Pesaruttu is a type of dosai (also known as moong ka cheela) made with green gram (moong daal / mung bean) originating from Andhra Pradesh. It is quite popular in South India.

This dish is rich in fibre, healthy, filling and easy to prepare. Pesaruttu tastes really good when you have it with milagai podi (also known as molagapodi / idli podi / gun powder), coconut / tomato chutney and karuveppilai thokku (curry leaves chutney).

My mother-in-law makes this really yummy milagai podi which is better than anything I’ve ever had. I particularly love this podi as she adds tamarind and jaggery to it which gives it a tangy and sweet taste.

I enjoyed cooking this dish and my little one savoured every mouthful of it.

Do give this dish a try.

---

🕗 Soaking time: 5-7 hours

---

⏱️ Preparation time: 10 minutes

👩‍🍳 Cooking time: 10 minutes

⏳ Total duration: 20 minutes

---

🍽️ Serves upto 3 persons

Cuisine: South Indian

Type of meal: Breakfast / Snacks

---

Ingredients for pesaruttu:

1. Green gram: 1 cup
2. Oats 1/2 cup
3. Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
4. Green chilli: 2-3
5. Ginger: 1 bulb
6. Salt as per taste
7. Ghee (clarified butter) : 2 – 3 tbsp (alternatively can use oil)

Toppings for the pesaruttu:

1. Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
2. Tomato: 1 (finely chopped)
3. Green chilli: 1 (chopped)
4. Coriander leaves: handful (finely chopped)

---

Instructions for making pesaruttu

1. Clean and remove any stones or dirt from the green gram.
2. Wash it 2-3 times in water and soak it in ample water for about 5 – 7 hours.
3. Drain the water and rinse well.
4. In a mixer / blender, add the soaked green gram, oats, cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger, salt and 1/2 cup water and grind it to a fine paste. Add water if the batter is too thick. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin.
5. In an iron skillet or a non-stick tawa, kept on medium flame, drizzle some ghee and when the tawa gets really hot, pour a laddle of the batter and spread it evenly. Add the toppings, drizzle some ghee and cook till it turns golden. Then, flip it over, and cook the other side as well.
6. Serve it hot with idli podi or chutney.

---

Notes

1. As far as possible, I prefer using homemade ghee instead of oil while cooking as it’s healthier.
2. The taste and flavour of the dosas made in an iron skillet are far better than a non-stick tawa. So I prefer using the iron skillet anyday.
3. You can add oats or raw rice while grinding. I prefer using oats as it’s nutritious and filling. Oats makes the pesaruttu soft whereas rice will make them crispy.
4. You can also use moong sprouts for making the pesaruttu. Moong sprouts are rich in protein and nutrients. Whenever you use moong sprouts, use raw rice with it as sprouts are already soft and adding oats will make it difficult to spread the batter.
5. You may add turiya (turai / ridged gourd) peels while making the batter for additional taste.

---

Recipe for Milagai Podi / Molagapodi / Idli Podi

Ingredients:

1. Split black gram (urad dal): 2 cups
2. Split bengal gram (chana dal) : 1 cup
3. Roasted bengal gram: 1 cup
4. White sesame seeds (til): 2 tbsp
5. Dried coconut (kopra): 2 tbsp (grated) (optional)
6. Red chilli: 50 – 75 gms (adjust based on your spice levels)
7. Tamarind: 4 small pieces
8. Jaggery powder: 1 tsp
9. Asafoetida (hing): 1/4 tsp
10. Salt as per taste

---

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, kept on low to medium flame, dry roast each of the lentils separately and keep aside. Make sure you roast them only till the colour changes and you can smell the aroma. Keep stirring continuously and ensure it doesn’t turn brown.
2. Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep aside.
3. Add 1/2 tsp oil and fry the red chilli till you get the aroma and keep separately.
4. Roast the dry coconut till it turns golden brown.
5. At the end, add tamarind and switch off the gas. Tamarind will turn crispy because of the heat of the pan.
6. Remove the stem of the roasted red chilli and grind it finely. Now, add the lentils and grind it coarsely.
7. Next, add the dry coconut and tamarind (cut into small pieces) and grind well. Using a laddle, stir the ingredients once in the mixer.
8. Then, add the roasted bengal gram and sesame seeds, jaggery powder, salt, asafoetida and grind it well. (Do not grind the sesame seeds for long or it will leave oil.)
9. If you want a crunchy texture, then coarsely grind the podi.
10. Pour the podi into a mixing bowl. Give it a nice stir. Taste and adjust the salt and spice based on your taste buds. If it is less spicy, then you can add 1-2 tsp of red chilly powder.
11. Transfer the podi into an airtight container and you can use it for the next 2 – 3 months.

---

Bon Appetit!