Cubes N Juliennes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Easy Dosa Recipe (Dosa Batter with Oats)

    Published: Oct 12, 2023 || Last updated: Feb 21, 2024 by Farrukh Aziz

    1115 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Here's how you can make the best plain Dosa Recipe from scratch at home with my easy homemade dosa batter. A step by step guide to help you get crisp South Indian dosas with perfect flavor and texture everytime. I'm including all the tips and tricks from rice to dal ratio, to grinding, and fermenting the batter! Plus, you can make this one bowl dosa batter with or without oats!

    Close-up of south Indian plain dosa on brass plate.
    Table of Contents
    • About this Dosa Recipe
    • Why we love this dosa recipe?
    • Ingredients you will need
    • How to make dosa?
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQs
    • Serving suggestion
    • Storage & Freezing
    • You might also like
    • 📖 Recipe

    About this Dosa Recipe

    If you know about South Indian cuisine, then, the term "dosa (dosai)" may certainly not be unheard of. I'm sure!

    Dosa is a very popular breakfast from South India, served even as snack is now known by the rest of the world. This plain dosa (known as "sada dosa") is usually served with variety of chutneys and sambar in most South Indian restaurants.

    The process to make the batter and the dosa may seem to be a little tough task, but it's very easy to make at home. I can totally relate to this! I was in the same herd before moving to south couple of decades back.

    This dosa recipe need just a handful of ingredients that's probably available in most Indian household. The common ingredients that goes in are raw rice, urad dal, chana dal, oats (optional) and methi seeds, that's it!

    To make this recipe, first we need to soak rice, lentils, and fenugreek seeds for few hours. Then, the soaked rice lentil mixture is ground to a paste and fermented overnight until frothy with a little sour aroma and taste.

    The batter is then spread on a hot skillet or tawa to make thin crisp crepes until golden and crisp. As we proceed further, we shall get into the details of each step in process.

    Once you master this art, you would never want to grab those readymade packets of dosa batter from stores. And, it is so much fun to make our own crisp dosai at home.

    Why we love this dosa recipe?

    Tasty: These dosas are by far the most loved breakfast (or I should say meal) at my home. My family love to eat them any time of the day! Its super yummy, and healthy - you just can't resist hot crispy dosai!

    Easy: Yes! This dosa recipe is incredibly simple and easy to make. You just need to pay attention to few things which we will talk about in detail. No one gets the first attempt perfect, trust me on that! All you need is practice and in no time you will make it right each time.

    Versatile: Bonus - this dosa batter is very versatile! You can make plain, cheese, Schezwan or masala dosa, set dosa, uttapam and even paniyaram from the same batter.

    Healthy: These rice and lentil crepes are so healthy, gut friendly - light on stomach. And, they are naturally vegan, gluten free and nut-free.

    Make ahead batter: You can easily double or triple the measure to make a large batch. Then store the leftover batter in the fridge. You can quickly make fresh dosas whenever the hunger pangs strike. Or, when you're in mood to enjoy freshly made dosas.

    *For more delicious breakfast dishes, try these easy recipes:

    • Palak Moong Dal Chilla
    • Sabudana Vada
    • Matar Paratha
    • Banana Breakfast Smoothie
    Four plain dosa folded and served on a brass platter with tomato and coconut chutney in bowl on side.

    Ingredients you will need

    Raw Rice: I usually prefer to go with only idli rice or basmati rice + idli rice. Both of them gave me perfect results, always!

    Urad Dal: Use skinned whole or split black gram in this recipe. Makes the batter airy and creamy.

    Chana Dal: A must lentil to make dosa extra crispy. You can also use half chana dal (skinned bengal gram) and half toor dal (split pigeon peas) instead.

    Fenugreek Seeds: An essential ingredient! Helps in the process of fermentation and deepens the flavor. Don't worry, you won't taste the bitterness in the batter at all!

    Rolled or Instant Oats: This is absolutely optional thing to go with. But, yes oats does enhance the taste, the texture and the flavor of dosa. It's my family's request to add them all the time. Hence, sharing our favourite dosa recipe with you guys.

    Water: To soak and to grind.

    Oil: A good quality oil to cook the dosas and make it more crisp. You can also use ghee / butter (skip if you are vegan)- tastes rich and delicious. Skip it altogether to go oil-free.

    How to make dosa?

    Soaking rice and lentils

    1. To begin with, place raw rice, urad dal, chana dal, methi seeds in a large bowl. 

    Raw rice, split urad dal, chana dal, methi seeds added to a large bowl.

