Turn Local Rice and Beans Into Fermented Bread

By Dani, Apprentice 2020

Why is Food important?

We can’t stress enough how important food is, not just here at Rancho Mastatal but in the lives of every human being. Just in case it isn’t obvious food is a major part of our lives, we need it to survive, and the quality of our food directly impacts our health. We should think about what we put in our bodies, where it came from, how it was processed, and why we are consuming it. Being in Latin America, rice and beans are a part of almost every meal. They make up a huge portion of many people’s diets across the globe. While I love a good Gallo Pinto, I think flatbreads and breads are better vehicles for my condiment consumption! Wheat breads are not the best option here in Costa Rica as wheat is imported and therefore not local, but there is an abundance of rice and beans.

Eating Local Food

The forms rice and beans have taken throughout human history vary in incredible ways. Some amazing transformations of rice and beans into more breadlike things are dosas, dhoklas, and idlis, delicious bread alternatives we can make using local ingredients. Dosas are fried flatbreads that have been eaten for many centuries in southern India. Idlis come from the exact same batter, but they are steamed instead of fried. These are produced with a delightful combination of rice and black beans, while dhoklas are made with rice and chickpeas. But you can also create these dishes using any bean or legume! We have experimented with chickpeas, black beans, cowpeas, pinto beans, and peanuts. Yes, peanuts. Finding local alternatives is a sustainable way to eat the dishes you love wherever you are. Use your local beans and I’m sure they will be delicious!

Fermented Food is Better!

All these breads are fermented and therefore more digestible and higher in nutritional value than the raw grains. To say fermented foods are made by magic would be an insult to all the little microbes doing the work for our healthy guts, but they certainly are magical. Microbial cultures are necessary for our survival, playing key roles in our digestion and immunity. Reflecting on this relationship can bring us closer to our food and in turn our health. Dosas are traditionally a wild fermentation as microbes live everywhere! They live all over you, me, in the air, and on the rice and beans which we’ll use to make our dosas. Dosas are fantastic for eating curries, sauces, or whatever
condiments you like. They’re also great for stuffing with fillings and can be sweet or savory. After making the dosa base recipe, the possibilities are endless! If you enjoy them, thank the microbes.

Dosa Recipe

The following recipes all begin with the dosa base recipe and then are altered in some ways or cooked differently. There are so many things you can do. For example, you can make the dosa base recipe and then make one pan of bread and one pan of brownies. You can make the base recipe and have dosas one day and dosa bread the next. Keep in mind, here at Rancho Mastatal, the minimum number of people eating together is 12, so serving size is for 12 people. If you have a small group and are just making these for one meal, don’t forget to half the recipe. Buen Provecho! 

Step 1 - Dosa Base

Serves: 12 (24-36 dosas depending on size and thickness or 2 pans of dosa bread or brownies)

Ingredients:

3 cups rice
1 ½ cups of beans
1 ½ cups whey OR 2 cups dairy kefir

*You can also just use water here. The dosas will ferment with just the microflora present on them, but the kefir and whey will kick start the fermentation and add other flavors.

*We use leftover whey from our dairy kefir cream cheese recipe.

I have used many different types of beans to make this recipe. Dosas are usually made with black beans or lentils and dhokla with chick peas, but they work well with, cow peas, black beans, red beans, peanuts, and probably many other types. Experiment!

Fermentation times always vary based on climate. Here in the tropics, things ferment much quicker than in say a temperate climate.

Method:

Rinse rice thoroughly until water is clear.
Soak rice and beans for 12-24 hours making sure they are covered in at least a couple inches of water.
Drain off water, as much as you can, and grind in hand grinder, food processor, or blender. I have found the electric corona grinder we have here at the Ranch works best. It will be a kind of pasty consistency that sticks together when you pinch it. Some legumes or beans are bittier than others. Chickpeas and lentils will have a smoother consistency than say black beans, but small bits are fine. I recommend soaking them for longer for a smoother batter.
Add this to whey, dairy kefir, or simply water until the consistency is like a thick pancake batter. It is better not to make it too thin, as you can thin it out to your liking and for your purposes after the ferment.
Put batter in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Be sure to leave plenty of space for the dough to expand. Make sure the cloth is well secured so no bugs can get it. Those little guys love fermented stuff just as much as us.
Let sit out for 12-24 hours. This really depends on your climate and how fermented you want it to be.
When it is ready, you can do a number of things. Continue on this path to live our your dosa making dreams or go on to make dosa bread or brownies.

Dosas

Serves: 12 (24-36 dosas depending on size and thickness)

Note: This recipe stems from the dosa base recipe (above) so follow that recipe first.

