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65 Comments

  1. If you’re looking for a go-to recipe for dosa batter, this is the one. You can customize it as per your needs, just like I do once a while, it still results in amazingly crisp and yum dosas.5 stars

  2. Hello Dassana!

    Perfect batter for dosa, idli and even uttapam, (added gram flour to the finished batter)!!

    One question, for how long should I soak the poha? Just add it to the rice for the whole soaking period?

    Thank you!!!5 stars

  3. Hello, thank you for these wonderful instructions! I am curious about something: I wonder how dosa batter was ground in the days before electricity? Is that something you have any knowledge of?

    Also, I wonder if increasing the portion of legumes and decreasing the portion of grain would affect the fermentation?
    Thank you for your thoughts!!!

    1. Yes, in Southern India, you will find stone grinders that were traditionally used to grind the dosa batter. In some households, you will still find them. The lentils and rice were ground manually with the help of these round stone grinders.

      Yes the fermentation time will reduce when you add more lentils or legumes and reduce the rice. I hope this helps and thank you.

      1. Hello, Dassana, thank you for your reply! Are the traditional grinders like a mortar and pestle type of idea? I don’t know how to search for pictures on the internet to see what the process was like.
        Also, do you think that a longer soaking time would make the beans or lentils more difficult to grind finely, due to them beginning to ferment during the soak?

        1. Welcome! Usually there are two types to make the batter – one is not exactly like a mortar-pestle but same kind of thought is applied to it. The second one is a flat rectangular stone with a heavy thick rolling stone to grind on the flat one. If you search for idli or dosa adding these words ‘village style’ on youtube, you will get to see these traditional equipments.

          Yes, could be, they make time more time to grind for the same reason you have mentioned. Avoid soaking for longer times as they ferment and get an off odour.

  4. Once in a while I am making these for my friends, and each time I’ve gotta explain that this is not you usual pancake ) The shape is not perfect, but tastes great anyway!5 stars

  5. Thank you. It came out well. I followed the recipe on the Idli/Dosa rice proportion 1:3 and following your instructions it turned out very well. Thank you.5 stars

  6. Hi,
    Quick question, by mistake I added some extra water while grinding rice. Batter turned out little thin. I am afraid if the batter will ferment on not. Any tips as I dont want to discard the batter. The batter is composed of 1 cup urad dal: 2 cups rice: 1 cup poha.
    Please guide me through.
    Thanks.

  7. I can’t wait to try this! But I don’t have an Indian mixer grinder or wet grinder. Can I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer? Thank you!

    1. For grinding the lentils and rice, a blender like Vitamix works very well. The kitchenaid stand mixer won’t help here as the lentils and rice are ground to a batter.

  8. Hi,
    I made a batch of dosa batter and the batter has well fermented.
    I have stored it in freezer.
    Will the batter last good for least 2-3 weeks while in frozen?
    Thanks.

  9. Makes very nice I have tried it but in non stick pan.d
    Can sugar be put in the batter. Please let me know.

  10. Hello,

    I don’t how I came across your blog 2 or 3 years ago. But I am so happy I did. Being a Syrian Christian, non-veg rules my household. But there are those few days we all crave for some veg recipes as we all have travelled around the country and we have our favourites. I’m no veteran in cooking, but if I could suggest your blog to my mom and she loved the recipe for a dish she already knows the recipe of, that’s some serious skill 🙂

    Thank you so much for helping me with all the help you have been from the time I have referred to your recipes, I blindly suggest to all cuz each recipe is foolproof 🙂

    Anju5 stars

    1. thank you much anju. i am really glad reading your comment and feeling motivated too. comments like yours encourage and guide me to develop better recipes and present them also very well on the blog. thanks again.
      all the best to you and give my regards to your mom.

  11. Hi dassana, wanted to know the purpose of using idli rice +regular rice for making the batter,why not just idli rice?5 stars

  12. Hei Dassana!
    Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂
    I have some doubt that can i use regular rice instead of idli or pre-boiled rice and i have powderd urad dal so what quantity i should take. How to get the batter ferment easily because we are having winter(temp -5)

    TIA!

    1. welcome. you can use regular rice for dosa batter. take 1/2 cup of urad dal flour. usually i keep the pan in a warm oven or in a warm place in the kitchen. just preheat oven on a low temp for some minutes. then switch off the oven and place the batter in it. if your oven has lights then keep the lights on and keep batter inside. you can even keep batter near a heater.

  13. Hi Dassana! Thank you for this recipe.
    Can I substitute the regular rice with brown sona massori rice? I want to know if I can use brown rice+parboiled/idly rice. Thanks!

  14. Superb recipe Dassana. The dosas were too good. I live in a place where the winter is currently harsh, the idea of adding poha worked. Thanks for sharing.

  15. Hi Ms.Dassana,
    Thanks for sharing the recipes…
    I tried your rava idli recipe and it was amazing my employers love it.
    Now I want to make this dosa. Should I keep the batter in fridge or at room temperature during fermentation process? I’m confused coz my employer told me that I keep inside the fridge and the urad dhal and rice don’t need to mix… I doubt in her suggestion coz she’s not that pro in cooking… I feel like she’s only guessing… the first time I followed her rava idli it did not turned well.unlike your recipe that I followed today..

    Sooooooo yummy.

    Thanks
    Jen

    1. welcome jen. for dosa batter to ferment, you have to keep it at room temperature. if you like in a hot or warm city, then the dosa batter will get fermented in 6 to 9 hours. but if the climate is cool or cold, then it takes more hours for the batter to ferment. once the batter is fermented, then you keep in the fridge. remove extra batter in a bowl and make dosas from it. remaining you keep covered in fridge. also both the urad dal batter and rice batter has to be mixed well.

