Kaattuyaanam Arisi Dosa or simply Dosa made of traditional red rice aka Kaattuyaanam Arisi from Tamil Nadu is a must make for rice lovers and health seekers alike
In the image you see:
Kattuyanam Arisi Dosai and Masala Dosa style Potato Palya
Ash gourd Aracchuvitta Kozhambu
Idly Dosa Podi with sesame oil
Let me give you a background about this Kaattuyaanam Arisi Dosai. A few years back in a casual conversation with my maternal uncle, our topic of discussion happened to be Rice. He was telling me that in olden days, there supposedly were more than 3000 varieties of rice which were all lost in time with less than fifty remaining and fewer varieties known to people today.
Most of us know only a handful of popular varieties like sona masoori, basmati, brown rice, ponni rice and may be matta rice. Luckily, that has been changing and it is heartening to see so many of the traditional varieties being revived by the regional farmers in the recent years.
I’ve been on the quest of different varieties of rice for a while now. This particular traditional variety of rice from Tamil Nadu surely is among the top ten that has gripped my curiosity. I can’t tell you how mesmerized I am of the sheer beauty and color of this jewel like Rice.
Native to the Kaveri basin of Tamil Nadu, this Red rice aka “Kattuyanam Arisi” (in Tamil) as it is known literally translates to “Wild Elephant Rice“. Why that name you ask? It is apparently a really tall variety of rice which grows to heights above 7 ft that can hide even wild elephants in the paddy field.
The story behind it’s moniker, the jewel like color, it’s medicinal or the antioxidant properties, What’s not to like?
It is time to quit finding fault with Rice or blaming rice for weight gain. Are you With me?
Why make Dosa with this rice?
Red Rices are rich in fiber as the outer bran layer is retained even after the milling process. Due to this, it is more filling than the regular polished (read as bran removed) white rices that most people are accustomed to. The bran is nutrition rich and contains anthocyanins (what gives color to the rice), vitamins and minerals.
When I find new rices, I like to first try and experiment with them almost always in the form of Dosa. Because Dosa/Dosai/Dosay is finely ground and naturally fermented, it is easily digestible and also very forgiving as a recipe. I don’t really have to worry much about how digestible it is or how will it suit our body.
Fenugreek seeds and hing are a must in all my Dosa recipes.
So here goes the easy recipe. Enjoy!
Dosa made out of traditional Kaattuyaanam Rice from Tamil Nadu
- 1 cup Kaattuyanam Arisi /Rice
- 1 cup Idly/Dosa rice
- 1 cup black gram/urad dal
- 1/2 cup bengal gram/chana dal
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
- 1-2 guntur red chilly
- big pinch of hing/asafeditda
- salt to taste
- water for soaking/grinding
- peanut oil for cooking
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Measure and pour Kattuyaanam rice, Idly/Dosa rice, Urada dal, Chana Dal, fenugreek seeds into a large bowl or container.
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wash well couple of times and soak them all in water overnight or for 6-8 hours. Wash the red chillies and bury it under the rice/dals so it doesn't float. It grinds well when soaked.
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Next morning or when soaked, do not drain the water.
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Grind them all with hing along with the soaked water little at a time until smooth.
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The finished batter should neither be too thick nor runny.
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Remove batter into a larger bowl (needs space for batter to rise), cover and set aside for fermenting for about 6-8 hours or overnight in a warm spot. if the weather is cold, it might take longer to ferment.
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Once fermented, give the batter a good stir to mix well.
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Add salt only to the portion that you will use now.
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Place a tawa/griddle over medium-high heat. When the tawa is hot enough, ladle out about half a cup of batter and spread evenly in a circular motion.
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Drizzle some oil all around and at the center, flip and cook on either sides until golden brown.
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Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.
Do not let the ingredients soak for too long or the dosa will not come out crisp.
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