Pesarattu, the quintessential Telugu breakfast dish

Ask any Telugu what his/her favorite breakfast is… nearly all of them will vouch for their Mom’s Pesarattu and allam pachadi (ginger pickle) or upma-pesarattu. Actually, make that all of them. Yes, that’s how loved this breakfast dish is!

And it doesn’t hurt that this extra tasty dish is also extra healthy, and packed with proteins. And so versatile that you can modify its recipe to suit your dietary needs, and still retain the taste. And its very very tough to not get this simple dish right!

Upma stuffed inside the Pesarattu is another variation and is one of the most eaten items in many restaurants in Andhra Pradesh.

Pesarattu is very similar to the Dosa [Indian pancakes], the only difference being the ingredients. This one is largely lentil based, with some housewives adding a little quantity of rice to bring in the crisp. We generally pair this up with Ginger Pickle, the ideal combination, especially if my Mom makes it, but Pesarattu can also be paired with a coconut or peanut chutney.

Andhra-style Pesarattu [Lentil Pancake]
Makes – 10 Dosas
Level – Medium

Ingredients
Green gram dal / green moong dal/ Pesarlu – 1 C
Ginger, cleaned and peeled – 1 inch piece
Green chillies – 2-3
Cumin seeds – 1 Tbsp
Salt – To taste
Onions, chopped – 2, medium [Optional]
Ghee/Oil, to smear on the Dosa pan – Optional

Instructions
Soak the green gram dal for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
The next morning, grind this with the ginger and chillies.
Add salt to taste, and sprinkle the cumin seeds on the batter.
Mix well, and ensure that the batter is in the pouring consistency, like the dosa/pancake batter.

Heat the pan on which you plan to pour the batter till its hot. Smear oil on this if you doubt the Dosa/Pancake would not come out. This is an optional step and can be omitted if you are using a non-stick teflon-coated pan.
[I generally have a small piece of potato or onion dipped in a small cup of oil and rub this on the top of the pan to ensure that the smearing is even. See pic below]

Now take a ladle full of the batter and apply on the pan by spreading it evenly.

 

Sprinkle the chopped onions, if using, on the dosa and cover the pan with a lid.
Let this stay on medium flame for 2-3 min. Once you see that the batter is cooked and is slightly browning, gently lift the dosa with the help of a flat spatula.

If you are stuffing the pesarattu with upma, apply a thin coat of upma on the pesarattu and fold this.

Serve hot with allam pachadi (Ginger pickle) and filter coffee for a typical Telugu breakfast.