Ever wonder why this dosa is called Mushti poLLaw (dosa)? I have a theory or may be a guess. A mushti in Konkani translates to fist. Back in the day, when people didn't really use any spoons or cups for measuring, they probably would measure in "mushti (fists)", and "chimTi (pinch)". In my opinion, the mushti measurements might not have been accurate, as fist sizes vary. For eg. my amma's (mom) recipes that I have jotted down in my book, will have "one mushti of this, 1/2 mushti of that, one chimti of some spice"- you get the idea. Only I can decipher what I have jotted down. This recipe probably used mushti of the ingredients for measure, so I made sure, I had jotted the cup measurements as my mother in law made it at my place. I measured out the ingredients under her watchful eye.
These poLLae (dosas) have beautiful holes in them and they are so white. My friend Kiran's daughters have aptly named this dosa as "Moon Dosa", because the holes reminded them of craters in the moon. How cute is that!! They are grown young ladies today, and still call them that.
Anyway, there are many versions of the recipe and many permutation combinations of the ratios, but here is the one I use and what works well for me. I never attempted making this dosa until my mother in law demonstrated it for me once. She has taught me so many authentic recipes, especially the ones my hubby loves, for that I am ever thankful. Here is the recipe for Mushti poLLaw/Moon Pollaw (Dosa).
Mushti PoLLaw served with chutney and Chutney piTTi with oil
Recipe
Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup urad dhal (soak separately)
• 2 cups rice (soak separately with the methi seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoons methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
• 1/2 cup poha (beaten rice) soaked
• 1/4 cup of grated coconut
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp / a chimTi (pinch) of baking soda (optional - I don't add)
Steps:
Soak the urad dhal and the rice and methi seeds separately for at least 4-6 hours.
First grind the urad dhal till its nice and smooth.
Next, grind the rice, methi seeds and coconut together till really fine, Add in the soaked poha and grind till smooth. Add to the ground urad batter, and mix it well.Make sure the batter is thick and not watery.
Keep it in a warm place to ferment at least for 8 hours. The key to a successful mushti pollaw is a well fermented batter.
Add the salt to taste and mix well. Make thick dosas, and make sure to cover the griddle, while cooking it. This dosa is cooked on one side only. It is full of holes, only if the batter is well fermented.
Serve with your favorite chutney.
Note: Make the first dosa, and add the pinch of baking soda only if the batter is not fermented enough. I always keep it aside for a few hours more and make sure it has fermented, because I prefer not to add soda.
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