Pesarattu (Mung Dosa / Moong Dosa)

This is the first day of a new challenge. Today I am posting a recipe from Andhra Pradesh. Everyday this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India. By the end of this month I will have featured on my blog 30 recipes from 30 different states.

I have never visited Andhra Pradesh but have always had a lot of friends from there. At one point when I was working in Bangalore I wanted to visit Hyderabad just to see their famous chudi (bangles) bazaar. I have not made it there yet. Maybe someday.

To kick off to this challenge I wanted to make a signature Andhra dish. I looked through my wish list of 'recipes to try or repeat' and found pesarattu. A few months ago my sister visited a cousin and mentioned the delicious Pesarattu breakfast prepared by our sister-in-law. That had got me thinking about making Pesarattu and I had added it to my long list of 'recipes to try or repeat'.

Every part of the world has some form of a crepe. In India they are called dhirdi, chila or dosa depending upon where you are from. These crepes are made with every conceivable grain and pulse that can be soaked, ground to a batter and spread on a pan. The grains that cannot be used in crepes by themselves are mixed with others that can. Rice flour is added to make the crepes light.

Pesarattu is a crepe made with mung and usually eaten for breakfast in Andhra Pradesh. While it can be eaten on its own, it is also paired with upama.

While mung is usually soaked in water for 6-7 hours before it is ready to be ground, I had to soak it for about 20. The 32 F overnight temperature and the fact that I left it on the wide ledge by the kitchen window may have had something to do with it. Needless to say no one got pesarattu for breakfast. They had to eat it for dinner.

My husband who grew up in North India likes to eat it with yogurt. My father would have liked to eat it with cheese. In his view yogurt and cheese are interchangeable as both are dairy. When he is visiting my daughter reaches for the cheese too. I served it with dal as we had it for dinner.

You will need
For the batter
1 cup mung soaked overnight
2 tbsp. rice flour
1/2 ginger garlic paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. red chili powder
salt to taste

4 tbsp. onion, chopped

Grind the soaked mung to a paste. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Thin out the batter if needed. If should be a little thicker than pouring consistency.

Heat a griddle pan. Add a few drops of oil and spread it around with a spatula. Place a ladle of batter in the center of the pan and using a circular motion in ever increasing circles form a large circular disc. Sprinkle a little onion and cover to cook.

When the bottom turns brownish in color, flip it over. Cook the other side. Flip it over again. Fold the edges in to form a triangle.

Turn over and serve.

Note:
Wipe the pan clean with a moist paper towel before pouring batter on it.
After every two or three pesarattu's srpinkle some oil on the pan.