Sweet rice pancakes from Mangalore (Surnoli)

The Indian world of dosas and uttapams is diverse and almost unlimited. They are made mainly from rice, but lentils and vegetables are also mixed in with the rice batter. There is also a lovely group of sweet dosas. They are delicious and lovely to serve as snacks or as desserts.

This is a lovely variation of these dosas. The batter is smooth, and the dosa is lightly sweet and delicate. The jaggery adds an earthy sweetness to the batter, complemented by the coconut and the tartness from the yoghurt. I paired these with a Spiced mango sauce as a filling.

For this recipe, I collaborated with Fresh Crush, who provided me with their organic jaggery and spiced jaggery. Guided by time-honoured wisdom passed down through generations, the Fresh Crush artisans meticulously handcraft each product, infusing it with a touch of tradition and a dash of love. Their farm-to-table product embraces sustainability and gives back to grassroots farming. Their spiced jaggery was excellent in the sauce, the sweetness was delicate, and the spices gave the final "oomph" to the dish to take it over the edge. Today, Fresh Crush makes fresh, natural, and spiced sugarcane juices and an array of sugarcane jaggery and spiced jaggery.

This cookbook on South Indian dosa is a very specialized cookbook from one of my favourite chefs. Every recipe is authentic, and this book is written with a depth of knowledge and understanding of the different cuisines in South India. This pancake recipe, like the other dosas and adai recipes from this cookbook, makes this cookbook essential for those who enjoy this type of dish.

For more recipes from the fabulous cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 cup polished short-grain rice

4 cups water

3/4 cup parched rice (poha)

1/4 cup yoghurt, + as needed

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup grated fresh coconut

1/4 cup jaggery

1 teaspoon salt

Coconut oil

Soak the rice for at least 3 hours in the water. Drain the rice after washing it well. Grind to a smooth paste with the yoghurt.

Wash the parched rice well in a colander. Add it to the ground rice with the remaining ingredients except the oil. Grind to a smooth, thick batter of pouring consistency. Taste for sweetness; the batter should be quite sweet.

To make the pancakes, heat a dosa pan or a non-stick frying pan. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil and add a small ladle of batter. Spread out the dosa, starting from the centre and working your way outside in a circular notion. Fry for 45-60 seconds until the bottom is well browned and crisp. Flip gently to fry the second side for 45 seconds.

Remove and serve immediately.