Dosa- South Indian, rice and urad pancake

Dosa- South Indian, rice and urad pancake

Dosa is a signature south Indian breakfast served from roadside stalls to sophisticated hotels. The restaurant dosa varieties are overwhelmingly endless. Huge, thin crepe like Paper roast, ghee roast and potato stuffed masala dosa are traditional variations. Latest dosa avatars have fancy names and are filled with any stuffing imaginable- paneer, chicken, egg, mutton, dal…you name it!!

 At home we usually make thin and crispy dosa. Like western traditional sourdough, dosa batter depends on natural wild yeast for fermentation. So, dosa making takes time. There is no way you can hurry it. Yet, if you plan in advance, it is good make-ahead (mostly) breakfast. If you are going to make dosa for the first time, be prepared to have an alternative. No… it is not a sure fail for novice. It is just that, the batter might not be ready by your schedule. After a few trials, you will get the hang of it and can time it much better. In colder climate (not sub-zero, here the lowest day time temperature is around 15°c) dosa batter is very unpredictable and might take up to 2 days to ferment.

Start soaking rice and lentils full 24 hours ahead. I usually start off by 7.00 am the previous day and grind it by 3.00 pm. Somehow for me the fermenting time is at least 15 hours. This way, I can get breakfast ready by 7 in the next morning. This recipe makes a lot of batter. I halve the batter after fermenting and freeze one portion. Let the frozen batter thaw overnight and make dosa as usual.

Before soaking, wash the rice (I used basmati rice, there is special idly rice too) and urad in many changes of water. Soak for 4-8 hours along with chana dal and fenugreek seeds (8 hours is better). You can soak rice and pulses separately or together. The chana/chick pea dal tip was given to me by a friend who makes excellent dosa. It gives a nice golden colour to dosa when cooked. Fenugreek is for flavor. Both are totally optional. 

Once soaked, drain extra water and grind in a blender (in small portions) or a wet grinder with enough water to make a thick paste. Here, you can add ½ cup cooked rice if you wish. It is not necessary if you are planning to make crisp dosa. Wet grinder makes a difference in dosa making. The batter will not get heated with long grinding as in blender. It also incorporates more air into the batter. Once the batter is ground fine, allow it to ferment overnight. 

When ready to cook dosa, take enough batter in a mixing bowl. The batter should have the light, fluffy yet thick consistency of pancake batter. Add more water if needed along with salt and baking powder. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Wipe the skillet with a tissue or clean towel moistened with a little sesame oil or coconut oil. Pour ½ cup dosa batter and spread in circular motion with the bottom of the cup or the ladle. This is a bit tricky for the beginner. Try making small dosa first and then you will get the hang of it. Let the dosa cook to your likeness. Flip, and let the other side cook. Serve with sambar and chutney.