Chicken Tikka Dosa Roll Up

Dosa or Dosai. A South Indian type of crepe made of rice and black lentils.

I used to hate it.

Ok, hate is a strong word. Let’s just say, dosa and me, there’s very little love.

I preferred roti. I LOVE ROTI. I still do. Crispy, soft and chewy roti.

My sister, on the other hand, loves dosa. My mom loves dosa. My dad loves dosa. Heck, everyone in my family loves it ‘cept me. But a couple years back at a mamak, my sister tried to convince me to give it a chance.

“Your palate may have changed.”

So like a good little sister which I’ve not been to her for pretty much her entire life, I decided that for once, I shall listen to her.

I tried it. ANNDDddddddd…… it was surprisingly delicious. It was soft, slightly sour and pretty darn tasty. It was healthier than roti too. My palate did change. Ironically, that was the last time I had dosa.

Last week, Mr. V had some jerk chicken for lunch. Jerk drumsticks, that is.

“I wished it was chicken breast…..”

Sigh.

The wishes of my hubs make me cringe really. Why oh why???

So, like a good wife, I gave some chicken breast a chance in our shopping cart. And then I proceeded to make him whip up his own meals.

And like a not even close to an enthusiast cook that he is, he barely used up any of the meat.

I ended up having to deal with the breasts. I made some chicken tikka. And then, PUFF, out of nowhere, dosa came to mind and I decided to stuff it with chicken. And while I’m at it, I might as well slather it with some chutney.

Three types of chutney to be exact. Tomato, Coconut and Mint.

What resulted was something that I definitely wouldn’t eat.

Yup.

Just because it’s chicken breast.

If it was up to me, I’d still have dosa and chutney. It’s to die for. I’ll eat that with my right hand and then, with my left hand, I’ll stuff chicken wings tikka into my mouth.

But for all you chicken breast, white meat, no idea why why why lovers, this is definitely for you.

Smoky, roasted juicy chicken tikka with tomato chutney, coconut chutney and mint chutney all wrapped in warm dosa.

PS: I’d like to give credit to a friend’s mama for the dosa and chutney recipes. Thank you Pravena’s mama. Some are exact recipes of hers while others are adapted.

If you love this, you’re absolutely going to love this Tandoori Wings and Garlic Naan. Delicious tandoori chicken wings with bold flavors marinated in yogurt & aromatic spices with soft no-knead garlic cheese naan.

Also, check out my last post Frozen Strawberry Lassi. Thick and creamy strawberry yogurt drink made from real fruit and topped with crushed pistachios and chopped fresh strawberries.

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Chicken Tikka Dosa Roll Up                    Serves 4-6

what you need:

Dosa
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup skinned black lentils (urad dal)
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp salt

Chicken Tikka
1 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cube 1 1/2″
4 shallots (small variety)
2″ ginger
6 garlic cloves
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garam masala (see notes below)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Tomato Chutney 
1 1/2 tsp skinned black lentils (urad dal)
5 cashew nuts
1 dried red chili, deseeded
1 fresh green chilies, chopped
1 sprig curry leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2″ ginger, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
Pinch of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
Salt and sugar

To fry:
2 tbs oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp skinned black lentils (urad dal)
2 dried red chilies
2 sprigs curry leaves
Pinch of onion powder

Coconut Chutney 
To blend:
1 cup grated coconut
10 cashew nuts
2 fresh green chilies
2 sprig curry leaves
1 small onion
1″ ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp tamarind pulp
Water (as needed to make a smooth paste)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

To fry:
2 tbs oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp skinned black lentils (urad dal)
2 dried red chilies
2 sprig curry leaves
Pinch of onion powder

Mint Chutney
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 fresh green chili
1 small onion
1/4″ ginger
2 garlic cloves
3 tbs plain yogurt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp lime juice
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Shredded lettuce

directions:

Dosa

1. SOAK: Soak the rice, lentils and fenugreek seeds separately in water for 6 hours.

2. BLEND: Strain (reserve the liquid) and blend the rice, lentils and fenugreek in a blender. Add reserved liquid a little at a time to make a thick creamy batter (like a thick crepe batter where if poured on a pan, it should spread slightly and require assistance is spreading).

