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Recipe · Breakfast · Tamil Nadu

Crispy Dosa at Home: Batter, Fermenting and the Hot Tawa

Idli rice, urad dal and a pinch of fenugreek. Soak in the morning, grind at night, and make thin golden dosas for breakfast.

Our kitchenUpdated
Prep30 min
Soaking14 h
Cook40 min
Makes24 dosas
Jump to recipe
Two crisp golden dosas on a banana leaf with sambar and coconut chutney
In this recipe6 parts
  1. Ingredients and steps
  2. Why this dosa turns out crisp
  3. How thick should the batter be?
  4. What to serve with dosa
  5. Four easy variations
  6. Questions people ask

Quick answer

Soak 3 cups idli rice and 1 cup whole urad dal for 5 to 6 hours, grind, and let the batter ferment 8 to 12 hours until it has risen. Spread it thin on a very hot iron tawa with a little gingelly oil.

Ingredients and steps

24 dosas

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Ingredients

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  • In the shop
  • In the shop
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  • In the shop

You need

Wet grinder or mixer grinderIron dosa tawaFlat ladleLarge steel vessel

Steps

  1. Wash

    Rinse the rice and the urad dal separately, three or four times, until the water runs clear.

  2. Soak

    Soak the rice in one bowl, and the urad dal with the fenugreek in another, in plenty of water for 5 to 6 hours.

  3. Grind the dal

    Drain the dal. Grind it, adding cold water a few spoons at a time, until it is smooth, fluffy and about double in size. This takes about 20 minutes in a wet grinder, less in a mixer.

  4. Grind the rice

    Drain the rice and grind it with a little water until it feels like fine rava between your fingers. A slightly coarse batter gives a crisper dosa.

  5. Mix and ferment

    Mix both batters and the salt in the vessel by hand for a minute or two. Cover and leave in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours, until it has risen and smells slightly sour.

  6. Get the tawa hot

    Heat the iron tawa on a medium-high flame. Sprinkle a few drops of water: they should sizzle away at once. Wipe the tawa with half an onion dipped in oil.

  7. Spread and cook

    Stir the batter gently; it should flow like thick buttermilk. Pour a ladle in the centre and spread it outwards in circles, thin. Drizzle half a teaspoon of oil around the edge and cook until golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Fold and serve. No need to flip.

Shop tip: In cold months the batter ferments slowly. Keep the covered vessel in a switched-off oven with the light on, or wrap it in a towel. In summer it may be ready in 6 hours; put it in the fridge once it has risen.

140kcal
4 gprotein
25 gcarbs
2.5 gfat
2 gfibre

Per dosa, an estimate. It does not change with the servings.

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Why this dosa turns out crisp

Three things make the difference: the rice to dal ratio, a batter that has fermented well, and a hot iron tawa.

  • 3 parts rice to 1 part urad dal. More rice gives a crisper dosa. For soft idli, homes usually go up to 4 parts rice.
  • Fenugreek helps the batter ferment and gives the dosa its golden colour.
  • Iron tawa, very hot. The batter sets the moment it touches the pan, so it stays thin and crisp.

How thick should the batter be?

ForBatterWhat to do
Thin, crisp dosaFlows like thick buttermilkAdd water a spoon at a time
Soft, spongy dosaThick, drops off the ladle slowlyUse as it is, cook covered
UthappamThickest, from the bottom of the vesselSpread thick, top with onion

What to serve with dosa

Sambar and coconut chutney are the classic pair. Tomato chutney, peanut chutney, or idli podi mixed with gingelly oil are quick on busy mornings. A tumbler of filter coffee finishes it.

Four easy variations

  • Masala dosa: fill with potato masala before folding.
  • Ghee roast: use ghee instead of oil and spread it extra thin.
  • Onion dosa: sprinkle chopped onion, green chilli and coriander on the wet batter.
  • Podi dosa: sprinkle idli podi and a little oil, then fold.

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Questions people ask

Why are my dosas not crispy?
Usually the tawa is not hot enough or the batter is too thick. Heat the tawa until a sprinkle of water sizzles away, add a little water to the batter, and spread it thinner.
Why did my batter not ferment?
The room was too cold, the salt was too much, or the dal was not ground fluffy. Keep it somewhere warm and give it a few more hours.
Can I use a mixer grinder instead of a wet grinder?
Yes. Grind in small batches with ice-cold water so the batter does not get warm, and rest the jar between batches.
How long does dosa batter keep?
Three to four days in the fridge in a closed box. It gets more sour each day, which some people like for crisp dosas.