  16. Hi!
    As u wrote Its possible to use raw rice, but here we have only Basmati rice from India (no Masuri or Parmal). is it possible ? I can get Jasmin rice from Thailand or what we call here “parsian rice”. which one is recommended ?

    thanks!4 stars

    1. welcome noam. don’t use jasmine rice. you can use basmati rice but try buying basmati rice which are not very long grains. this is not the best and recommended option but for your situation it is a good option.

  17. Hi and thanks for the detailed recipe!

    usually I’m (trying) to make the “restaurant style masala dosa” but now I saw this post, and the butter ingredients and steps is diff (rice types, soaking together etc).
    which recipe should I use ?4 stars

    1. Welcome Noam. You can use any dosa recipe. Both are good. The masala dosa recipe gives a more crisp texture in the dosa as compared to this plain dosa recipe.

  18. Hi daasna, i always try your recipes and come out well.
    But this time i am worried about fermentation because i stay in japan and whether is in between 20 to 25 degrees.
    What can i do to ensure perfect fermentation..
    Pls help4 stars

    1. hetal, i have the issue during winters here. so i keep the batter for a long time. at times i have kept the batter for even 20 hours. also if your oven has light, then you can keep the batter in the lighted oven. or keep the batter in a warm place like near a heater. also add a bit of sugar in cold temperatures as sugar helps in fermenting and avoid adding salt. salt is best added if living in warm or hot places, as then salt does not allow the batter to get fermented too much.

      1. Thanks Daasana… I added salt before so frementation didnt come that well but the dosa were really yummy…. This time i will add sugar and try…

        Thanks a lot5 stars

  19. hii mam, m big fan of ur blog…u r just amazing. i m having one confusion that whether idli batter can we use for dosa making also?5 stars

  20. Hi there!
    I have a question – the batter has fermented beautifully and has risen well, however, the surface has become dry. Should I skim that off or mix it into the rest of the batter really well?
    This is the second time I have tried this recipe. The first time it came out really well and my family loved the dosas! Thanks for sharing these wonderful recipes with us!5 stars

  21. My dosa batter turned out to be a little bitter, could it be because of the methre seeds? Can I skip them?
    Also, the mix got double in quantity but it was very thick …so I added water
    Can u tell me how can I ensure a good consistency Batter?
    I soaked the dal and rice mix for around 12hrs and let it ferment for around 10hrs as well. The temperature was 32 degrees for most part of the day and later dropped for the last 2 hrs to below 20 degrees…..4 stars

    1. the amount of methi seeds is very less and it will not contribute towards any bitterness in the batter. you can skip them also. i guess the bitterness is due to oversoaking. just 4 to 5 hours of soaking rice and dal is enough. too much soaking can ferment the water in which they are soaked. if the batter looks thick, then you can add water. grind the urad dal very well. if this is done well and the water is sufficient in the batter, then the consistency of the batter is also good.

  22. Hi Dassana. I have tried many recipes from your blog. Everytime it was successful. But this batter recipe didn’t workout. I accidentally added iodised salt and it has not fermented. Was this the reason for not fermenting it? My mom used baking soda and I want to avoid using it. If I used rock salt, would it help?

    1. sushma, iodized salt is not the main issue. could be that the urad dal was not ground well. or could be that the temperature is low. so next time keep for some more hours. rock salt always helps. so you can add it next time you make dosa batter.

  23. Can you freeze the fermented batter? Thanks so much for the recipe. I made it, and it came out perfectly, but I want to know if I can make a bigger batch to save.5 stars

    1. thanks zeenat for the positive review on dosa recipe. i have never freezed dosa batter. so i don’t know if the batter gives better dosas after freezing. you will need to give a try. usually i just refrigerate the batter for some days.

  24. hi daasana… can I use the regular rice only. I don’t have the other types.. ?? will that affect the quality of the dosa??
    and I have a traditional iron tawa, I make chapatti daily but i make cheelas also on that…. should I use this tawa or a non stick pan or an anodised pan?? I have all these three.

    1. you can use regular rice. with regular rice the dosa will have a crisp texture. taste will be slightly different as parboiled rice gives a different taste. iron tawa is best for making dosa. you can season it with some oil and keep it and then use it. just heat the tawa, spread oil. wipe it and then again spread another layer of oil. switch off the flame and then keep for a day or two or overnight. while making dosas, place the tawa on stove top. wipe the oil. when the tawa become hot, spread oil. wipe this layer. spread another layer and then start preparing dosas. you can also use a non stick or anodised pan, but i feel iron tawa gives a better texture in the dosa than using a non stick and anodised pan.

  25. I just love your blog so very much!

    I learned how to cook North Indian 15 years ago and then met a Southern Indian friend who’s teaching me her family recipes. So very different from the North! Both are very good.

    I showed her this site and she approved! Her only tip to me was to add 1/4 t of baking soda to help with fermentation.

    Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes 🙂5 stars

    1. thanks jenny. thats so nice of your friend to teach you south indian recipes. some folks do add baking soda both in idli as well as dosa batter. so it can be added. whenever the batter does not ferment well for me (especially during winters), thats the time i add baking soda. otherwise during summers, when the batter has fermented well, i do not add baking soda. hope this helps.

  26. Hi,pls post the recipes of masalas like pav bhaji,chole,rajma,every day subzi and dal masala.they all r available in market but honestly very poor quality and never satisfied after spending so much money.so my humble request to u to make it possible for all ur viewers.i m sure 80% of ur viewers will agree with request.
    Parul