Besan Carrot Dosa (Chickpea Flour Crepes)

Chickpea or Garbanzo Bean Flour has always intrigued me. I always thought that this beloved Besan (Kadala Maavu) had only one purpose – for making crunchy deep-fried Pakodas/Pakoras. However after tasting Besan Dhoklas a few years back, I decided it was time to experiment with chickpea flours and so began my adventure. These days, I make savory Breakfast Dosas or Crepes with this gluten-free lentil flour.

I love the month of May. It is special in so many ways. A beautiful month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today is also the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. It is a public holiday in some countries. I am thinking of making lots of good food to celebrate the month of May. I am hoping that I can think ahead and plan good and healthy recipes.

Ok coming to the recipe for Besan/Chickpea Flour & Carrot Dosa. The recipe is similar to that of Besan Broccoli Dosa but without eggs.You can add grated vegetables of your choice to the batter. I used Carrots. You can make these as thin as crepes or slightly thick like Dosa/Dosha or Pancakes. It goes well with Coconut-based Chutneys. We had it with this wonderful Apple Chutney. Raitha is also a good choice.

Ingredients

1. Besan (Chickpea/Besan Flour) – 1 1/4 cup
2. Water – 3/4 to 1 cup
3. Peeled & Grated Carrot – 1 large
4. Finely diced Shallots – 2 small
5. Finely minced Curry Leaves – a few
6. Finely minced Cilantro (Malliyella) – 1 few
7. Crushed Cumin (Jeera) – 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
9. Red Chilly Powder – 1/4 tsp (Alternatively, use finely minced green chillies)
10. Asafoetida (Kaayam) – 2 pinches
11. Salt – to taste
12. Oil/Ghee – for brushing

Preparation Method

1. Peel the carrots and grate it, or pulse it in a food processor or mixie until it gets minced.
2. Combine the chickpea flour, minced carrots, shallots, curry leaves, cilantro, red chilly powder, cumin, asafoetida and salt in a bowl.
3. Slowly add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to the bowl and whisk everything to form a batter without lumps. It should have the consistency similar to Dosa batter. If you need to make thinner crepes, add more water.
4. Heat a nonstick pan or griddle and brush some oil or ghee on the surface. Pour a ladle full of batter onto the pan and spread to form a pancake of 1/4 ” thickness.
5. Cook for around 2-3 minutes on medium heat or until set. Flip and cook the other side for two more minutes. Brush more ghee on the dosa if needed.
6. Serve these piping hot with a Chutney or Raitha. They don’t taste all that great if cold.

Tip

• These taste great when they are made thin like crepes. Adjust the consistency of the batter so that you can make thin dosas.