Dosa Recipe | 7 Pro Tips South Indian Dosa Batter Recipe

Dosa Recipe | How to make a perfect Dosa Batter at home using a Wet Grinder with detailed photo and video recipe. One of the staple food of South India is made with a combination of rice, urad dal, and methi seeds. Basically, the batter is prepared for crisp dosa, but as it ages, it is used for different types of recipes. It includes masala dosa, podi dosa, uttapam, appam, bun dosa, tomato omelet, and punugulu but not limited to these and can be utilized to make idli and many variants.

Dosa Recipe | How to make a perfect Dosa Batter at home using a Wet Grinder grinder with step-by-step photo and video recipes. South Indian breakfast recipes are one of the essential recipes for most Indians, if not for other countries. Basically, the batter is prepared with the purpose of preparing a crisp dosa, but it is repurposed to prepare myriad other recipes. In other words, this recipe post tries to cover the life cycle of a dosa batter where a single dosa batter is used to make different types of breakfast recipes.

As I explained earlier, dosa batter is one of the essential and important recipes for most South Indians. It is so much loved and appreciated due to the fact that dosa batter is versatile in nature and can be used to prepare much more recipes out of it. I trust each and every family has its own life cycle but the below 7 recipe pattern is followed in my family. We generally prepare dosa batter which is not particular for masala dosa, yet we start with it. The next day is the simple podi dosa with a semi-thick texture. it is followed by uttapam and bun dosa with toppings of onion. It is further used in paddu or appam and then followed by a tomato omelet with the addition of besan and tomato to it. Finally, the leftover batter is finished off with a deep-fried snack known as punugulu.

Furthermore, I would also like to add some additional tips, suggestions, and variants to the dosa batter recipe. Firstly, the batter is prepared in a wet grinder for better quantity and puffiness. Well, it is recommended to use the wet grinder, but you may use a mixer grinder or any blender to prepare the dosa batter. Secondly, the batter is not specific to masala dosa and you need additional lentils to prepare the batter. Having said that, you can still prepare a crisp dosa on the first day, but eventually, it will lose its crispiness. Lastly, the fermentation process is very critical for this recipe. If you are staying in a humid place, you may keep it in a warm place for fermentation. But if you live in a cold place, you may need to keep it in preheated oven to kickstart the fermentation.

Finally, I request you to check my other related Breakfast Recipe Collection with this post on the dosa recipe. It mainly includes my other related recipes like upma 3 ways, bread dosa, vegetable pancake, besan dosa, rice paddu, idiyappam, aloo puri, goli idli, leftover rice idli, palak patra. Further to these, I would also like to mention my other related recipe categories,

• Idli Recipes
• Breakfast Recipes
• Snacks Recipes

About Dosa & Dosa Batter:

It is a popular South Indian breakfast meal recipe that is mainly prepared with 2 basic ingredients – rice & urad dal. Dosa batter & dosa is not just popular in India, but also hugely popular internationally, due to its simplicity, minimal set of ingredients, and the health quotient. Generally, it is prepared as a thin crepe and often served with savory condiments like chutney, sambar, and aloo bhaji masala.

Even though it is a simple recipe to prepare, the dosa recipe or even the dosa batter used is versatile. In its purest form, it is prepared as a thin crepe and served with a range of spicy chutneys. But it can be extended or topped with different ingredients to make it even more special. The most popular is the masala dosa with potato bhaji or the onion & vegetable uttapam. It can be further extended to other recipes like paddu, bun dosa, omelet, and even deep-fried snacks.

Pro Tips for Dosa Recipe

The recipe for the batter is very simple and no rocket science. Yet some important and critical tips –

1. Proportions – There are so many variants and different types of proportions for a simple dosa batter. However, I basically follow a 3:1 rice and urad dal ratio. I use the same proportion for almost all kinds of dosa recipes.
2. Quality of Ingredients – I would heavily recommend using the best quality rice and urad dal. Particularly, it is highly recommended to use whole urad dal for best results.
3. Grinding – My personal choice is to use a wet grinder for grounding the rice and urad dal. The result is more consistent and the batter would be available in one batch. A Mixer grinder is the next best option, but there would be a quality difference.
4. Fermentation – There is no shortcut for the fermentation process. The external weather has to facilitate the bacterial fermentation process within 8-12 hrs. I live in cold weather and I keep the ground batter in a preheated oven for a humid warm place.
5. Consistency – The consistency of the batter is very important. It should be neither thick nor thin and should be easily pourable. In other words, it should be able to easily spread on the tawa.
6. Dosa Tawa – To prepare a crisp dosa, tawa plays an important role. I use cast iron instead of a nonstick pan and I would recommend the same. Also, the temperature of the dosa tawa should be medium to low. If too hot, you will not be able to spread it. Also, if you cannot remove the dosa, apply an onion slice on top of the dosa.
7. Storing Batter – Once the dosa is fermented, transfer it to the refrigerator or to a cool place. It should not ferment further, as it may infuse a sour or bitter taste with a bad smell.

