paper dosa recipe with step by step photos. crisp and tasty paper dosa served with coconut chutney and potato masala is a foodie’s delight. this recipe gives you light, crisp papery dosa similar to the one we get in restaurants. addition of chana dal, rava (sooji) helps in giving a crisp texture to the dosa.

this restaurant style paper dosa can be served with coconut chutney and sambar. if you have time then you can also make the potato bhaji and make paper masala dosa.

the best part of this recipe is that you don’t need to use parboiled rice or idli rice. you can easily use any rice varieties like sona masuri, gobindbhog, kolam, surti kolam, parmal etc.

this paper dosa recipe is similar to the ghee roast dosa recipe i had shared earlier. to make regular crisp dosas you can check this recipe – masala dosa recipe.

for more tasty dosa varieties, please check the following recipes:

• oats dosa
• rava dosa
• wheat dosa
• set dosa
• ragi dosa

serve paper dosa as soon as they are made. you can have dosas for breakfast, brunch or lunch. at times we even have dinner with dosas.

a few suggestions for making paper dosa

• while making paper dosa, one important tip is to maintain the temperature of the tawa. if the tawa is even slightly hot, you won’t be able to spread the batter. if the tawa is not hot, the dosa will not become crisp. thus while cooking, you need to maintain a medium temperature in the tawa. so do regulate the flame while cooking dosa.
• do use a well seasoned tawa. by seasoned, i mean a tawa which is only used for making dosas. you can use either non stick tawa or cast iron tawa.
• paper dosas can be served folded or made into a cone dosa or topi dosa. if using a cast iron pan, then you can make the cone dosas, as you need to cut the dosa and then fold in a cone. if using a non stick pan, then avoid doing this.

paper dosa recipe

4.5 from 10 votes

Prep Time:9 hrs

Cook Time:20 mins

Total Time:9 hrs 20 mins

tasty paper dosa served with coconut chutney and potato masala is a foodie's delight. this paper dosa recipe gives you light, crisp papery dosa similar to the one we get in restaurants. 

Course:breakfasts,snacks

Cuisine:south indian

Servings:4

Author:Dassana Amit

INGREDIENTS FOR paper dosa recipe

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

• 1.5 cups regular rice, 325 grams
• ½ cup urad dal, 125 grams
• ¼ cup thick poha (flattened rice), 20 grams
• 1 tablespoon chana dal (husked and split bengal gram)
• ¼ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
• 1 cup water for soaking rice
• 1 cup water for soaking urad dal
• ¼ cup water for grinding urad dal
• ½ cup water for grinding rice
• 3 tablespoons fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat)
• 1 teaspoon rock salt or sea salt or regular salt or add as required

HOW TO MAKE paper dosa recipe

soaking lentils and rice for paper dosa

• firstly take 1.5 cups regular rice (325 grams).
• rinse a couple of times and then soak in 1 cup water.
• take ½ cup urad dal (125 grams), 1 tablespoon chana dal and ¼ teaspoon methi seeds in another bowl.
• rinse a couple of times and then soak in 1 cup water for 4 to 5 hours.
• take ¼ cup thick poha (20 grams) in a small bowl.
• rinse poha once or twice with water.
• then add the rinsed poha in the rice bowl. mix. then cover and soak for 4 to 5 hours.

making paper dosa batter

• after 4 to 5 hours, add the lentils along with the soaked water in the grinder jar. also add ¼ cup of fresh water.
• grind the urad dal, chana dal and methi seeds till you get a batter which is light and fluffy. the urad dal has to be ground really well, so that the batter ferments well.
• remove the batter in a large bowl or pan.
• strain the rice well and drain the water. then in the same grinder, add the soaked rice and ½ cup fresh water. you can grind rice in one batch or in two batches. this will depend on the size of the grinder jar. i ground in one batch and added ½ cup water for grinding.
• grind rice to a fine grainy consistency like that of idli rava.
• now pour the rice+poha batter in the same pan or bowl containing the urad dal batter.
• add 3 tablespoons rava and 1 teaspoon rock salt or sea salt or regular salt.
• mix the salt very well with the batter. also mix both the batters very well. cover and keep aside to ferment for 8 to 9 hours. you can keep for less or more time and this will depend on the temperature conditions in your city.