    2. Clean and rinse well 2-3 times and then drain the water.

    Water to the bowl with rice, lentils, and methi seeds for rinsing.

    3. Add enough fresh water, cover with lid and allow it to soak for 5-6 hours.

    Soaked Rice and lentils in large bowl for 6 hours.

    Making dosa batter

    4. Drain the water from the soaked rice lentil mixture. Place the soaked mixture to a high speed blender jar. 

    Soaked and drained rice lentil mixture added to a blender jar.

    5. Add rolled or instant oats along with ¾-1 cup of water to the jar. You may need to add more water if required, but, ensure to start with lesser capacity. 

    (a). You can add salt at this stage if you are living in a cooler climate. I live in a warm region, so I skip the salt at this point and add it after fermentation, just before making the dosas.

    (b). Secondly, you can either blend everything together at once or even in two batches if required. 

    (c). Please note that, when blending the mixture in two batches, the jar might get heated up. If so, then, wait for few minutes for the jar to cool down and then proceed with the second batch blending. The secret to avoid heating of batter or jar is to use cold water for grinding.

    Oats and water to the blender jar with soaked rice and lentil mixture.

    6. Blend to a smooth batter, it should be like a paste. Also, the batter should be of pouring consistency and not runny. 

    Blended rice lentil and oats in blender jar to make dosa batter.

    7. Now, transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl. Mix the batter for 2 minutes using a whisk or with your clean hand (preferable as warmth of the hand helps better fermentation).

    Transferred blended dosa batter to a large bowl.

    Fermenting dosa batter

    8. Now, cover the bowl and place it on a counter overnight (10-14 hours) to ferment. 

    (a). If you live in a warm region (temperature of the environment should be 26-27℃), just leave the batter over the counter to ferment. 

    (b). In cooler climate, the batter takes longer time to ferment (even up to 24 hours). For colder region, it is preferable to use either oven or instant pot to ferment the dosa batter.

    To ferment the batter in the oven: preheat the oven at 140℉ (60degrees C) for 10-15 minutes. Now, turn off the oven and place the dosa batter bowl or pot in it ensuring the oven light is on. 

    To ferment the batter in instant pot: place the batter in steel insert on the instant pot. Cover the pot with external lid (please do not use IP lid here) and switch on the IP. Press the yogurt button and set the timer to anywhere between 8-10 hours in summer or 14-15 hours in winters.

    Blended dosa batter added to the instant pot steel insert and kept for fermentation.

    9. Once the batter is well fermented, it will rise, increase in volume and will be frothy with air pockets on top.

    A well fermented dosa batter is ready after 10 hours of fermentation.

    10. As I live in warm region, at this stage I add salt and give a light stir to the batter, before making the dosas.

    Added non iodised pink salt to the fermented dosa batter.

    Making Dosa

    11. Heat a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottom non-stick flat griddle( dosa tawa) on medium high heat. 

    (a). If using cast iron skillet, once its hot, grease the pan with little oil using a slice of onion. Sprinkle some water, the skillet with sizzle and water droplets will evaporate.

    (b). For non-stick dosa tawa, do not use oil for greasing as it will prevent the batter from spreading evenly.

    Water splashed sizzling in hot cat iron dosa tawa.

    12. Now, reduce the heat to medium low and pour a ladleful of dosa batter at the centre of the hot skillet or tawa. Immediately, after pouring the batter, quickly spread the batter in a circular continuous motion (clockwise direction) to form thin dosa. Ideally, once you start, you should stop only when you get a uniform thin crepe for the required size.

    four step collage showing pouring and spreading of a ladle full dosa batter on hot griddle.

    13. Then, increase the heat to high, drizzle or brush few drops of oil (or ghee or butter)on the top of the dosa at the center and the edges.

    Brushed some oil on dosa that's cooking on hot griddle.

    14. Cook the dosa until bottom is golden, crisp and edges begin to leave the pan. Though only one side needs to be cooked, you can flip the dosa to cook for few seconds on the the other side.

    A perfectly cooked dosa leaving the edges of the griddle.

    15. Fold or roll out and take it off the pan. You should be delighted to see your crispy, yummy and healthy crepes. Serve this crispy plain dosa with coconut chutney / onion tomato chutney and sambar.

    A folded crispy sada dosa ready to be served.

    16. Be sure to reduce the heat to medium low before making the next dosai. Repeat the process to make all dosa in the same way.

    Expert Tips

    Dal: Use urad dal that's freshly packed or within the expiry date. Also, do add chana dal to the batter for crispier dosas.

    Vessel or pot: Use a large vessel or pot to ferment idli or dosa batter. The vessel should be of double the volume to provide enough room for the batter to rise.

