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!
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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:
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.
2. Clean and rinse well 2-3 times and then drain the water.
3. Add enough fresh water, cover with lid and allow it to soak for 5-6 hours.
Making dosa batter
4. Drain the water from the soaked rice lentil mixture. Place the soaked mixture to a high speed blender jar.
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.
6. Blend to a smooth batter, it should be like a paste. Also, the batter should be of pouring consistency and not runny.
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).
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.
9. Once the batter is well fermented, it will rise, increase in volume and will be frothy with air pockets on top.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Dosa Recipe
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)
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.
Jyothi Rajesh
I always find hard to style dosa, look at you. You make it look so gorgeous Farrukh.. Simply gorgeous
Sankar
Hi Madam,
Can you please let us know amount of calories in each dosa?
Madhumita Dutta
Do oats need to be grinded?
Dimple Shaikh
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
Farrukh Aziz
Hi Dimple. Glad to know and thanks for sharing. I am afraid but besan cannot be replaced by chana dal
Dimple Shaikh
Hi farrukh, Tried the dosa, was a super hit. Wanted to know if chana dal can be replaced by besan
Shema George
Looks perfect..will try it out
Shazia Wahid
Perfect shape and crispiness Farrukh!!
Shobha
Dosa looks so inviting ... perfect colour and crisp.Will try out your recipe Farrukh 🙂