Sunday

JFI Rice - Sanna Polo

Having my mother in law stay with us the last few months has ensured my recipe book gets updated regularly! Page after page has been filled with my hurried, illegible scrawl as she makes yet another variety of dosa for breakfast. Sweet, savory, bitter sweet, tangy, spicy... no flavor has been left untried.

We invariably follow a pattern as she sets about prepping the ingredients -
MIL: soaking rice
Me: "are we making paan pole tomorrow"?
MIL: "I was thinking of methi dosa actually"
Me: get book, scribble...

MIL: soaking dal
Me: "so it's mushti pole for breakfast"?
MIL: "how about sanna polo instead?"
Me: get book, scribble...

Sanna polo is a spicy dosa made with cabbage and served as a side dish in a rice-dal meal. This is one of those convenient (no fermentation yay!) and versatile dishes that you can quickly adapt to your own tastes. Use any leafy vegetables lying in your fridge, make idlis (called sanna mudde) instead of dosas and serve it for brunch or make vadas/ bondas (called ambado) and serve as a snack.

sannapolo2

SANNA POLO (Spicy Cabbage Pancakes)
(makes 7)
2 cups rice
1/4 cup split red gram (tur dal)
1/4 cup coconut, grated
3 or more dry red chillies*
1/4 tsp tamarind pulp
1/2 cup cabbage, finely shredded
1/4 onion, finely chopped*
salt
oil to fry

Wash then soak rice and dal separately overnight or for a minimum of 2 hours. Grind coconut, tamarind, chillies to a fine paste using a little water.

Drain rice and dal and grind further to make a thick, slightly coarse batter. Add only as much water as needed to grind. Combine with onion and cabbage. Season to taste.

Heat a griddle with oil, drop a small ladleful of batter on it. Don't bother to make perfect circles. Sanna pole are free form and small in size. Just spread the batter with the back of your ladle and fry for 1-2 minutes. Flip over and fry on the other side till golden brown. Serve hot.

Entry for JFI Rice hosted by Sharmi of Neivedyam

* These pancakes are supposed to be really spicy so add more chillies if you prefer
* Use a pinch of asafetida instead of onion
* See Vee's sanna mudde

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31 Comments:

Blogger Rajitha said...

yummers.. that looks so good. i must give this a try. nic pic too

4:11 PM  
Blogger ServesYouRight said...

These are yum! Grinned at "Free-form" - heres to 'No flavor left behind'. The Dubyaman has sunk into our consciousness :-D

Smita

4:36 PM  
Blogger TBC said...

I've never heard of this before. Thanks to JFI, there are so many different kinds of rice preparations that I'm learning about.
Your dish looks good.

4:41 PM  
Blogger bee said...

no fermentation? please post more of these, 'cos nothing ferments in my home.

4:53 PM  
Blogger Manjula said...

Yum, yum..I just love these served on the side with rice and dalitoy.

6:45 PM  
Blogger marriedtoadesi.com said...

Awesome picture, and recipe. Aren't these MIL's fantastic?

I learn so much from mine as well!

Kanch

7:42 PM  
Blogger Shah cooks said...

i just stopped and stared when u said no fermentation!and it has less time for soaking than adai. does it taste similar to adai?nice recipe. thank ur mil..

8:13 PM  
Blogger Tee said...

this new to me...looks perfect! I always have cabbage at home and love to use it in different ways, and did you say no fermentation...yay!!:)

8:30 PM  
Blogger Raaga said...

Amma makes paddula beeya pole... I will try this too... and my friends agree about the endless varieties of amchi dosas :-) at my aunt's place, they ate dosas all the time... and rarely if ever was there a repetition in a month :-)

I must try this :-)

12:50 AM  
Blogger TheCooker said...

Oh they look so good! And no fermentation. A huge plus.
Looking forward to more dosas from you.

1:17 AM  
Blogger Suganya said...

Toor dal and chillies lend that beautiful saffron color. Gorgeous!

1:25 AM  
Blogger Aruna said...

Those pan cakes looks utterly delicious!!!

themistressofspices.wordpress.com

6:38 AM  
Blogger FH said...

I love all the "no ferment needed" stuff including Adais!
Although it's hot enough here to aid fermenting,my kids hate the smell!:D
We make Sanna Kadubu which are marble sized Idlis! I love this dish too, simple enough and I have a cabbage too!:)

6:49 AM  
Blogger Seena said...

