainly see why they like it. The diffident me stays away from butter and enjoys plain Bhakri paired with spicy Pitti Chutney powder.

~ Ukhdo Tandla Bhakri ~

Preparation time: 8-10 hours

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Yield: 12-15

Ingredients:

Rosematta Red Rice - 1 cup

Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - little less than 1/2 cup

Salt

Oil/ Ghee for frying

Contraption: Cast Iron Pan if possible

Method:

1. Wash and rinse the rice in multiple changes of water to get rid of grime and dirt. Once the water is clear enough, soak the rice in 3 times the quantity of water overnight.

2. Next day, blend the rice along with grated coconut to a stiff paste with little water which is thick and non-runny but easily spreadable. Adjust salt as required.

3. Heat a cast iron pan. Ladle a tablespoon of the batter (just to the size of a pancake) and drizzle oil/ghee on the sides. Flip them after 5 minutes and fry on the other side. Once crisp and light brown on surface, serve hot with a dollop of butter or with Pitti Chutney powder.

Note - The balance of grated coconut and rice is crucial for Dosa. If coconut is more, the dosa would be crumbly and fall apart, if coconut is less, the dosa sticks and is difficult to flip over. The shelf life of batter is only 2 days since coconut is added. Use cast iron pan for best results.