Paan Polo/Rice crepes

Paan polo is a thin crepe made with rice and tad bit of coconut. Some people totally skip coconut. This dosa does not need to be fermented and can be made instantly by simply soaking the rice for an hour or 2 at the most. Paan polo is a famous breakfast staple from South Kanara region. 'Paan' in konkani means 'leaf' and 'polo' means Dosa/crepe and, since we fold the Dosa to leaf like looking, it is known as Paan polo. It is known as Neer dosa in Tulu speaking community. Neer in Tulu means water, and since the batter is watery and runny in texture it is called Neer dosa, again this is only my interpretation. Actual meaning might be different.

This is a favorite breakfast in our household. We usually served this with chutney, sometimes ravo(a thick syrup made from jaggery, cardamom and pepper corns), mango pickle or any spicy curry. My mom made spicy vegetable pickle and we enjoyed paan polo with pickle. I will post the recipe for Pickle soon.



Below is the recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain rice
1/2 cup fresh coconut
salt to taste
1/4 tsp jaggery

Method:

1. Wash the rice in 2 to 3 changes of water, and soak for about 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

2. Then, in a blender, add the drained rice, coconut and grind to a smooth batter using enough water.

3. Transfer the batter in a vessel and add enough water salt, jaggery and mix well. The batter should be thin and runny.

4. Heat a griddle/tava, spray oil and sprinkle the dosa batter Or you can pour a ladleful of batter and tilt/turn the griddle so the batter is coated evenly. Cover with a lid and cook for a minute or until the top of the dosa is cooked through. Then, using a flat spatula, remove the dosas by folding into half and then fold again to form a triangle.

5. Serve hot with your choice of side dish.