Dosa- Crispy Rice and Lentil Sourdough Crepes
Dosa is a ubiquitous item in the universe of South Indian cooking. Dosas usually popular for breakfast or a snack called tiffin. It is such a common treat in my house, I make them so many ways. Over the years, I have acquired some tested and tried tips, so I wanted to update and share them with you. There are essentially two layers to a good dosa, a well fermented batter and a good dosa pan.
About the Dosa Batter and Fermentation
Dosas are traditionally made with a naturally fermented batter of rice (preferably parboiled) and white lentils called urad dal. After this baseline there are several variations to the dosa, I have a quick ferment variation and mixed lentil version. But, for the purposes of a how to let us stick to the basic rice and lentil variation as I make it and then you can work on making it your own. An interesting element to note is that the dosa uses a process of natural sourdough fermentation, something that is healthy and has loads of good bacteria that aids in digestion.
My Dosa Story
I dabbled in dosa making along with other traditional Indian cooking and got the baseline hang of the dosa, however when my 2-year old (now 10 17) tried it, it was a very different story altogether. he fell in love with this crispy crunchy crepe. There was something about those little hands mangling bits of this crisp crepe while putting it into his mouth, that became part of a bonding ritual and has continued since.
And now Dosas are an important part of any holiday weekend ritual.
Essentials and why we ferment the dosa
Essentials and why we ferment the dosalet us talk a little bit about the essentials that make the dosa. A well fermented dosa batter is essential for good dosas. This a well risen batter that gives the dosa it’s characteristic slightly sour taste, and the frothy batter allows for a frothy mixture that quickly adheres to the surface.
When the weather is warm (more than 80 degrees, you do not need to worry about fermenting your Dosa. The hot weather does the job. If you have a nice warm spot, such as a boiler room, this works too. An oven with a pilot light works and lastly the instant pot with the yogurt setting works. The last method is my favorite way of doing it. In any event, you are looking at 12 to 15 hours of hands-off time for the batter to ferment. So yes, like any other sourdough your dosa needs a little bit of planning.
Also, soaking the grains for an extra day, kick starts the process and guarantees quick fermentation. Your dosa batter is ready when it is bubbly, smells fruity and yeasty. A well fermented dosa batter also doubles considerably in size.
Making the Dosa and the Dosa Pan
A good dosa pan, retains heat well and should be even and well-seasoned. Some people like the convenience of a non-stick pan. A cast iron skillet does the job for me. I have found it works best for me. I sometimes use an electric skillet for Dosa demonstrations.
- Your dosa pan should be hot, but not too hot. Test this with a little bit of water, it should gently form a ball and sizzle off.
- When spreading your batter, do not spread to the edges, leave a little room to manipulate your dosa.
- In between dosas, clean your pan thoroughly. You can use a cut onion or a moist paper towel for this.
- When your dosa is ready, it is very easy to lift off the skillet.
- Your first dosa is much like a pancake, it can be used to season and set the temperature for your skillet.
Some of the pictures here are from a class that I did with dosas. The filling for the dosa is placed in the center of the dosa before folding. I am doing this above with one of my young students.
Variations on the Classic
My daughter Deepta, the guacamole addict, likes her dosa with well, guacamole and my son Aadi likes his with tomato and cheese, so we have what we call the Deepta and Aadi dosa, and here are the demo versions from my class. I will tell you that the traditional potato ones were quite popular while most of the children leaned towards the Aadi.
And for the record, the dosa batter is very versatile. It can be used for making steamed rice buns called idlies, savory pancakes called oothapams and crispy fluffy rounds called paniyarans.
How to Enjoy your Dosa
Dosas needs some cohorts, usually a chutney or two and sambhar a spiced lentil stew.
Dosa or Masala Dosas are a naturally fermented, gluten-free sour dough crepe from South India.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of parboiled rice (use Uncle Ben's parboiled rice or the Idli rice from an Indian store)
- 3/4 cup of split white lentils (urad dal)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Soak the rice and lentils in separate containers with 11/2 cups of water in each overnight, at least 12 hours. (See my notes on soaking)
- Add the fenugreek seeds to the white lentils while soaking.
- Once the grains are done soaking, place the white lentils with the fenugreek seeds in the blender, with minimal water (if these are soaked properly, they do not need much water to grind). Grind them into a fluffy soft paste. Remove and place in the container for fermenting. This container should be large enough to allow room for the rice and lentil mixture to ferment and double.
- Place the rice in the blender with the soaking water to grind into a smooth paste, please note this needs to be done with considerable patience, you need to test the mixture with your hands a few times to ensure that you have a smooth texture, a grainy texture will not result in thin crepes.
- Add the rice mixture to the white lentil mixture. Mix the mixtures until well mixed, this can be done either with your hand or with a spoon.
- Place in a large non-reactive container, a stainless steel or plastic container with a lid is perfect, make sure there is enough room to let the batter double, after the addition of the lentils.
- If you have an instant pot, place the batter in the steel insert, cover and set this on the yogurt mode for about 12 hours.
- Alternately, find a warm spot in your house, and set aside for 12 to 15 hours.
- To make the dosas, you need to heat a heavy bottomed skillet of your choice, I like a cast iron skillet. Test the skillet with a few drops of water, when ready the water should form beads and dance off the surface. Keep a moist cloth to cool the skillet as needed.
- Gently brush the skillet uniformly with oil. I use a paper towel for this.
- Stir the batter once to mix, it should be fairly light and frothy. Take a ladleful and pour into the center of the skillet. Spread the batter as thinly as possible using circular or oval movements. This is to spread the batter evenly and smoothly. This needs to be done pretty quickly with an even hand.
- Let the dosa cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, you can add a little extra oil around the edges, I am fairly minimalistic with the oil,
- When the dosa is ready, you should be able to remove it from the pan fairly easily.
- Fold your dosa into half and remove from the pan. If you are adding a filling, place this in the center of the dosa prior to removing the dosa.
Notes
Most of the time for the dosa is in the fermentation, so it needs some planning but not necessarily a lot of hands on work.