Cauliflower Masala Dosa

Cauliflower Masala dosa is a flavorful dosa variety. We usually prepare only potato masala dosa at home. I came across this cauliflower masala dosa recipe in this blog. It was totally new to me and hence wanted to try it. I made few changes to the original recipe and prepared it as below. It turned out to be flavorful with the smell of fennel seeds and cauliflower.

Cauliflower Masala Dosa Recipe

Serves  :  3 - 4 people

Ingredients

• Cauliflower  -  1 medium sized
• Onion  -  1 medium sized, finely chopped
• Tomato  -  1 medium sized or 2 small sized, finely chopped
• Turmeric powder  -  1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder  -  1 tsp
• Sambar powder  -  2 tsp
• Fennel seeds  -  1/2 to 1 tsp, based on your liking
• Cumin seeds  -  1 tsp
• Coriander leaves  -  little
• Salt  -  as required
• Water  -  as required
• Oil   -  2 tbsp
• Idli batter/3 in 1 batter  -  as required

To grind

• Garlic  -  3 to 4 medium sized pods
• Ginger  -  a small piece
• Cashew nuts  -  4

Method

• Cut cauliflower into bite sized florets. Boil water and add it to the cauliflower florets along with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and leave this aside for 5 to 10 minutes. By doing this we can remove any worms which may be present in the cauliflower.
• Grind the items given under "To grind" using little water to a smooth paste.
• Heat a pan and add oil. Once oil is heated, add fennel and cumin seeds.
• Once they crackle, add onions and fry till transparent.
• Add the ground ginger-garlic-cashew paste and saute well till the raw smell leaves. 
• Add the tomatoes, coriander leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder and sambar powder and cook well till the tomatoes turn mushy. The oil should separate out from the mixture.
• At this stage add the cauliflower florets, required salt and water as needed for cooking the masala.
• Mix everything well. Check for salt and cover and cook.
• Cook till the cauliflower coats well with the masala and the mixture turns thick.
• The masala should neither be too dry nor too watery. So, cook accordingly.
• To make the masala dosa, add little water to the batter. Heat a tawa and once heated, add a ladle of the batter and spread it thinly. Drizzle oil and cook till crisp.
• Spread 1 to 2 spoons of the masala on the left side of the cooked dosa. Close by covering the other half and take it from the tawa after 3 minutes. This way the masala also gets set with the dosa. No need to flip the dosa to the other side.
• Serve hot with any chutney or sambar of your choice.
• I served it with kara chutney.

Notes

• Adding cashews with ginger and garlic provides a rich taste to the masala and also acts as a thickening agent.
• Add water for cooking the masala based on the type of cauliflower. Some varieties turn mushy with very less water itself. So add accordingly.
• Fennel seeds provides the major flavour for this dish. Hence don't skip it. I used only 1/2 tsp but later felt could have added 1 tsp. Adjust the quantity according to your taste.
• Once ginger garlic cashew paste is added, make sure to saute well continuously till the raw smell leaves by keeping the flame in low. Else it will get stuck to the bottom of the pan and the taste will completely change.
• I used more of sambar powder and less of chilli powder. You can prepare it even by using one of the powders or adjust the quantity according to your preference. If you prefer you can even add garam masala powder. 
• Add the cauliflower florets only after the masala is well cooked i.e. the oil should separate out. Else the raw smell of the powders will be felt in the dish.
• While preparing the dosa, add little water to the batter to get crispy dosa.
• Ensure the tawa is well heated and cook the dosa in medium flame only on one side. No need to flip to the other side.
• The leftover masala can be used as a side dish for mild pulaos or roti varieties.