Plain Dosa

Are you ready for some Dosa-Party?? My family loves these crisp, buttery rolled crepes with variety of dipping sauces and chutneys. Next few posts will be all about dosas, chutneys and some traditional and exciting fillings that you can enjoy. Have a great dosa party...lay out veggies and filling/stuffing for your guests to enjoy.

Rice and Lentil crepes, Dosa, a South Indian delicacy! But, for a Mumbaiite like me, I can enjoy them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime of the day!! :)

I usually make a big batch of fermented batter and refrigerate it. It almost lasts for for a week for my husband and me to enjoy variety of Dosas and Uttapams.

Traditionally dosa batter is made by soaking rice and lentils separately and grinding them on a grinding stone till it becomes a smooth paste and then fermenting the batter.

It is surely a long process and difficult to grind whole grain rice. So instead of using rice, I use rice flour :) Great results!!

Ingredients:
1 cup urad dal/white lentils
3 cups rice flour
Water
Salt to taste
oil or butter

• Soak 1 cup urad dal/ split white lentil in 2 cup water for 5-6 hours.
• Soak 3 cups of rice flour in 3 1/4 cup water whisking well to avoid lumps and make a smooth paste.  
• Cover and set is aside for 4-5 hours.
• Discard excess water from soakin gurad dal and grind in a blender or a food processor.
• Add soaked rice flour paste to blend them well. It is okay if you cannot add the entire rice flour batter in your blender. Blend together whatever you can. Hand mix rest of it in a bowl.
• Let the batter sit for 6-8 hours or more to ferment.
• Add salt and mix well. I do not add any other rising agent like Soda bi carb to make idlis and uttampams. A well fermented batter will yield a delicious and well set crisp dosa.
• Refrigerate or freeze extra batter and it is good for a busy week.

 To make dosas:

• To test how hot the skillet it: I usually sprinkle some water over it. 
• Skillet temperature is really important. 
• Too hot skillet will make the batter cook as soon as you pour it and will prevent from making a nice dosa.
• Cold skillet will not allow you to spread your dosa batter well.
• As soon as the sprinkled water starts evaporating, clean your with a wet paper towel and start with your first dosa.
• Pour a spoonful of batter on hot skillet. from the center moving to the periphery of the skillet, pull the batter outwards in a circular fashion. Here is where skillet temperature is important. if your skillet is too hot, the batter cooks up and peals off and sticks to your ladle. (Do not worry if you mess up. Let the batter cook. Use a spatula, remove and discard it)
• Apply some butter or oil over it.
• As soon as it starts getting nice and crisp, use a spatula to remove the dosa. 
• Serve hot with chutneys.

Here is the step-by-step pictorial recipe for a well done Dosa Batter

Soak 1 cup urad dal/ split white lentil in 2 cup water for 5-6 hours.

Soak 3 cups of rice flour in 3+1/4 cup water whisking well to avoid lumps and make a smooth paste. 

Cover and set is aside for 4-5 hours.

Discard excess water and grind soaked lentils in a blender or a food processor.

Add soaked rice flour paste to blend them well. It is okay if you cannot add the entire rice flour batter in your blender. Blend together whatever you can. Hand mix rest of it in a bowl.

Mix well for 4-5 minutes. Cover and set it aside in a warm place to ferment for 6-8 hours. Use a large bowl so that your fermented batter does not overflow.

The batter I made did ferment and overflew :( Luckily I had a big plate underneath the bowl and I could dump the overflown batter back into the bowl :) You could see the air pockets when fermented.

Add salt and mix well. I do not add any other rising agent like Soda bi carb to make idlis and uttampams. A well fermented batter will yield a delicious and well set crisp dosa.

Refrigerate or freeze extra batter and it is good for a busy week.

Use a nonstick or hard anodized skillet to make dosas.
If needed: put few drops of oil on hot skillet and wipe it well with a paper towel to grease the entire skillet.

To test how hot the skillet it: I usually sprinkle some water over it. 

Skillet temperature is really important. 

Too hot skillet will make the batter cook as soon as you pour it and will prevent from making a nice dosa.

Cold skillet will not allow you to spread your dosa batter well.

As soon as the sprinkled water starts evaporating, clean your with a wet paper towel and start with your first dosa.

I always have a small container with water and paper towel to clean the skillet after every dosa I make. This will not only help me to clean the residue from the previous one, but also help in temperature control of the skillet. Every street food dosa vendor in Mumbai does this.

Add water to the batter if needed to form a nice, smooth, pouring consistency.

Pour a spoonful of batter on hot skillet. from the center moving to the periphery of the skillet, pull the batter outwards in a circular fashion. Here is where skillet temperature is important. if your skillet is too hot, the batter cooks up and peals off and sticks to your ladle. 

(Do not worry if you mess up. Let the batter cook. Use a spatula, remove and discard it)

Apply some oil or butter while dosa cooks.

As soon as it starts getting nice and crisp, use a spatula to remove the dosa and serve hot with chutneys.

Beautifully set, flavorful, crisp paper dosa!

Here's how you can make cone/cap dosa for kids!!

Enjoy this Crisp, Plain, Buttery Dosa!!
And 
Be ready for the next one at my Dosa Party ;)