How to Make Dosa Batter Easily
Learn how to make Dosa Batter at home. This post will guide you to make all kinds of dosas – soft, crispy, restaurant style, home style, and healthy dosas. Whether you’re new to cooking or already skilled in the kitchen, the tips and tricks shared in this article will assist you in becoming an expert at preparing delicious South Indian Dosa.
Dosa is a well-known and loved breakfast or snack in South India, enjoyed not only in India but also worldwide. In Tamil, it is called Dosai. Dosa is essentially crispy or soft pancakes made from a batter of ground lentils and rice that has been fermented.
If you’re unfamiliar with South Indian food, keep reading to learn more!
Ingredients:
To make dosa batter, you will need the following ingredients-
3/4 cup Parboiled Rice (idli-dosa rice)
3/4 cup Regular Rice
1/2 cup Whole Urad Dal (without skin)
1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (methi dana)
1/2 tablespoon Chana Dal (gram lentils), optional
Water – as needed
Salt to taste
Oil
How to Make Dosa Batter Step By Step
- Take ½ cup urad dal (skinned black whole lentils), 2 tablespoon chana dal (Bengal gram) and ½ teaspoon methi seeds to a large pot then mix them.
- Take 1½ cups of rice to another pot.
- Rinse dals thoroughly a few times and soak for 4-6 hours or even overnight.
- Wash the rice a few times until the water is clear. Soak in enough water for 4-6 hours or even overnight.
- Rinse and soak 2 tablespoons of poha with 1/4 cup water for 30 mins. It needs to be done 30 mins before blending the batter.
Make Dosa Batter
- First, add soaked poha to the grinder jar. Completely drain the water from the dals and add them along with ½ teaspoon salt & 3/4 cup water.
- Blend it until smooth, frothy, and bubbly. If needed add more water. We add another 2-4 tablespoons of water.
- In a large pot or bowl transfer the batter. Make sure to completely drain the rice and then add it to the blender. Pour ½ cup water. We use another 2 tablespoons more.
- Blend to a smooth batter.
- Add the rice batter with the urad dal batter. Mix both of them well. It is believed that the warmth in the hand helps with fermentation. The batter you prepare should be easy to pour but still thick, not watery. If it becomes too thick, you can add some water and mix it. A thick batter won’t ferment properly. If it is slightly watery, it’s still okay.
When we double the recipe, we use 2 glass or ceramic pots to ferment and refrigerate the dosa batter. We divide and distribute the batter into 2 pots. Undisturbed batter stays good in the refrigerator for longer without going sour.
How to Ferment Dosa Batter
- Cover the pot and ferment it in a warm place until the batter rises and turns bubbly.
If you reside in a hot area, you can leave it on the kitchen counter overnight. The time it takes to ferment can range from 5 to 16 hours, depending on the temperature. In colder regions, you can preheat the oven to the lowest setting (140 F or 60 C) for 10 minutes to aid in fermentation. Turn off the oven and keep the dosa batter inside with the oven light ON. You can utilize your instant pot and its yogurt settings to ferment as well. Use an external lid and not the IP lid. I ferment for only 7-8 hours in the oven & IP.
12. When I made this, I had to ferment it for 16 hours in a closed kitchen cabinet. When properly fermented, the batter raises and turns light, fluffy with lots of pores & bubbles. The batter was half of the bowl before fermentation. It rose a little over 34 of the same bowl.
Fermentation test: To see if the batter is well fermented, take a small amount and put it in a bowl of water. If the batter floats instead of sinking, it means it has fermented properly.
- For a good fermentation, 4 things matter the most – the quality of dal, non-iodized salt, temperature & the consistency of the batter.
- Do not over-ferment the dosa batter as it turns sour and the batter is not so good to spread on the griddle.
15. After your dosa batter has properly fermented, store it in the fridge.
Make Dosa
- The batter will be thick after fermentation. Transfer the required portion to a mixing bowl. Pour little water as needed to make it a pourable and spreading consistency.
- Add a few drops of oil to a griddle or pan. Rub well with tissue or cloth until the oil is absorbed. Make sure there is no excess oil on the pan. You can also use a slice of onion to rub the oil.
- Heat the pan on a medium-high heat. You can sprinkle a few drops of water and check if it is hot and ready. It will make a sizzling sound right away. Do not sprinkle water often on a hot non-stick tawa that’s going to wear out even the best non-stick coating.
- Regulate the heat to medium when the pan is hot enough. Stir the batter in the bowl and pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the pan.
- Start spreading the batter evenly right away, beginning from the center and moving in a circular motion in the direction of the clock hands. Make sure to make a thin crepe as you do so.
- Keep spreading it from the center making circles till you reach the edges.
- Regulate the heat to slightly high & let it cook for a minute then add oil towards the edges. The edges of the dosa will begin to leave the pan when done.
- When it turns golden or brown on the base, flip it and cook if you like. Not all dosas require cooking on the other side, if needed you can cook. Since we made the masala dosa, we used this potato masala for filling. Plain dosa is most commonly served with coconut chutney.
Serve the dosa immediately while it’s hot. They start to become less crispy as they cool down.
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