Quinoa Tomato Dosa / Savory Quinoa Tomato Crêpe

I was thinking to myself that I had not used Quinoa in my dishes for a while but  I wanted to try something new this time. Thinking of creating a Crepe or dosa out of Quinoa seemed like a unique twist so I went about preparing a batter and then adding some tomatoes, sauteed onions, ginger, cumin and herbs. I was pleasantly surprised with how these ingredients married well together and boosted the overall flavor of the dish. The dosa was a big hit with my daughter and husband and I was extremely thrilled to see my little munchkin have a sumptuous and nutritious meal. What more can a mother ask for when her daughter says "Super" after tasting her food. That's the new word she used today for the first time in her life. It was so rewarding and I was really touched! 

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a grain that comes from the Andes Mountains of South America. It was introduced to me by my colleague at work who is a Vegan and since then I have also noticed articles about it online and in magazines. Initially I used to eat plain cooked Quinoa as a substitute for rice. Gradually I started trying it out in different recipes and realised that the options are endless.You can buy Quinoa at Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Giant Eagle, your local supermarkets and even on Amazon.

Quinoa is gaining in popularity as a super grain. It is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture with a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain.Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest and doesn't get sticky like most other grains.

Makes 12 Dosa

Ingredients
1 1/4 Cup - Quinoa (Whole Grain)
1 - Tomato
3/4 inch - Fresh Ginger
10 - Curry leaves
1 - Green chilly
1/2 Cup - Cream of wheat / Rava
1/2 Cup - Finely chopped Onions (Refer notes)
1/4 Cup - Finely chopped Cilantro (Refer notes)
1/4 Tsp - Jeera/ Cumin powder
1/8 Tsp - Baking soda (optional)
Salt
Oil / Ghee / Cooking oil spray
Water

Directions

• Soak the quinoa in water for minimum 2 hrs.
• Add some oil to a pan and add the chopped onions and saute until they are golden brown. Remove from heat and keep it aside.
• Add the quinoa, ginger, tomatoes, green chilly, curry leaves and water and grind it to a smooth paste. The consistency of the batter should be same as dosa batter.
• Transfer it to a bowl.
• Add rava, cilantro, sauteed onions, baking soda, jeera powder and salt to taste.

• Heat a non stick griddle or tawa.
• Gently pour this batter onto the center of the pan - just as you would for a pancake - till the ladle is empty.
• Using very little pressure, swirl the ladle in concentric circles, to spread out the batter (see the photo above)
• As soon as you have finished spreading the batter out on the pan, dip the basting brush in cooking oil or ghee and drizzle it all over the surface of the dosa and also around its edges. You can use an oil spray to avoid too much grease.
• When the upper surface begins to look cooked (it will no longer look soft or runny), flip the Dosa. By this time, ideally, the surface that was underneath should be light golden in color. Allow to cook for 1 minute after flipping. Serve hot with Roasted Bell pepper chutney ,Tomato Chutney or any other chutney of your choice. 

Other Quinoa recipe

Vegetable Quinoa Pulav

Notes and Tips

• You should cut the cilantro and onions very finely otherwise you will have difficulty in spreading the lumpy dosa batter on the griddle.
• This dosa can also be served with any non-vegetarian curry.
• The griddle should not be too hot while spreading the batter but should be hot after the batter has been spread. After making each dosa sprinkle some water on the griddle to reduce the temperature.
• I get the best results on a non stick griddle.