Surnoli –Konkani style, fermented rice pancakes.
Surnoli is a soft, spongy dosa or pancake popular among the Konkani community. It is a popular breakfast dish in Mangalore and Goa. It holds a special place in Konkani culture often associated with festive and religious occasions. As part of the Tulsi Pooja celebrations, the Mangalorean Konkani community prepares Surnoli as offering to the divine Tulsi plant.
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About the recipe
Surnoli also known as buttermilk or curd dosa is a popular breakfast dish from the Konkani cuisine. Hailing from the coastal region of Konkan, this is a unique variation of the classic dosa. These pancakes are made with a combination of rice, coconut, poha and curds. Rice and methi seeds are soaked for few hours and are ground with coconut, poha and curds. The batter is allowed to ferment before making the dosas. The same batter can be used to make savoury and sweet version of this dosa. For the sweet surnolis, turmeric powder and jaggery are mixed with the batter before leaving it to ferment. Sweet Surnolis are generally served with homemade butter and savoury surnolis with chutney, sambar or pickle.
Some people make surnolis by soaking the rice and methi seeds in curds or buttermilk. But I prefer soaking rice and methi seeds in water and later adding curds to the rice while grinding.
The USP of Surnoli is its appearance characterised by the numerous pores on the surface of the dosa. These pores apart from making the dosas look beautiful give a spongy texture making it very light on the stomach.
List of ingredients to make Surnoli
Rice : I have used Parimal rice to make Surnolis. You can use any rice.
Methi seeds : Methi seeds impart a nice flavour to Surnolis
Beaten rice or Poha : I have used thick poha for this recipe. You can also use the thinner variety of poha. If using thin variety of poha, soak it for few minutes before grinding the batter.
Other ingredients : Curds, fresh coconut, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt.
Oil or ghee for cooking surnolis.
Step-wise recipe to make Surnoli
In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of rice and ½ tsp methi seeds. Add water and wash the rice and methi seeds. Drain the water. Add fresh water and keep the rice and methi seeds soaked for 5 to 6 hours.
Soak ½ cup of thick poha for 1 hour before grinding the rice. If using thin poha, soak the poha for few minutes before grinding the rice.
Transfer soaked rice and methi seeds to a mixer jar.
Add soaked poha.
Add fresh coconut.
Add curds.
Blend to a fine paste.
Divide the batter into 2 parts.
In one bowl of batter, add salt and mix well. In another bowl, add turmeric powder and jaggery. Mix well.
Cover both the bowls and keep aside for fermentation for 12 to 15 hours.
After 15 hours, the batter would be fermented. If the batter has not fermented add a pinch of baking soda to the batter before making the pancakes. If the batter is thick, adjust the consistency of the batter to a pouring consistency by adding some water.
Heat a dosa pan. I have used an iron dosa pan. Grease the pan with oil or ghee. Pour a ladleful batter of white batter and allow it to spread on its own.
Once the pores start forming on the dosa, drizzle ghee or oil around the dosa.
Cover and cook on low heat until the dosa is spongy and cooked well.
This dosa is cooked only on one side. Do not flip the dosa. Using a spatula, remove the dosa from the pan.
Repeat the same with the yellow batter to make sweet surnolis.
Serve sweet surnolis with butter and savoury ones with coconut chutney.
Recipe Card
Surnoli
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dosa rice
- ½ tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
- ½ cup of thick or thin poha
- 1/3 cup fresh coconut, grated
- 1/3 cup of curds
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- salt to taste
- Ghee or oil for cooking surnolis
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of rice and ½ tsp methi seeds. Add water and wash the rice and methi seeds.Drain the water Add fresh water and keep the rice and methi seeds soaked for 5 to 6 hours.
- Soak ½ cup of thick poha in water for 1 hour before grinding the rice. If using thin poha, soak the poha for few minutes before grinding the rice.
- Transfer soaked rice and methi seeds to a mixer jar. Add soaked poha. Add fresh coconut and curds. Blend to a fine paste.
- Divide the batter into 2 parts. In one bowl of batter, add salt and mix well. This is for savoury surnoli. In another bowl, add turmeric powder and jaggery. Mix well. This is for sweet dosas. Cover both the bowls and keep aside for fermentation for 12 to 15 hours.
- After 15 hours, the batter would be fermented. If the batter has not fermented add a pinch of baking soda to the batter before making the pancakes.
- If the batter is thick, adjust the consistency of the batter to a pouring consistency by adding some water.
- Heat a dosa pan. I have used an iron dosa pan. Grease the pan with oil or ghee.
- Pour a ladleful batter of white batter and allow it to spread on its own.
- Once the pores start forming on the dosa,drizzle ghee or oil around the dosa.
- Cover and cook on low heat until the dosa is spongy and cooked well.
- This dosa is cooked only on one side. Do not flip the dosa.
- Using a spatula, remove thedosa from the pan.
- Repeat the same with yellow batter to make sweet surnolis.
- Serve sweet surnolis with butter and savoury ones with coconut chutney.
Recipe Video
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Jowar Dosa
Mixed lentils Dosa
Barnyard Millet Dosa
Masala Dosa
Instant Ragi Dosa
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