Brunch today is “Pejje Pollow” reminiscent of my roots in Karkal. This is one of my dad’s favorite breakfasts. Little trivia about this for people who are curious about the name. This pollaw is always kept for “naivedya” at 10am at the Padutirupati, Karkala Venkatramana Temple. The name is not because Pej is used in it or anything, the name is “Pejje Pollaw” because the naivedyam was done at 10 am which was usually the time families ate “Pej” before heading out to work/school etc. In the good old days, only one huge “Pejje Pollaw” was made in a huge griddle. It was thick, almost cake like, but crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. It took over an hour to cook it. Then it was cut into pieces like pizza.
I think there are 7 priest houses in the temple compound, around the temple. One of them was our Joshi family ancestral home. The “pollaw pieces” after the naivedya were then distributed to each of those homes. How we used to look forward to getting a little tiny piece of that Prasad! These days they make 5 or 6 smaller ones and one can preorder them at the temple “agrasala” and pick it up. Of course, I think I like the ones I had before. (Or maybe it’s because of the sweet memories associated with it)
I love this Pollaw for more reasons than one. It is made with whole urad Dhal (with the skin) and rice. It is ground and fermented and then made dhoddak style. Of course I make small ones and a lot thinner. One change I made, that my family loves is that I make each dhoddak in a seasoning on mustard, curry leaves and hing even though the original has nothing but the dough. Over the years, people have come up with different versions, but in my opinion, nothing beats the original taste. Also, if whole udad is not used, then it is a regular Dosa.
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup whole Udad with skin
3 cups rice
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves (optional)
Hing (optional)
Oil
Steps:
Soak the udad and rice separately for a few hours
Grind the udad into a fluffy batter and keep the rice slightly coarse. The batter has to be thick and not watery
Add salt to taste and ferment overnight
In the morning, make it dhoddak* style (see below for instructuctions)
Serve with your favorite chutney
Notes: Traditionally Pejje Pollaw is served “DhoDDak” style.
In the pan add some oil and season a few mustard seeds, and even they splutter, and a ping of hing and curry leaves (optional) and pour a ladle full of batter into a thick dhoDDak. Cover and cook it on a medium low flame till it is cooked and crispy on one side. Flip it and cook it on the other side.
(In my family, I like it the traditional “dhoDDAk” style, and my husband and kids like it a little thinner, so that’s how I make it for them)
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