My Mom's Dosa Recipe and VG's NEW Look! (2024)

5 from 3 votes

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• ½ cup urad dal , black lentils, skinned and split
• ¼ cup green split lentils , green split moong dal
• 1 cup water
• salt
• cooking oil
• Lemony Potato Masala , optional
• Cilantro Peanut Chutney , optional

Optional Add-ins:

• shredded carrots and zucchini or yellow squash , for kids version
• cilantro, onions, green jalapenos , finely chopped

To Make the Dosa Batter:

• Combine the long-grain white rice, skinned and split urad dal, and green split lentils in a mixing bowl. Rinse them with water a few times, and soak them in enough water for at least 4 hours (I typically soak overnight if I remember).

• After soaking, drain the lentils and rice and blend along with 1 cup of water (I use my vitamix, but any blender will work just fine). Blend until mostly smooth but keep the batter a little grainy to give some extra texture when making the Dosa (if in doubt, you can just blend until completely smooth to be safe. Both ways will taste great as long as you don’t have large pieces of rice and lentils still remaining in the batter).

• You should have a medium-thick batter that is pour-able. If you feel your batter is too thick, add a little more water.

• Transfer the batter into a deep bowl, add enough salt to taste (a good amount), and mix well.

• At this point, most people will cover the batter and leave it at room temperature covered for 4-6 hours to allow it to ferment, but you can skip this step if you don't have time or care for the fermentation flavor. If you decide to ferment the batter, taste again for salt after it’s done.

• You now have the basic Dosa batter made. The key to making a good Dosa is working fast, having the right non-stick pan, and temperature control, otherwise your Dosa will stick to the pan. Read through the entire directions before starting.

To Make a Basic Plain Dosa (also see video in post):

• Pre-heat your large non-stick pan on medium heat. Once your pan is pre-heated, sprinkle a little water on the heated pan and quickly wipe it off gently using a paper napkin (this step is very important).

• Using a large spoon or ladle (make sure it’s something easy to work with), pour a spoonful or two (more or less depending on the size of your spoon and pan) of the batter in the center of the pan. When you pour the batter on the pan, it should sizzle a little. But if the batter starts to bubble up quickly, the pan is too hot and it will be difficult to spread the batter out into a thin circle.

• Using the bottom of the ladle, work very quickly and spread the batter outwards in a circular motion, starting from the center and working your way out to make a thin round dosa.

• Drizzle a little cooking oil over the top and edges and a tiny bit in the middle of the dosa batter.

• Cook on medium heat until the Dosa starts to brown and outer edges begin to look dry (about 2 minutes).

• Using a spatula, carefully loosen the dosa from the pan, flip it over, and cook for an additional 1 minute. The bottom cooked part of the dosa (now facing up) should be nicely browned and crisp.

• Fold the Dosa over, remove from the pan, and serve with your favorite chutney (such as the Cilantro Peanut Chutney ) and/or masala potatoes.

• Repeat with the remaining batter to make 10-12 Dosas. Be sure to wipe the pan down quickly with a wet napkin in between each Dosa to control the temperature.

• You can store any remaining batter the freezer and simply place it in the fridge 24 hours to defrost prior to using. Thin with water if necessary.

• Here are several options on different types of Dosa you can make once you have your batter. Variations to this traditional Basic Plain Dosa recipe are outlined below.

Variations of Dosa:

• For Kids - Mix in some finely shredded carrots, zucchini, and/or yellow squash into the batter prior to making the Dosa. Depending on how many veggies you add in, you may need to spread the Dosa slightly thicker.

• Masala Dosa - Once the Dosa is made, add a spoonful of Lemony Potato Masala to the center strip of the Dosa and then fold over and serve with Cilantro Peanut Chutney .

• Utapam - Once you pour the batter onto the middle of the pan, make a slightly thicker Dosa. Immediately sprinkle some finely chopped onions, cilantro, corn, tomatoes, and/or fresh jalapenos on top before the Dosa starts to cook so that it will stick to the spread Dosa batter. Then continue to follow the instructions as indicated above.

Making Dosa - If this is your first time making Dosa, you may have a few trial and errors before you perfect the process, but I promise it’s VERY simple once you get it, and super easy to make!

• Start off by making a small Dosa and work your way up.
• This recipe is very simple and basic, but I’ve tried to be as detailed as possible in the directions above on troubleshooting and how to create the perfect Dosa.
• The key is to work fast after you pour the batter, get a handle on pan temperature control, and dont' worry if you don't get it right on your first try!
• Don't forget to check out my Dosa video embedded in the post above for reference.

Fermenting - If you are planning to ferment the Dosa batter, I recommend making it ahead of time.

Make-Ahead Tip - Make the batter ahead of time and store in fridge for up to 1 week! You can also freeze leftover batter and simply defrost in fridge 24 hours prior to using.

Nutritional Information - Correlates to a Basic Plain Dosa.