Dosa Vegan Crepes

Dosa vegan crepes are pretty easy to make if you have the right equipment — like a cast iron griddle and a blender. Dosas are slightly fermented pancakes made of soaked and blended white rice, a type of lentil, and a few fenugreek seeds. 

See how they are full of holes? That’s just from the fermentation; no baking powder or baking soda or yeast is needed. I suppose right before cooking you could add some salt, but not before, as it might inhibit the fermentation process. Usually I eat these with savory fillings and sauces, but this morning I spread them with vegan cream cheese and some raspberry jam and topped them with maple syrup and Soyatoo whipped cream

Dosa Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups white rice
1 cup red lentils (usually urad dal or black lentils, but these work)
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
Water to rinse, soak, blend

Method
Rinse the rice and soak overnight in three cups water. Rinse the lentils and fenugreek seeds and soak overnight in three cups water. In the morning, drain them separately and blend them separately with enough water to make the blender go around. Blend until nearly smooth and just a little gritty. Mix them together in a glass bowl, crock, or enameled pot. You want to end up with a pourable batter on the thick side. Cover with a dish towel and let ferment for eight hours. The time could vary depending on the room temperature. You can add some non-iodized salt if you’d like.

I keep this batter in the refrigerator in a covered container. It can last all week if you just make a few for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Stir it well before using.

Heat a cast iron griddle to medium. The hotter the griddle, the better they seem to cook and not stick. I greased it lightly with a dab of coconut oil. If you’re going to be chopping up an onion for the filling, you can use a cut-off end of the onion with a fork stuck in it as a handle and spread the oil with that. Use a ladle to make a round or two of batter (1/4 cup or so) on the griddle (my Lodge griddle reaches across two burners so I make two at a time), and then use the back of the ladle in an outward spiral from the center to spread them out thinly.

Cook for about two minutes, and then flip and cook for one minute until they are a little browned. You may need to turn the heat a little lower after the griddle is hot. Oil the griddle between cooking dosas. The first one or two sometimes get messed up, but I’m beginning to believe that’s because the griddle wasn’t hot enough, so don’t rush into cooking the first one.

At this point, you can fill them with savory fillings or eat them like a pancake.

What kind of savory filling? I like to sauté onions and greens, add turmeric and black pepper and salt or tamari, and mix in cooked potato and cooked tempeh or tofu or chick peas, or whatever leftovers you have. Look up a vegan masala recipe for guidance. I like to top it with my special sauce and avocado, cherry tomatoes, and arugula. It would also be good with a tahini/lemon/miso sauce.

In this case, though, I spread them with vegan cream cheese, raspberry jam, and maple syrup and topped them with vegan whipped cream. Reddi Wip makes dairy-free almond or coconut varieties if you can’t find Soyatoo.