3. FERMENT: Pour the batter into a large bowl (batter will double in size so make sure it’s large enough). Cover and leave the batter to ferment in a warm, draft free area overnight in a warm climate or 16-20 hours in colder climate.

4. MAKING DOSA: The batter should have risen almost double in size.  Add the salt and stir the batter. If the batter is too thick, add water a little at a time.

5. Heat a 10″ cast iron pan over medium heat. Lightly brush the pan with oil (do not overdo because too much oil will make it difficult to spread the batter). Once the pan is hot, pour 1/2 cup of batter.

6. Using the back of the ladle, in a circular motion from the center, spread the batter outward to make it 7-8″ in diameter. If you like the dosa thinner, add less batter with the same spread. Small holes will start to develop on the batter.

7. Once the surface has firmed up, brush some oil on the dosa. Once the bottom browns, flip the dosa and let cook for another 15-30 seconds.

If the batter sets and cooks before you can spread it, the pan is too hot. Lower the heat slightly. With the right heat, your dosa should have circular rings on it.

Chicken Tikka

1. Blend the shallots, ginger and garlic until smooth. Combine the paste with the rest of the ingredients and pour over the meat. Marinate the chicken for 5-6 hours.

2. To test taste, fry a piece of chicken in a pan until cooked. Season with salt if necessary.

3. Place a rack on the top most level of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 F for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place them on a wire rack set on an aluminum lined baking sheet. Brush the chicken with oil.

4. Roast the chicken for 8 minutes. Change the setting to broil and broil for another 8-10 minutes or until internal temp reaches at least 160 F and the chicken is charred to your liking.

Tomato Chutney

1. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbs of oil. Fry the lentils and cashew nuts until they’re lightly brown (1 minute). Add the red chili, green chili and curry leaves and fry until fragrant (1 minute).

2. Add the onion, garlic and ginger into the pan. Turn the heat to medium high. Fry until the onions have slightly soften. Add the tomatoes and stir. Liquid will start to excrete. Add the cumin seeds and tamarind. When the tomato mixture starts to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes.

3. Add the chutney (without the excess liquid) into a blender and blend until desired consistency. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Set aside.

4. Add the oil into the same pan and heat it over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, lentils, chilies, curry leaves and onion powder. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Do not burn them.

5. Turn the heat to medium low. Pour the tomato chutney into the pan of oil and fried spice and stir to combine.

Coconut Chutney

1. Place the ingredients for ‘to blend’ in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

2. Add the oil into a pan and heat it over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, lentils, chilies, curry leaves and onion powder. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Do not burn them.

3. Turn the heat to medium low. Pour the coconut chutney into the pan of oil and fried spice and stir to combine.

Mint Chutney

1. Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Mint chutney taste best the next day.

To Assemble

Place lettuce on warm dosa. Top it with chicken tikka and slather on the tomato chutney, mint chutney and coconut chutney.

Notes:

1. CHILI:

The red chili I used is cayenne chili pepper. It’s spicy therefore I only use a small amount. Adjust the amount if using a less spicier chili like red holland or jalapeno pepper.

The green chili I used is the Korean variety. It’s not spicy at all therefore I don’t deseed them. If you use Jalapeno or Serrano, deseed all or half or none depending on if you want the chutney to be spicy or not.

2. GARAM MASALA: You can buy store bought garam masala or if you want to make them from scratch, here’s a recipe for it. Place everything in a blender and blend.

3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
5 green cardamom pods
6 black peppercorns
1 tbs fennel seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp mace powder
2 tbs chili powder
2 tbs ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg