Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup black bean dal or lentils
• 3 cups water
• 5 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• Yogurt, chopped tomatoes, and chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Pick over rice and dal to remove any pebbles or dirt. Process in a food processor or blender until a coarse flour, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix ground mixture with water, yogurt, and salt in a bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside in a warm place at least 12 hours or as long as 24 hours. When ready, batter should be smooth and foamy, a bit thinner than pancake batter.
3. Just before cooking, add tomatoes, serrano chiles, red onion, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until medium hot. Pour in 1/3 cup batter, reduce heat to low, and spread batter evenly with a ladle or spatula. Fry until well browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat this procedure, heating an additional tablespoon oil each time, until all batter is fried.
5. Stack pancakes between layers of aluminum foil in a roasting pan and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven. To serve, arrange 2 pancakes on each plate and top with yogurt, tomatoes, and cilantro. For smaller servings, slice each pancake into quarters and serve with garnishes for dipping.