Kindness Counts - Set Dosa
She said I'm sorry, but it was too late. It all happened so quickly, and I was a little confused. Sometimes a sorry just isn't enough. The damage has already been done.
The day had started innocently enough. A busy Monday. G and I got the kids got off to school smoothly. This is an achievement for us, they actually ate, got up, changed easily, and ate a real breakfast, not just a sip of milk or a few bites of cereal, but a whole egg. And my busy Monday quickly fizzled. A few of my patients needed rescheduling, and one had simply forgotten about her surgery. I had an afternoon to myself, or really several uninterrupted hours, which never happens.
So G and I decided to run a few errands together. He wanted to investigate a new children's clothing store, and the kids had eaten us out of strawberries, so a quick trip to the grocery store. Not quite a date night, but a date afternoon, chatting and buying cookies.
The children's clothing store was cute. But I always find them a bit of an oxymoron. Beautiful kids' clothes - dresses, frilly sweaters, and even a leather skirt. I am always puzzled by them, sure the kids will wear a dressy outfit now and then. But Poet and Flower are always running around and playing somewhere where a leather skirt would be highly inappropriate. They often come home from school covered in mud, or paint, or something unidentifiable. I have stopped buying white or cream colors - that's a one-time outfit. So as I oohed at kids' cashmere sweaters, I thought Poet and Flower would ruin this in no time flat.
And then we headed to the butcher shop. It's been around forever, and G has been going there since before we met. It's a little bit of a throwback with long glass cases filled with every kind of meat imaginable and somewhat surly butchers behind the counter. I had gotten through ordering cheese and was debating what to have for dinner when a voice suddenly said, "I was really next if you had bothered to ask."
I was taken aback and just a little startled. And suddenly, I felt like I was maybe in a mobster movie. Are you talking to me? And she was. I quickly said I was already being helped and not taking her spot as she had thought. The lady behind the counter also spoke up and said she was helping me as well. The customer was taken aback and quickly apologized. The other patrons were stunned at her behavior.
I was a little shaken and upset. Was there any need to be short with someone else? A few seconds of observation would have saved her some embarrassment. But, she had apologized, not just once, and quickly placed her order afterwards and went on her way.
My feelings were a little hurt. And I was a little shaken by the encounter. I couldn't help but wonder was it because we looked different? But these things happen. Perhaps the lesson is to take a moment, look around and treat others with kindness. In our hectic lives, taking a moment can sometimes make all the difference. As the kids say, kindness counts.
Set Dosa
This is a variation on a classic dosa from Karnataka. It's golden brown one side and puffy and soft on the other. The difference comes from the addition of poha or flattened rice. It's a lovely variation that is just as delicious.
Serves 6-8
Prep Time Prep Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 12 hours or overnight
Cook Time 30 minutes
2 cups rice
1/2 cup Urad Dal
2 teaspoons Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)
1 cup Poha or Flattened rice
2 teaspoons Salt
Combine rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in a large bowl. Cover with 2-3 inches of water and let soak for 5-6 hours.
Wash poha and let drain in a strainer.
In a blender, add the rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and poha. Add about 1 - 1 1/2 cups water, just enough so that the blender runs smoothly. The batter should be smooth, frothy and coat the back of a spoon. (You don't want the batter to be too runny, you can always add water later.)
In the bowl of an instant pot, on yogurt mode, allow to ferment 12 hours or overnight.
Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat on a flat cast iron pan. Gently pour 1/3 cup batter in the center and in circular motion, about 5-6 inches in diameter.
You can either cover it and cook it for 2 minutes or flip and cook both sides. The dosa should be golden brown.
Serve with coconut chutney or sambhar.