Ingredients:

dosa base
water for consistency
spices of your choice
salt to taste
lard for cooking (or another fat source) *If you want to know why we use lard read this

Method:

For thin and crispy dosas, add water until it is a pourable batter. (You can also add more dairy kefir here if you prefer that flavor.)
Time to spice this mix up! Add whatever you fancy at this point.
I like to add a pinch of salt, fresh culantro, finely chopped, crushed garlic, and some cumin. Always toast your dry spices before adding them. Some other great options are parsley, ginger, cilantro and thyme.
Once your mix is ready, get a skillet hot with a bit of lard, butter, or cooking oil of your choice. Test one dosa to make sure it is the consistency you want. Cook until bubbles start to form and it browns a bit and flip. If it is too thick, you can add more water to the batter.

Variation, more ferments in the ferment:

We love fermented stuff, so why not add more of it! Add some super fermented cabbage kimichi. Also works well with shredded papaya kimichi. For this variation, it is best to have a slightly thicker batter so it holds together. You can mix the kimchi directly into the batter or put on top while frying.

Idlis

Serves: 12

Note: This recipe stems from the dosa base recipe (above) so follow that recipe first.

Ingredients:

dosa base
water for consistency
salt to taste

Method:

Add water until it’s a pourable batter, but it should not be too thin. Pourable, but not too easy to pour.
Add salt to taste.
Once your mix is ready, it’s time to steam your idlis. There are specific idlis steamers made for doing this, but there is no reason to go out and buy a one purpose item unless you fall in love and plan to make these cute little breads on the reg, and hey, I wouldn’t blame ya. You can also rig something up using pots on the stove. Or, take a cupcake pan, grease lightly, and pour idlis batter into each section. Be sure to leave room for dough to expand. Put some water in a hotel pan. Place the cupcake pan in the water, and steam in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Dosa Bread

Oh yes, bread.

Serves: 12 (2 loaves or about 24 pieces)

Notes: Using 9 inch round cake pans, this makes 2 loaves. Following the recipe for the dosa base, you should have exactly enough. If you only want one loaf, half the dosa recipe when making the batter. I usually divide the ingredients in half before starting and make 2 batches in separate bowls. Play with the spices. There are so many different things you can do with this bread!

Ingredients:

6 cups dosa base
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup tapa dulce syrup (or other sweetener) *If using another sweetener, like dry sugar, you may want to add more liquid to the mix.)
1 tablespoon coriander ground
1 tablespoon cumin ground
1 tablespoon turmeric ground
4 tablespoon lard (or other fat source)

Method:

Toast coriander, cumin, and turmeric in about 4 T of hot oil until it’s fragrant.
Combine with other ingredients in a bowl or split between two bowls. At this point, you may want to add some water to the batter. It should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
Pour into greased bread pans or round cake pans.
Steam until set, about 15-20 minutes.
Cool.

*One way to steam this is using a round cake pan in a pot on the stove. Another way, if you are using a bread pan is to heat a deep hotel pan with ½” of water in the oven, put the bread inside the pan and bake.

Dosa Brownies

Yes, you can turn these into an epic fermented dessert.

***For this recipe, I love to use peanuts as my legume in the base. It makes for some incredibly tasty peanut brownies.

Serves: 12 (2 loaves or about 24 pieces)

Notes: Using 9 inch round cake pans, this makes 2 loaves. Following the recipe for the dosa base, you should have exactly enough. If you only want one loaf, half the dosa recipe when making the batter. I usually divide the ingredients in half before starting and make 2 batches in separate bowls. Play with the spices. There are so many different things you can do with this bread!

Ingredients:

6 cups dosa base
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup tapa dulce syrup (or other sweetener) *If using another sweetener, like dry sugar, you may want to add more liquid to the mix.
4 tablespoons lard (or other fat source)

Method:

Combine ingredients in a bowl or split between two bowls. At this point, you may want to add some water to the batter. It should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
Pour into greased bread pans or round cake pans.
Steam until set, about 15-20 minutes.
Cool.

*One way to steam this is using a round cake pan in a pot on the stove. Another way, if you are using a bread pan is to heat a deep hotel pan with ½” of water in the oven, put the bread inside the pan and bake.

There ya have it, 4 ways to turn rice and beans into a fermented bread! Enjoy!

Turn Local Rice & Beans into Fermented Bread

Turn Local Rice and Beans Into Fermented Bread

Why is Food important?

Eating Local Food

Fermented Food is Better!

Dosa Recipe

Further Reading

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