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Dosa Recipe

Crispy plain dosa made from fermented rice-lentil batter with practical grinding, fermentation, and tawa control guidance.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
  

For plain dosa
  • 3 cups dosa rice
  • 1 cup urad dal
  • 2 tbsp chana dal
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/4 cup thick poha
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • cold water, as needed for soaking and grinding
  • 2 to 3 tbsp oil or ghee for roasting dosa

Method
 

How to make plain dosa
  1. Rinse dosa rice and poha thoroughly 3 to 4 times. Soak together in enough water for 4 to 6 hours.
  2. Rinse urad dal, chana dal, and fenugreek seeds well. Soak them together for 4 to 6 hours.
  3. Drain urad mix and grind with cold water in small additions until fluffy, smooth, and light.
  4. Drain rice-poha mix and grind to a smooth, slightly grainy batter. Do not make it watery.
  5. Combine both batters in a large bowl, leaving space for fermentation rise.
  6. Mix batter by hand for 1 to 2 minutes to help aeration and fermentation.
  7. Cover loosely and ferment in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours, until batter rises and looks airy.
  8. After fermentation, add salt and mix gently. Adjust consistency to flowing batter that spreads easily but is not thin.
  9. Heat a cast-iron or heavy tawa on medium flame. Sprinkle water; it should sizzle and evaporate quickly.
  10. Wipe tawa lightly with a cut onion or cloth dipped in few drops of oil to control surface temperature.
  11. Pour one ladle batter at center and spread outward in circular motion to make a thin dosa.
  12. Drizzle oil or ghee around edges and over top. Roast on medium flame until bottom turns golden and crisp.
  13. For plain crisp dosa, do not flip unless needed. Fold and remove when edges release and center is crisp.
  14. Repeat remaining batter, regulating heat between dosas. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Notes

Detailed plain dosa method with fermentation and tawa control notes.