Making homemade dosa, a popular South Indian dish, requires a bit of preparation but results in delicious, crispy, and flavorful crepes. Here’s a recipe for dosa batter and how to make dosa at home:
### Ingredients:
- **1 cup regular rice** (or idli rice, available in Indian grocery stores)
- **1/2 cup whole urad dal** (split black gram dal)
- **1/4 cup chana dal** (split Bengal gram dal)
- **1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds**
- **Water (for soaking and grinding)**
- **Salt (to taste)**
### Equipment Needed:
- **Dosa tawa** (crepe pan) or a non-stick skillet
### Instructions:
1. **Preparation:**
- Wash the rice, urad dal, chana dal, and fenugreek seeds separately under running water until the water runs clear.
- Soak the rice and fenugreek seeds together in a bowl with enough water to cover, and soak the urad dal and chana dal in a separate bowl with enough water to cover, for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.
2. **Grinding:**
- Drain the water from the soaked urad dal, chana dal, and fenugreek seeds. Grind them in a wet grinder or a high-powered blender with a little water, until smooth and fluffy. The consistency should resemble whipped cream. This can take about 10-15 minutes of grinding. If using a blender, grind in small batches to ensure a smooth texture.
- Drain the water from the soaked rice and grind it in the wet grinder or blender with enough water to make a smooth batter. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter—smooth and pourable.
- Mix the ground dal and rice batters together in a large bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well using your hands. The batter should be slightly thick yet pourable.
3. **Fermentation:**
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or lid and let it ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or overnight. The batter should double in volume and become slightly airy.
4. **Making Dosas:**
- Heat a dosa tawa or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. The tawa should be well-heated but not smoking.
- Grease the tawa lightly with a little oil using a half-cut onion or a paper towel. This helps to season the tawa and prevents sticking.
- Pour a ladleful of batter onto the center of the hot tawa. Quickly spread the batter in a circular motion from the center outward to form a thin, even layer.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee around the edges of the dosa. Cook the dosa for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges start to lift and the bottom turns golden brown and crisp.
5. **Folding and Serving:**
- Fold the dosa in half or roll it into a cylinder using a spatula. Remove from the tawa and serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.
### Tips for Perfect Dosas:
- **Consistency:** The dosa batter should be well-fermented and slightly thick yet pourable. Adjust fermentation time based on your climate—warmer temperatures ferment faster.
- **Heat:** Ensure the tawa is well-heated before pouring the batter. A hot tawa ensures crispy dosas.
- **Variations:** You can make different types of dosas by adding toppings like chopped onions, grated carrots, or paneer (Indian cottage cheese) on the dosa just before flipping.
Enjoy your homemade dosas with your favorite accompaniments! They are best served fresh and hot, right off the tawa.