    Fermentation: Ensure that the batter is not left out on the counter at room temperature for very long time. Or, it may turn too sour and smell very bad which indicates the batter is over fermented.

    Batter: The batter consistency should be like a ribbon when poured. It should not be runny. When rubbed between two fingers, it should be smooth with a very slight grainy texture. If your dosa batter is too thin, consider adding few small spoons of rice flour before fermentation to reach required consistency.

    Heat: It is important to make sure that cast iron skillet or dosa tawa is heated well before pouring the batter. Sprinkle some water, the skillet with sizzle and water droplets will evaporate. If the pan is too hot, you need to reduce the heat to low to cool it down a bit. Too hot pan prevents the batter from spreading properly.

    FAQs

    What kind of rice is best use?

    Raw rice with medium or short grain rice is good to make dosas. I like to use idli rice. You may need to experiment to see what kind of rice works well for you.

    Please note that you can also use just regular white rice like sona masuri, basmati, or a mix of any of these with idli rice or parboiled rice.

    What is the right ratio of dal to rice for dosa recipe?

    For this recipe, I use ratio of 1:4, that is 1 cup urad dal and 4 cups rice. And, ¼ cup chana dal also goes in. This ratio has consistently given the best results, without fail.

    Some people go with 1:3 ratio, that is 1 cup ural dal and 3 cups rice, but for me 1:4 ratio is the winner always. Try and see what ratio works well for you.

    When to add salt, before or after fermentation?

    In warm countries or tropical climate, add salt after fermentation. So, I always add salt after fermentation, just before making dosa.
    In cold countries, add salt before as it helps in quick fermentation.

    Further, use non-iodized salt only, preferably rock salt, pink salt or sea salt. Avoid using iodized (regular salt) as it may interfere with the fermentation process.

    How long does it take for batter to ferment?

    Temperature conditions plays an important role in fermentation process and time. Fermentation time may differ depending upon the region (tropical climate or cold) you live.

    For a warm climate it takes anywhere between 8-12 hours, whereas for cold climate fermentation may take up to 24 hours on the counter. You can ferment the dosa batter in the oven or in the instant pot for 8-10 hours in summers and 12-14 hours in winters.

    How to know if the batter has fermented properly?

    A well fermented dosa batter will rise and increase double or triple in volume with frothy, tiny air bubbles on top. You can also check by dropping a small spoonful of fermented batter in a bowl of water, it should float and not sink.

    Serving suggestion

    These rice lentil crepes (plain dosa) tastes just delicious with coconut chutney, peanut chutney or onion tomato chutney and piping hot bowl of sambar!

    We also love to serve the dosa with chicken curry, Kerala egg curry, tomato chutney, dosakkai chutney, Kerala coconut chutney, prawns ghee roast, egg roast and so much more!

    Storage & Freezing

    Store: Store the leftover dosa batter in a clean air tight container. It keeps well up to a week.

    Freeze: This dosa batter freezes really well. Transfer the batter to a ziplock or clean container (I would recommend in portions) and freeze up to three months. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter for few hours before making dosas.

    You might also like

    • Rava Upma served in small black bowl with spoon along side.
      Upma Recipe - How To Make Rava Upma
    • Semiya upma or vegetable vermicelli upma in wooden bowl, spoons and chutney at the back.
      Semiya Upma (Vermicelli Upma) - Stove top + Instant Pot Recipe
    • Close up shot of onion poha on a green plate and in bowl at the back, tea in glass on the side.
      Kanda Poha - How To Make Poha Recipe
    • Sabudana khichdi served in wooden bowl, kid's hand holding spoon kept into it.
      Perfect Non Sticky Sabudana Khichdi

    If you made this recipe for my homemade dosa batter (with oats) and plain dosa, then please be sure to rate and review it below!

    If you'd like more deliciously easy recipe inspiration, follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or YouTube. You can also get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter.

    📖 Recipe

    four plain dosa folded and served on a brass platter with coconut chutney in bowl on side.
    4.67 from 6 votes
    Print

    Easy Dosa Recipe

    Make the best Dosa Recipe from scratch at home with my easy homemade dosa batter. A step by step guide to help you get crispy South Indian dosas with perfect flavor and texture everytime.
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Indian
    Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time 6 hours hours
    Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
    Fermentation Time 12 hours hours
    Total Time 18 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings 25
    Calories 119kcal
    Author Farrukh Aziz

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups Rice (idli rice/basmati rice/sona masuri/ponni)
    • ½ cup Urad Dal (husked split or whole black gram)
    • 2 tablespoons Chana Dal (bengal gram)
    • 2 teaspoons Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds)
    • 1 cup Oats (rolled or instant)
    • Water (to soak and to grind - as needed)
    • Oil (as needed)
    • ¾-1 teaspoon Pink Salt or Rock Salt or Sea Salt (or to taste)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Soaking rice and lentils

    • To begin with, place raw rice, urad dal, chana dal, methi seeds in a large bowl.
    • Clean and rinse well 2-3 times and then drain the water.
    • Add enough fresh water, cover with lid and allow it to soak for 5-6 hours.

