How To Make Dosa Batter - Dosa Recipe

It is quite common for a person of Indian or even South Asian descent to love Dosa but not everyone is aware of the tricks of preparing the perfect crispy dosa.

This popular breakfast is not only healthy but also delicious when you serve with chutney and potato masala or sambar.

I must admit that since I grew up eating this breakfast delicacy all through my childhood and watching my mother prepare it, I must have learned this by observing and imitating. I did not expect to receive a recipe request for preparing the Dosa batter.

How to make dosa batter 

Dosa batter is made with 3 ingredients: Rice, Urad Dal, and Methi seeds.

Not every variety of rice works the same for dosa. For this recipe, I used parboiled rice that is sometimes tagged as 'idli' rice and whole Urad dal (instead of the split variety). However, you can make dos batter using raw rice too. All white, long-grain rice varieties (Except basmati) are best suited for this recipe. 

The procedure for making dosa batter is as simple as soaking and the ingredients and blending them to a fine consistency. In traditional Indian homes, using a stone grinder is common but any blender is just fine as long as the final consistency is smooth. 

Soak the Urad dal, Idli rice, methi seeds in water for 6 hours. Wash it properly. Separate the grains from water and blend them to a smooth consistency, pouring water just as needed.

Check my video for consistency. Transfer this to the inner pot in your Instant Pot and press the 'Yogurt' setting. Let it sit for about 8 - 10 hours and then gently stir the fermented batter once. Add ½ or 1 cup of water to thin it down to a pouring consistency. Add salt to taste.

Then prepare the dosa over a cast-iron skillet. Check out the recipe card below on how to make the perfect dosa. 

Soaking time and Fermentation Method

Idli rice, urad dal, and methi seeds (fenugreek) are soaked in a bowl for 6 hours. By then the grains would become softer, plumped up, and ready for grinding.

The hard part that most people fail at is in fermenting the batter. Today, I share the details of preparing the perfect batter and crispy dosa. Not just that, I show you the directions to ferment the batter with the Instant Pot.

Using an Instant Pot helps in maintaining warm temperatures that sustain fermenting. This comes in handy during the winter. So you can enjoy crispy dosas in all seasons!  The trick in fermenting is to use an accurate ratio of Rice and Urad Dal.

Mix the rice and urad dal batter very well. Add salt and mix thoroughly using a wooden spatula. Place the dosa batter in the inner pot and place the Instant pot in the “yogurt” setting for 8 -10 hours. NOTE: Do not close the Instant pot lid. Use a lid to cover that lets a little air through.

Fermenting takes longer if you are short on Dal. Likewise maintaining a warm temperature matters a lot.

If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can let the batter ferment inside your oven and turning the light on overnight. Another option that I learned from my mother is to set aside the batter in a warm, and dark room for 8 -12  hours.

Be sure to use a sufficiently large bowl to mix the batters because it doubles in volume as it ferments! The fermenting time depends a lot on room temperature. The warmer it is, the faster it ferments.

How to make Dosa 

Batter prepared this way can be used for plain dosa, ghee dosa, masala dosa, or uttapam! You could even make idli out of dosa batter. 

Grease a dosa pan or tawa with few drops of oil. If using a non-stick pan, you do not need any oil. Heat the pan on a medium flame for about 7-9 minutes and pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the Tawa and swirl quickly to cover the base of the pan.

Drizzle oil and allow to cook on medium-high heat with a cover on top. Cook until the top appears cooked and sides turn golden. Flip the dosa when the edges begin to rise from the pan. Cook on both sides if you desire. Serve them hot with sides such as coconut chutney or Vegetable Sambar.

If you are planning on making masala dosa as shown below, prepare the dosa stuff the center with freshly prepared potato masala. Serve it hot paired with tomato or coconut chutney.

Best Griddle or Tawa For Dosa

To make dosa, I typically use a non-stick griddle or cast iron pan. I find that cast iron pans bring the best results, but I ran into a few glitches in my videos. So, I have used a non-stick griddle in this recipe. I recommend my readers to use cast iron Tawa for best results.

Here are my other dosa recipes that you might like...

Poha Dosa

Neer dosa

Moong dal oats dosa

Green Gram dosa

For more delicious vegan recipes such as this sent directly to your inbox, just subscribe to my newsletter. You will also get a copy of my e-book where I have put together some simple vegan dessert recipes and dessert essentials. My readers have found it very helpful and I am hoping you will too!

Here are the recipe details.

Check out my video

How To Make Dosa Batter - Dosa Recipe

Uma Srinivas

Dosa batter is prepared with 3 main ingredients. This popular breakfast is not only healthy but also delicious when you serve with chutney or sambar.

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Fermenting Time:8 hrs

Total Time:50 mins

Course :Breakfast

Cuisine :Indian

Servings 6 people

Calories 51 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Blendtec Blender
• Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups idli rice or use parboiled rice
• ▢ ½ cup urad dal
• ▢ 1 tsp methi seeds
• ▢ Salt to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Direction to prepare and ferment batter:

• Soak the Urad dal, Idly rice, methi seeds in water for 6 hours. Wash it properly.
• Separate the grains from water and blend them to a smooth consistency, pouring water just as needed. Check my video for consistency.
• Transfer this to the inner pot in your Instant Pot and press the Yogurt setting. Let it sit for about 8 hours.
• Gently stir the fermented batter once and add water to thin it down just a little to bring it to a pouring consistency.
• Add salt to taste.

Directions to prepare Dosa:

• Grease a dosa pan or tawa with few drops of oil. If using a non-stick pan, you do not need any oil.
• Heat the pan on a medium flame for about 7-9 minutes and pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the Tawa and swirl quickly to cover the base of the pan.
• Drizzle oil and allow to cook on medium-high heat with a cover on top.
• Cook until the top appears cooked and sides turn golden.
• Flip the dosa when the edges begin to rise from the pan.
• Cook on both sides if you desire.
• Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.
• Serve them hot with sides such as coconut chutney or Onion Sambar. Good luck!

Notes

Do not Close the IP lid. Use always glass lid when fermenting. This method is best during the winter season. 

Note: The nutrition values I show here are my best estimates. Please be sure to check your preferred nutrition calculator, if you are relying on accurate calculations in your diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 2dosa | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Keyword breakfast, Dosa, Indian breakfast

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