Andhra Special Pesrattu - Green Gram Crepe Stuffed With Semolina

ANDHRA SPECIAL PESRATTU

I loved to cook traditional dinners for my son and daughter-in-law during my stay with them. It was heartening to watch them relish their dinner at leisure after a long days work. On one occasion when I prepared Kharabath , I happened to stumble over some left over Pesrattu batter stored in the refrigerator.

" What an idea Sirji !" The popular tagline popped up in my mind and the outcome was this Andhra Special Pesrattu for dinner.

Here is the recipe for Andhra Special Pesrattu from scratch.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PESRATTU BATTER

Green gram dal - 2 cups

Green chilly - 1

Fresh ginger - 1'' piece

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

TO PREPARE THE BATTER

1. Soak green gram dal for at least half an hour.

2. Grind the soaked dal with green chilly, ginger and salt into a smooth and fluffy batter adding water. The consistency of the batter should be slightly thinner than that of Dosa batter.

3. Add pepper and cumin seeds and grind for one more minute, allowing them to remain slightly coarse.

INGREDIENTS FOR PREPARING KHARABATH

Semolina (medium) - 1 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Cooking oil - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch

Split black gram dal - 1 tsp

Cashew nuts or peanuts- a few

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Green chillies chopped - 1/2 tsp

Fresh ginger chopped - 1/2 tsp

Onion ( Finely chopped ) - 1/4 cup

Tomatoes ( finely chopped )- 1/4 cup

Fresh ghee - 2 tbsps

Juice of 1 lime.

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

TO PREPARE KHARA BATH

To start with add the chopped tomatoes, salt and sambar powder to three cups of water and set it on a burner for boiling.

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds using the second burner of your stove.

2. When the seeds splutter add the black gram dal and roast till it turns golden in colour.

3. Add cashew nuts/ peanuts and roast till golden in colour.

4. Add asafoetida and throw in the green chillies, ginger and curry leaves followed by chopped onion.

5. Saute till the onion turns pink in colour and then add turmeric powder.

6. Add the semolina and fry till it emanates a very pleasant aroma and decrease flame.

7. Switch off the first burner and gently pour the boiling tomato and spice water into the kadai.

8. Keep stirring the semolina so that it does not form lumps.

9. Cook on low flame till the semolina thickens and is thoroughly cooked.

10. Add ghee and stir well .You can see the Khara bath leaving the sides of the kadai.

11. Squeeze in the juice of lime and blend well.

Switch off flame, garnish with coriander leaves and cover with a lid.

ANDHRA SPECIAL PESRATTU

1. Heat a greased tava and pour a ladle of the prepared batter in the center.

2. Spread the batter into a Pesrattu using the back of the ladle.

3. Dribble little oil or ghee around the Pesrattu and roast till it is done. The edges will come up easily and you can see the golden colour of the roast underneath.