South Indian · Breakfast
Plain dosa (crispy rice and lentil crepes)
Plain dosa is a thin, golden crepe made from a fermented batter of rice, urad dal and fenugreek. Crisp at the edges and slightly tangy, it is the base for masala dosa, uttapam and many other favourites. Make a big batch of batter once and you can have fresh, hot dosas for several days.
- Prep20 min
- Cook40 min
- Waiting14 h
- Servings6
- Total15 h · Per serving≈360 kcal
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to tick it off as you cook.
Method
Waiting: Soaking and fermenting (14 h)
- Rinse both kinds of rice together and soak them in 4 cups of water. Separately rinse the urad dal and soak it with the fenugreek in 2 cups of water. Soak both for 5–6 hours.
- Drain the urad dal and fenugreek and grind with about 1/2 cup cold water, added gradually, until very smooth and fluffy. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Drain the rice and grind it with about 1 cup water until smooth, finer than for idli. Add it to the dal batter with the salt and mix well by hand.
- Cover and ferment in a warm place for 8–12 hours, until risen and bubbly. Stir well and add a little water to get a thick, flowing batter, like pancake batter.
- Heat a cast-iron tawa over medium-high heat. Rub it with the cut onion dipped in oil, then sprinkle a few drops of water: they should sizzle and vanish.
- Pour a ladle of batter in the centre and spread it quickly in a spiral from the middle outward to make a thin circle.
- Drizzle 1/2 tsp oil or ghee around the edges and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the bottom is golden and crisp. Flip for 30 seconds if you like a softer dosa, then fold and serve.
- Wipe the tawa with the onion before each new dosa. Store leftover batter in the fridge for up to 4 days.
About this dish
Dosa is called dosai in Tamil and dose in Kannada, and in Telugu and Malayalam homes it is simply dosa. It is eaten for breakfast or dinner across South India, from thin, paper-like restaurant dosas to the softer, thicker ones made at home. The plain version is often called sada dosa on menus.
The batter uses a mix of parboiled and raw rice for crispness, with urad dal for body and fenugreek for flavour and a golden colour. It is ground a little finer than idli batter and fermented until bubbly. A well-seasoned cast-iron tawa, wiped between dosas, gives the best crisp result, and the same batter turns into uttapam once it becomes more sour.
Tips
- If the dosa breaks or will not spread, the tawa is too hot; sprinkle water, wipe it and lower the heat for a moment.
- For an extra-crisp dosa, stir 1 tbsp fine rava or rice flour into the batter.
- Use a heavy, well-seasoned cast-iron tawa; a non-stick pan works too but gives a paler, softer dosa.
Serve with
Serve hot with coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar.
Goes well with: Coconut Chutney, Sambar