Why does this recipe work

There are many reasons to make this one of the most popular meal choices. Yet some of the major reasons are –

1. Taste – It is a complete meal with a combination of flavors. It has a crispy texture on the outside and a soft spongy texture on the inside. Moreover, it has a combination of sour and savory taste to top it up.
2. Versatility – The recipe is mainly prepared with the intention of plain dosa. However, the same dosa batter can be even further extended to make different types of dosa and deep-fried snacks.
3. Healthy Meal – Due to the nature of the cooking technique, i.e. via steam-based, it is considered as one of the healthy meals. Moreover, it is loaded with carbohydrates and fiber essentials for morning breakfast.
4. Anytime Meal – Even though it is designed for morning breakfast, it can be used for lunch, dinner, and even as evening snacks. Particularly, when served with other toppings like potato masala or sambar it makes a complete meal.
5. Ingredients Used – It uses just 2 main ingredients that are easily available in any kitchen pantry. Yet with the minimal set of ingredients, it can be used for any type of meal.
6. Accompaniments – The best part of the dosa recipe is the way it is served. In its purest form, simple coconut chutney is the best accompaniment. However, it can take, pav bhaji, cheese, schezwan, tomato sauce, or any type of sauce, dips, and curries.

Faqs:

What is dosa?

It is a traditional South Indian breakfast meal recipe, made with basic ingredients like rice and urad dal. The batter is made with the former ingredients and fermented for 8-12 hours. Once fermented, it is spread on tawa, like a crepe, and served with chutney & sambar.

Can I use regular rice instead of parboiled rice for dosa batter?

While the most recommended rice is idli rice or parboiled rice. However, you can still other types of rice like sona masuri, balaji, or even basmati rice. The texture and crispiness vary with each rice, yet should not matter much.

How long should I ferment dosa batter?

The time for fermentation varies geographically. In a warm humid climate, 8 hours is more than sufficient. However, in a cold climate, you may need 12 hours in a warm place like preheated oven. Do not try to ferment it for more than 15 hours as it may start smelling.

Can I store leftover dosa batter?

Yes certainly! You may store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. Storing in the fridge helps to stop the fermentation and hence can be used for 3-4 days easily. However, it loses its strength and hence you make thicker types of dosa as the days increase.

Can I make dosa without fermentation?

The traditional dosa is made with fermentation and hence it needs planning for morning breakfast. However, there are instant versions too. Once the batter is prepared, you mad eno salt, yeast, or even baking soda for the same results.

What are some popular dosa varieties?

There are many different types of dosa recipes. The most popular ones are masala dosa, Mysore masala dosa, onion dosa, cheese dosa, uttapam, bun dosa, etc.

Video Recipe:

Recipe Card for Dosa Recipe:

How to make Dosa Batter with step-by-step photos:

1. Firstly, in a large bowl take 1 cup urad dal, ¼ cup chana dal and 1 tsp methi. Rinse with water and soak for 3 hours.
   
2. In another bowl rinse and soak 3 cup sona masuri rice for 5 hours.
   
3. Drain off the urad dal and transfer to the grinder. you can use mixi if you are comfortable.
   
4. Grind to smooth paste adding water as required.
   
5. After grinding for 30 minutes, the batter will turn soft and fluffy.
   
6. Scoop out urad dal batter and keep aside.
   
7. In the same grinder add soaked rice and 1 cup rinsed poha.
   
8. Also, add water as required and grind the batter.
   
9. Grind to a slightly coarse batter. if you grind to a very smooth paste, then the dosa will be very soft and not crisp.
   
10. Transfer the batter to the same vessel of urad dal batter.
    
11. Mix well making sure everything is well combined.
    
12. Cover and allow to ferment for 8 hours in a warm place.
    
13. After 8 hours, the batter would have doubled indicating it is well fermented.
    
14. Now mix the batter gently and use the batter to prepare dosa adding salt as required.
    
15. Finally, the dosa batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and used to make weekly breakfast.
    

Notes:

• Firstly, the dosa batter can be used to make masala dosa, podi dosa, uttapa, paddu, bun dosa, tomato dosa, and punugulu.
• Also, you can use dosa rice in place of idli rice. however, the texture of the dosa will be different.
• Additionally, the key to perfect fermentation is fermentation. so give enough time to ferment the batter well.
• Finally, the Dosa Batter Recipe can be done in mixi however the yield will not be the same.