Impromptu Meetups
It is one of those days…a bunch of friends WhatsApp one another and say, “hey, wanna meet for coffee today?” Surprisingly, everyone’s super-busy summer schedules are open for that afternoon, and all agree it is high time that we meet up.
What everyone does NOT agree with is where to meet. One has a problem with a cafe because they use single-use disposable dishes. Another has a problem with a coffee shop because parking is hard to find. Yet another buddy complains that a certain venue is too far from her place.
Then, I extend a middle-ground option: why don’t you all come over to my place? Offer is quickly and eagerly accepted. All fine and dandy. But one problem: In case they decide to hang out after tea, what to serve that’s quick to make? Now, all of you know that when 5 gals meet up for tea, it seldom ends with just that. It invariably rolls into cocktails and dinner…and if push comes to shove, dessert, which, by the way, is exactly what happened…No complaints; I wouldn’t want it any other way. I consider myself lucky that I am blessed to have the kind of close friends who come for a cup of Joe and are likely to linger on until dinner time.
Sanna Pollo – Savory Cabbage Dosa
With two hours left (remember it was an impromptu meetup) I began to wonder what I could serve my friends for dinner if it came to that. Off I go peering into pantry and fridge for something quick, easy and healthy to boot. Can’t have a Healthy Indian blogger serve junk, right??! 😉 Out comes a small chunk of cabbage. The house is always stocked up with onions and brown Basmati rice, so those come out as well. And voila! The proverbial light bulb goes off. Thanks to my sister-in-law Shyla, who visited us from India recently, I had learned how to make this delectable spicy cabbage-onion dosa dish first-hand.
Cabbage-onion dosa is a no ferment dish that is local to coastal Karnataka (the Udupi region where my husband’s family hails from). The folks from this region of India have some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G recipes. If you think you hate cabbage – think again after you’ve eaten these dosas. You will be a convert.
No sweat! Because no fermentation is needed. And boy, they taste finger-licking good! There can’t be a bigger testimony to that fact than friends standing around the stove and gobbling them up right off the griddle! Here’s to good friends and to the Udupi side of my family.
Impromptu dinner!
Substitutions & Notes:
This dish is super-easy to make and will become a staple in your house. If you don’t have cabbage, you can substitute the dosa with spring onions or fenugreek leaves, or spinach, or drumstick (moringa) leaves, or….with any grated veggies of your choice (think carrots). Each will bring a distinct taste and flavor to the batter. Since the batter will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, you can change the veggies and greens daily, making it a whole new type of dosa.
I soaked the brown Basmati rice for just a couple of hours since I didn’t have enough notice, but it would be great if you could soak it for up to 6 hours. You could also substitute brown rice with red or white rice.
Do use Kashmiri chilies, rather than the regular red chilies. For one, they are milder tasting, and for another, they add a brilliant hue and color to the dosa batter.
I have used green cabbage (most commonly available for the video). For the photos, I’ve used red cabbage (more nutritious). It’s your choice, since both work well.
No Ferment Cabbage-Onion Dosa
Accompaniments
I served them with homemade ginger pickle, but it would taste just as good with:
- Chutney Powder
- Sesame Chutney Powder
- Yellow Mung Raw Onion Chutney
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Raw Green Tomato Chutney
- Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
- Zero Waste Butternut Squash Peel Chutney
- Flavorful Cilantro Mint Chutney
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
- Spicy Bell Pepper Potato Medley
- South Indian Potato Curry
- Raw Banana Potato Saute
- Broad Bean Eggplant Saute
- Sambar
If you love South Indian dosas, be sure to check out our Multigrain Dosa. Love cabbage? Then do try our Sautéed Cabbage and Bell Pepper Curry, Cabbage-Mung Curry, Cabbage Kootu or Cabbage & Green Beans Poriyal.
Cabbage is an excellent source of the ever-so-important vitamin C, crucial for maintaining a strong immune system. It has been known for years that consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with lower cancer risk. Furthermore, onions contain fiber and folic acid, a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells.
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No Ferment Cabbage-Onion Dosa (Sanna Pollo)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Brown Rice - or use any rice of your choice
- 1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
- 1 Teaspoon Tamarind - Deseeded
- 1/2 Teaspoon Jaggery - Optional (I have not used it)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Or to taste
- 1/2 Cup Cabbage - Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Finely Chopped
- 6 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
Dry Roast:
- 1/2 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 1/4 Tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds - Methi Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Urad Dal
- 6 Dry Red Chili - Use Kashmiri Chili. Change quantity to taste
Instructions
- Wash and soak brown rice for 2-6 hours. Drain the water.
- Finely chop cabbage (green or purple).
- Finely chop onions (white, yellow or purple) and add to the chopped cabbage.
- Get all the ingredients ready: Kashmiri chili, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, jaggery (optional - I don't use it, but the traditional dish calls for it) and tamarind.
- Dry roast Kashmiri chilis on medium flame for 2 minutes and set aside.
- In the same pan, dry roast urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds until they are lightly browned, and you smell the aroma.
- Add all dry roasted ingredients to a high-speed blender, add grated coconut, a little water and blend well.
- Add soaked rice, salt, tamarind, jaggery (optional) to the blender. Add a little more water and blend to a fine paste. The consistency of the batter should be that of a pancake mix.
To Make Dosa:
- Take only as much batter as you need for one meal. You can store the remaining batter in the fridge (see notes). Add finely chopped onions and cabbage to the batter and mix well.
- Heat a non-stick griddle on medium flame. Roll out the dosa (watch the video in this blog) to pancake thickness. Drizzle coconut oil, cover the griddle and let the dosa cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Turn the dosa over and cook uncovered to desired crispness.
- Serve hot with chutney, chutney powder or any dry curry of your choice
Video
Notes
- The dosa batter can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can pack the batter in an airtight container and freeze it too!
- Add jaggery only if needed. The grated coconut and spices already take this recipe up to a Zen level, without needing to add the extra sugar.
- Finely chopped veggies and greens will allow you to spread the dosa batter thinly on the griddle, thereby making crispy dosas.
- This dosa batter quantity will serve approximately 2 dosas per person.
Nutrition
Hi Malathy,
I made this dosa earlier in the week and just soaked another 2 cups of brown rice to make more of it as my entire family (including kids!) loved it and they are begging for more! I love the crunchiness raw cabbage adds to this dish when it gets cooked with the dosa! This recipe checked off all the boxes for me- spiciness, taste, texture, how simple it is to make and yet so delicious!! Love it!
Wow! for the resounding vote, Uma! I am so glad the entire family enjoyed it. You can also substitute any kind of greens or grated carrots into this dosa. Thanks for taking the time and effort to send your feedback.