    Making dosa batter

    • Drain the water from the soaked rice lentil mixture. Place the soaked mixture to a high speed blender jar.
    • Add rolled or instant oats along with ¾-1 cup of water to the jar. You may need to add more water if required, but, ensure to start with lesser capacity.
      (a). You can add salt (non-iodized) at this stage if you are living in a cooler region. I live in a warm region, so I skip the salt at this point and add it after fermentation just before making the dosas.
      (b). Secondly, you can either blend everything together at once or even in two batches if required.
      (c). Please note that, when blending the mixture in two batches, the jar might get heated up. If so, then, wait for few minutes for the jar to cool down and then proceed with the second batch blending. The secret to avoid heating of batter or jar is to use cold water for grinding.
    • Blend to a smooth batter, it should be like a paste. Also, the batter should be of pouring consistency and not runny.
    • Now, transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl. Mix the batter for 2 minutes using a whisk or with your clean hand (preferable as warmth of the hand helps better fermentation).

    Fermenting dosa batter

    • Now, cover the bowl and place it on a counter overnight (10-14 hours) to ferment.
      (a). Temperature conditions plays an important role in fermentation process and time. If you live in a warm region (temperature of the environment should be 26-27℃), just leave the batter over the counter to ferment.
      (b). In cooler climate, the batter takes longer time to ferment (even up to 24 hours). For colder region, it is preferable to use either oven or instant pot to ferment the dosa batter.
      To ferment the batter in the oven: preheat the oven at 140℉ for 10-15 minutes. Now, turn off the oven and place the dosa batter bowl or pot ensuring the oven light is on.
      To ferment the batter in instant pot: place the batter in steel insert on the instant pot. Cover the pot with external lid (please do not use IP lid here) and switch on the IP. Press the yogurt button and set the timer to anywhere between 8-10 hours in summer or 14-15 hours in winters.
    • Once the batter is well fermented, it will rise, increase in volume and will be frothy with air pockets on top. As I live in warm region, at this stage I add salt and give a light stir to the batter, before making the dosas.

    Making Dosa

    • Heat a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottom non-stick flat griddle( dosa tawa) on medium high heat.
      (a). If using cast iron skillet, once its hot, grease the pan with little oil using a slice of onion. Sprinkle some water, the skillet with sizzle and water droplets will evaporate.
      (b). For non-stick dosa tawa, do not use oil for greasing as it will prevent the batter from spreading evenly.
    • Now, reduce the heat to medium low and pour a ladleful of dosa batter at the centre of the hot skillet or tawa. Immediately, after pouring the batter, quickly spread the batter in a circular continuous motion (clockwise direction) to form thin dosa. Ideally, once you start, you should stop only when you get a uniform thin crepe for the required size.
    • Increase the heat to high, drizzle or brush few drops of oil (or ghee or butter)on the top of the dosa at the center and the edges. Cook the dosa until bottom is golden, crips and edges begin to leave the pan.
    • Though only one side needs to be cooked, you can flip the dosa to cook for few seconds on the other side and then flip it back. Roll out or fold and take it off the pan.
    • You should be delighted to see your crispy, yummy and healthy crepes. Serve this crispy plain dosa with coconut chutney / onion tomato chutney and sambar.
    • Be sure to reduce the heat to medium low before making the next dosai. Repeat the process to make all dosa in the same way.

    Notes

    Dal: Use urad dal that's freshly packed or within the expiry date. Also, do add chana dal to the batter for crispier dosas.
    Vessel or pot: Use a large vessel or pot to ferment idli or dosa batter. The vessel should be of double the volume to provide enough room for the batter to rise.
    Fermentation: Ensure that the batter is not left out on the counter at room temperature for very long time. Or, it may turn too sour and smell very bad which indicates the batter is over fermented.
    Batter: The batter consistency should be like a ribbon when poured. It should not be runny. When rubbed between two fingers, it should be smooth with a very slight grainy texture. If your dosa batter is too thin, consider adding few spoons of rice flour before fermentation to reach required consistency.
    Heat: It is important to make sure that cast iron skillet or dosa tawa is heated well before pouring the batter. Sprinkle some water, the skillet with sizzle and water droplets will evaporate. If the pan is too hot, you need to reduce the heat to low to cool it down a bit. Too hot pan prevents the batter from spreading properly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @cubesnjuliennes on Instagram and hashtag it #cubesnjuliennes!

