Vada Curry to Meen Kozhambu: 5 Interesting Side-Dish Your Dosa 

Dosa has become an essential part in Indian meal all across the country. It might be seen as a traditional South-Indian breakfast but those classic thin wafers loaded with flavourful masalas are among the most go-to food in India. Be it at home for breakfast or searching for an ideal meal in a restaurant, dosa is always a preferable option. It is not only delicious but also contains healthy carbs that keep the body energetic throughout the day. 

Dosa is so versatile that you can change the ingredients including base flour. Neer dosa, pedarattu, and masala dosa, the most popular varieties and when it comes to its accompaniment sambar and the conventional white coconut chutney are the most common preference especially during breakfast. But there are other delicious accompaniments as well that go perfectly with dosa.  

1. Vada Curry 

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup channa dal 
• 4 red chillies  
• 1 tsp fennel 
• 2 onions (finely chopped) 
• 3 tomatoes (finely chopped)  
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 
• 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder 
• 1 tsp coriander powder 
• A pinch of turmeric 
• Salt to taste 
• 2 sprigs of mint leaves 
• A small bunch of coriander leaves 
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• 2 tbsp oil 
• 1-inch cinnamon stick 
• 1 cardamom 
• 1 clove 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Method: 

• Soak channa dal for three hours and drain out the water. 
• Grind chilli, fennel and salt then add the channa dal and grind coarsely. 
• Grease idli plates and fill the moulds with the ground mixture and steam cook for 8 minutes. 
• Break it into smaller pieces once it cools down. 
• Fry the cinnamon, cardamom, jeera, cloves and bay leaf, adding one ingredient at a time. 
• Add the onion and fry till the onions turn golden brown then add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame.  
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. 
• Add the required salt for the gravy and fry for a minute or until the masala blends. 
• Add three cups of water and bring to boil and add the crumbled dal and simmer for ten minutes. 
• Once the oil floats on top and the gravy becomes thicker, garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves and serve with dosa.

2. Potato Palya 

Ingredients: 

• 500 gm potatoes 
• 200 gm onion (finely chopped) 
• 200 gm green peas 
• 4 green chillies (finely chopped) 
• 1 cup chopped coriander 
• 1 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1 tsp urad dal 
• 1 tsp channa dal 
• 8 cashew nuts 
• 2 tbsp cooking oil 
• 1 lemon juice  
• 1 carrot (grated) 
• 2 tsp chopped coriander (for garnishing)

Method: 

• Boil the potatoes and green peas until tender. 
• Mash the potatoes to a fine consistency and add the peas to the mixture, along with turmeric and salt.  
• Temper mustard, urad dal and chana dal (one ingredient at a time). 
• Add cashew nuts, onions and green chillies and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  
• Add a pinch of salt and chopped coriander and sauté on a low flame until the mixture turns golden brown. 
• Now add mashed potatoes and peas and sauté for 5 minutes. 
• Add lime juice, grated carrot and coriander and cover the dish with a lid. 

3. Chettinad Kozhi 

Ingredients: 

• 1 kg chicken (curry cuts) 
• 50 ml refined oil 
• 125 gm onions (finely chopped) 
• 2 gm cinnamon, cardamom and cloves 
• 1 tsp saunf 
• 20 gm ginger garlic paste 
• 200 gm tomato puree 
• A few sprigs of curry leaves 
• A handful chopped coriander 
• Salt to taste 
• 2 tbsp chettinad masala powder

For The Chettinad Masala Powder 

• 250 gm coriander seeds 
• 250 gm cumin seeds 
• 100 gm fennel seeds 
• 160 gm peppercorns 
• 60 gm kalpasi  
• 30 gm Marathi moggu  
• 5 gm mace 
• 1 nutmeg 
• 5 gm bay leaves 
• 25 gm black cardamoms 
• 20 gm cinnamon 
• 20 gm cloves 
• 15 gm green cardamoms 
• 25 gm star anise 

Method: 

• For the Chettinad masala, dry roast all the spices separately before blending them into a fine powder. 
• Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel, onion, curry leaves and fry till golden brown. 
• Add ginger garlic paste and tomato puree and cook well. Now add red chilli powder, Chettinad masala powder, required water and cook well. 
• Add chicken and cook till tender. Serve hot garnished with fried curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.

4. Meen Kozhambu 

Ingredients: 

• 1 fish  
• 3 tsp oil 
• 1/2 tsp mustard oil 
• 1/4 tsp methi seeds 
• 2 onions (chopped) 
• 4 green chillies 
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 
• 3 tsp red chilli powder 
• 2 tsp coriander powder 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 cup tomato puree 
• 1/2 cup tamarind pulp 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 6-7 curry leaves 
• 7 coriander leaves 

Method: 

• Clean and cut the fish and leave aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, methi seeds, onions and green chillies. 
• Cook till the onions turn a light brown and then add the ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and tomato puree. 
• Now add the tamarind pulp and water and then add the fish.  
• Allow the fish to cook for about 5 minutes. 
• Then garnish with coriander and curry leaves and serve.

5. Coconut And Shallot Chutney 

Ingredients: 

• 10 shallots (finely chopped) 
• 2-3 dried red chillies 
• 1 cup coconut (grated) 
• 1 tbsp coconut oil 
• 2-3 sprigs curry leaves 
• Salt to taste

Method: 

• Fry the onions, chillies and curry leaves in coconut oil. 
• Add the coconut and salt, and grind to a smooth paste in a blender and serve.