Ashwini,
Thanks for visiting simple and delicious!
loved your recipes here, but can't see the pictures..
will visit again..

7:02 AM  
Blogger Richa said...

what a lovely medley of flavors, will be trying this soon :)
Thanks!

8:04 AM  
Blogger Coffee said...

Dosa without fermentation!! I am always on the look out of them since I get the urge to eat dosa on the spur of the moment! :)

8:20 AM  
Blogger Ashwini said...

Rajitha - thanks

Smita - Did I really write that? Goodness I do sound like Dubya don't I? Next thing you know I will be waging a war for no reason ;-D

TBC, Kanch, Tee, Aruna - thanks

Bee - There are some more coming up but fermentation needed I am sorry...doesnt the oven light on drill work either?

Manjula - as if tauy isnt tasty enough the meal has sanna polo too...amchis are such gourmands!

Mallugirl - more similar to chilla actually. Doesn't adai have seasoning?

Raaga - oh yes. Add snake gourd seeds to this batter and you have yet another variety of dosa

Cooker - I will try to post as soon as I can

Suganya - thanks, the color is also from bedgi chillies

Asha - is sanna kadubu made in a similar manner? Share your recipe when you have the time

Seena - thanks, no idea why you cant see the pics. Let me know if you visit again and there is a problem still

Richa - thanks

Coffee - then this one is right up your alley.. go on and soak some rice now!

9:51 AM  
Blogger Nupur said...

Such an awesome recipe! Your MIL rocks...it would be such a treat to eat all these different dosas for breakfast.
I'm out of toor dal :( but will try this as soon as I stock up. Do you use an Indian mixie for grinding or an American food processor? Thanks!

9:55 AM  
Blogger Ashwini said...

Thanks Nupur. Let me know how it goes.
After months of batters with whole dal and chutneys with cilantro stems in them I finally gave up on American blenders. I bought an Indian mixer just last month...and honestly I want to kick myself for not doing it earlier. Premier, Preethi etc are less expensive than Sumeet and better too IMO. It makes a huuuuuge difference not just to the texture but also to the taste (less time grinding).

10:21 AM  
Blogger Manasi said...

Looks great!! Any specific variety of rice u use? I have only basmati @ home as of now :(

11:20 AM  
Blogger archana said...

Cabbage in a dosa ! I am trying it lady, thank you.

12:19 PM  
Blogger Ashwini said...

Manasi - sona masuri...basmati wont work in this one sorry.

Archana - let me know how it goes

12:35 PM  
Blogger Sharmi said...

sounds like a delicious recipe. very healthy and great looking.

2:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks, Ashwini!
It invoked nostalgia. Only my grandma used to make this, and after her, I think we seem to have forgotten "Saanna Pollo". and she used to make "Sanna Pollo" with another unusual ingredient - padwal seeds if they are very fresh. So whenever we had padwal bhaji at home, we always had the sanna pollo. I won't be able to make it here though, since I am sure, I won't be able to get that fresh padwal in the Indian stores. - Reema

8:44 PM  
Blogger Ashwini said...

Sharmi - thanks for hosting this wonderful JFI

Reema so glad you mentioned padwal seeds. Indeed that's one of the ingredients that can be added to polo. Even turiya peels I am told though I havent tried it myself. Werent our grandmas so ahead of their time in thinking of creative ways to economize resources?

9:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh i cannot wait to try this...

6:12 AM  
Blogger TheCooker said...

Inspired by this post, I made something similar earlier (used another daal) this week. And they were wonderful!
I can see how the variations can be just endless.
Thanks!

12:26 PM  
Blogger Ashwini said...

TJ - love your name btw...let me know how it goes

TC - so glad to know you liked it...which dal did you use? Mung?

4:31 PM  
Blogger Anu said...

Sounds easy and yummy! Wanna try this one..Very nice pic..

8:16 AM  
Blogger Padma said...

Ashwini, first time to your blog and simply loving those photos and ur MIL recipes, came over from food blog desam. I love your site construction and its neatness! have to keep digging for my favorite recipes...Are you maharashtrain?

12:09 PM  
Blogger Ashwini said...

Anu - thanks

Padma - thanks! I will pass the thanks to MIL as well :-) I am Konkani but born and brought up in Bombay so am very familiar with Maharashtrian cuisine.

4:50 PM  

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