Rava Ghavne (Maharashtrian Semolina Crepes)

A great quick variation to the regular dosa. No overnight fermenting, no grinding, no messing over perfect consistencies! What more could you ask for!

Have this with some sambhar or chutney or even plain old ketchup. This hits the spot every time.

Though the consistency of this batter is not a huge deal breaker, just like crepes, the batter here needs to be on the thinner side. 

You can adjust the seasonings and add or miss any of the veggies based on your personal preferences. This combination is my favorite as it has ingredients that are always available at my home.

So lets get cooking...

Level: Easy

Serves: 12-15 medium sized crepes

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina (any variety)

3/4 cup yogurt, well beaten

2 pinches baking soda

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 small bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)

2 - 3 green chillies, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, finely chopped

4 - 5 tblsp cilantro, finely chopped

Water as required

Salt to taste

2 tsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 pinch asafoetida

Oil for pan frying

Method:

Step 1 - Take semolina in a bowl and add in the beaten yogurt. Mix well. Add water slowly, stirring or whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Add water till the batter reaches a thin consistency. Cover and keep aside for 30 mins.

Step 2 - By now, the semolina would have softened and the batter would be thick. Add in the onions, bell peppers (if using), green chillies, ginger, cilantro and the baking soda. Mix well and add water to adjust the batter to a thin consistency again.

Step 3 - In a small skillet, add in the 2 tsp oil and let it heat up. Once the oil is hot, add in the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds get brown, turn off the heat and add in the asafoetida. Quickly pour this into the batter and mix well.

Step 4 - Heat your frying pan. Once hot, add in a few drops of oil. Swirl your pan around, so the oil coats the surface of the pan. Pour in a laddle of the batter and cover the pan. In 2 -3 mins, check the bottom of the crepe. If it is brown, flip the crepe over and let this cook uncovered for 2 more mins. 

Serve hot with some chutney or ketchup or sambhar.

Happy cooking everyone!

Tips:

The batter needs to be thin and not thick. Thicker batter wont spoil your Rava Ghavan, but it will just look different and will be slightly puffy. Remember, thin batter = thin crepes!

For the first crepe, you may want to use a little more oil to avoid it from sticking. Once you are done with a couple of crepes, you will not need more than a few drops of oil to pan-fry these.

Make sure you stir the batter well before pouring it into your pan. Semolina tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl very quickly.