    More Easy Breakfast Recipes

    • Top down view of a dozen cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches laying all different directions on a large gray plate.
      Cucumber Sandwiches
    • Two hands holding a prepared berry acai bowl, topped with slices of bananas, granola, fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and chia seeds.
      Acai Bowl Recipe
    • Baked Tomatoes with parmesan and mozzarella cheese on lined baking sheet pan.
      Baked Tomatoes
    • two glasses of green detox smoothie
      Green Detox Smoothie

    Comments

      4.67 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Areesha Arif Khan says

      July 27, 2024 at 5:46 am

      Hello.. asak.. plz tell is there any substitute for oats or I can skip ??

      Reply
      • Farrukh Aziz says

        July 30, 2024 at 1:04 am

        Wasslam,
        You can absolutely skip oats and proceed with rest of the things.

        Regards.

        Reply
    2. Jyothi Rajesh says

      February 14, 2016 at 5:55 am

      I always find hard to style dosa, look at you. You make it look so gorgeous Farrukh.. Simply gorgeous

      Reply
    3. Sankar says

      February 13, 2015 at 4:24 am

      Hi Madam,
      Can you please let us know amount of calories in each dosa?

      Reply
    4. Madhumita Dutta says

      July 14, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      Do oats need to be grinded?

      Reply
    5. Dimple Shaikh says

      February 19, 2014 at 11:44 am

      Ok. Thanks. The mixer here are not sturdy.....had to give up with two....idle ke chakkar mein. So using pwd rice n dal mix. that's y thought of using besan. Nyways will use chana dal. Thanks again

      Reply
    6. Farrukh Aziz says

      February 17, 2014 at 5:19 pm

      Hi Dimple. Glad to know and thanks for sharing. I am afraid but besan cannot be replaced by chana dal

      Reply
    7. Dimple Shaikh says

      February 15, 2014 at 5:17 pm

      Hi farrukh, Tried the dosa, was a super hit. Wanted to know if chana dal can be replaced by besan

      Reply
    8. Shema George says

      August 26, 2013 at 9:26 pm

      Looks perfect..will try it out

      Reply
    9. Shazia Wahid says

      August 25, 2013 at 10:22 pm

      Perfect shape and crispiness Farrukh!!

      Reply
    10. Shobha says

      August 25, 2013 at 9:15 pm

      Dosa looks so inviting ... perfect colour and crisp.Will try out your recipe Farrukh 🙂

      Reply

    Hey there, I'm Farrukh !

    Closeup Portrait of Farrukh Aziz - Author of Cubes N Juliennes.

    Welcome, I am glad you're here! At Cubes N Juliennes, you'll learn simplified, flavorful, and family-friendly dinner ideas. I aim to create easy, globally inspired, and approachable recipes for all home cooks to make every meal special. Come, say Hi, pick your favorite, and let's celebrate food together!

    More about me ➤

    Readers Favourite Recipes

    • Authentic Greek Tzatziki sauce served in blue bowl with some pita chips on the side.
      Greek Tzatziki Sauce (Video)
    • Authentic Mexican Rice topped with avocados served in grey ceramic bowl with spoon into it.
      How To Make Mexican Rice (Video)
    • close up shot of homemade guacamole dip and yellow tortilla chips
      Best Guacamole Recipe
    • Overhead shot of shaved brussels sprouts salad in a white oblong serving dish on a white tabletop with a white linen and a silver spoon
      Chicken and Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
    • Pile of vegetable spring rolls on a white plate garnished with green onions
      Vegetarian Spring Rolls
    • Healthy onion cucumber tomato salad in wooden bowl with fork in it.
      Onion Cucumber Tomato Salad

    Most Popular Recipes

    Best Tandoori Chicken
    Spicy Chicken Fry
    South Indian Rava Upma
    Best Prawn Biryani (Dum Style)
    Mutton Keema Samosa
    Crispy Bread Rolls

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About Farrukh

    Media mentions

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Policy

    Lets Connect

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    Sign Up for updates !

    Contact

    Contact me !

    Banner displaying popular websites like Parade.com, Delish.com, sheknows, buzzfeed, yahoo and saveur that has features content from Cubes N Juliennes.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.