Spicy Ottada

Ingredients

• Maida (all-purpose flour) - 1/2 cup
• Rice flour - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1 cup
• Shallots - 12 whole
• Green chilies - 3 whole
• Curry leaves
• Yeast - 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder - 1 pinch
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. 1Bring the milk and water to a boil, then remove from the heat and set the liquid aside to cool slightly.
2. 2Finely chop the shallots and green chilies and roughly chop the curry leaves so they are ready to fold into the batter.
3. 3In a large bowl, whisk together the maida and rice flour, then slowly pour in the warm milk mixture while whisking constantly to form a smooth, lump-free batter.
4. 4Stir in the yeast, baking powder and salt until everything is evenly combined, cover the bowl, and leave the batter to rest for 2 hours so it becomes light and aerated.
5. 5After the batter has rested, gently fold in the chopped shallots, green chilies and curry leaves along with the coconut oil.
6. 6Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add a little ghee or coconut oil to coat the surface, then pour a ladleful of batter and spread it slightly into a round.
7. 7Cook the ottada until the underside is golden and crisp, then flip and cook the second side until it is cooked through and crisp at the edges; use more ghee or oil as needed between batches.
8. 8Repeat with the remaining batter, keeping finished ottadas warm in a low oven or covered on a plate.
9. 9Optional: brush each ottada with a little extra ghee before serving and enjoy warm with chutney or pickles.