making paper dosa

• now lightly stir the batter, before you begin to make dosa. you will also see tiny air pockets in the batter.
• now heat a thick bottomed cast iron griddle or non stick pan. the pan should be medium hot. you can keep the flame to a low or medium while making paper dosas. if using an iron pan, then spread ¼ to ½ tsp oil/ghee all over the pan. use a silicon brush or spoon or kitchen towel or onion halve to spread the oil/ghee. do not spread oil/ghee on a non stick pan. 
• do keep the flame on low to low-medium flame, so that you are easily able to spread the batter. if the pan base is very thick, then keep the flame to medium. pour a ladle of the batter in the center.
• with the ladle gently begin to spread the batter in round circles. if the pan is very hot, you won't be able to spread the batter in a round circle. 
• spread the batter to a neat, round shaped thin dosa.
• on a low to medium flame, begin to cook the paper dosa.
• let the top side get cooked.
• then with a spoon drizzle and spread some oil on the dosa. you can add less or more oil as per your requirements.
• keep cooking till you see the base becoming golden. the more the base becomes golden, the paper dosa becomes more crisp.
• now with a spatula fold the crisp paper dosa.
• serve paper dosa with coconut chutney and sambar. same way make paper dosas with the remaining batter. leftover batter can be refrigerated and stays good for 2 to 3 days.

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how to make paper dosa recipe

soaking rice and lentils

1. firstly take 1.5 cups regular rice (325 grams).

2. rinse a couple of times and then soak in 1 cup water.

3. take ½ cup urad dal (125 grams), 1 tablespoon chana dal and ¼ teaspoon methi seeds in another bowl.

4. rinse a couple of times and then soak in 1 cup water for 4 to 5 hours.

5. take ¼ cup thick poha (20 grams) in a small bowl.

6. rinse poha once or twice with water.

7. then add the rinsed poha in the rice bowl. mix. then cover and soak for 4 to 5 hours.

making paper dosa batter

8. after 4 to 5 hours, add the lentils along with the soaked water in the grinder jar. also add ¼ cup of fresh water.

9. grind the urad dal, chana dal and methi seeds till you get a batter which is light and fluffy. the urad dal has to be ground really well, so that the batter ferments well.

10. remove the batter in a large bowl or pan.

11. strain the rice well and drain the water. then in the same grinder, add the soaked rice and ½ cup fresh water. you can grind rice in one batch or in two batches. this will depend on the size of the grinder jar. i ground in one batch and added ½ cup water for grinding.

12. grind rice to a fine grainy consistency like that of idli rava.

13. now pour the rice+poha batter in the same pan or bowl containing the urad dal batter.

14. add 3 tablespoons rava.

15. then add 1 teaspoon rock salt or sea salt or regular salt.

16. mix the salt very well with the batter. also mix both the batters very well. cover and keep aside to ferment for 8 to 9 hours. you can keep for less or more time and this will depend on the temperature conditions in your city.

17. the batter the next day. i kept for about 15 hours as it is cold during monsoons here.

18. now lightly stir the batter, before you begin to make dosa. you will also see tiny air pockets in the batter.

making paper dosa

19. now heat a thick bottomed cast iron griddle or non stick pan. the pan should be medium hot. you can keep the flame to a low or medium while making paper dosas. if using an iron pan, then spread ¼ to ½ tsp oil/ghee all over the pan. use a silicon brush or spoon or kitchen towel or onion halve to spread the oil/ghee. do not spread oil/ghee on a non stick pan. do keep the flame on low to low-medium flame, so that you are easily able to spread the batter. if the pan base is very thick, then keep the flame to medium. pour a ladle of the batter in the center.

20. with the ladle gently begin to spread the batter in round circles. if the pan is very hot, you won’t be able to spread the batter in a round circle. so for a nonstick pan, just lift the pan from the flame and keep outside for some seconds or half a minute. then again place it on the fire. for a iron griddle, you can sprinkle some water on the pan. this reduces the temperature of the cast iron griddle. please do not sprinkle water on non stick pan. the non stick coating can wear off.

21. spread the batter to a neat, round shaped thin dosa.

22. on a low to medium flame, begin to cook the paper dosa.

23. let the top side get cooked.

24. then with a spoon drizzle and spread some oil on the dosa. you can add less or more oil as per your requirements.

25. keep cooking till you see the base becoming golden. the more the base becomes golden, the paper dosa becomes more crisp.

26. now with a spatula fold the crisp paper dosa.

27. serve paper dosa with coconut chutney and sambar. same way make paper dosa with the remaining batter. leftover batter can be refrigerated and stays good for 2 to 3 days.