Content

• Ingredients
• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Making the dough
• Part 2 of 4: Preparing to Cook
• Part 3 of 4: Making the Dosai
• Part 4 of 4: Serving the Dosai
• Tips
• Warnings

Dosa (dosai) - very thin pancakes, usually made from rice and urda (colloquially black mung bean or simply lentils). A popular dish among the peoples of South India, the pancakes are very thin and crunchy with a bready flavor. Dosai can be made small for one person, or large for a group of people. Dosai is a good source of protein and is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients

• 2 cups washed rice (1 cup medium grain rice and 1 cup parboiled rice is recommended)
• 1/2 cup washed urda (black lentils)
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (5-7 seeds)
• filtered water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Making the dough

1. 1 Soak rice. After rinsing the rice, place it in a large bowl and cover with water. Ideally, the water should cover the rice by 5 cm. Let the rice soak for 6 hours.
2. 2 Soak urd and fenugreek. After rinsing the urda, place it in a large bowl of water and soak it along with the fenugreek. The water should cover them by 5 cm. Leave to soak for 6 hours.
3. 3 Chop urd and fenugreek. A wet grinder is best for this, but a food processor and blender can also be used. Place a handful of urda and fenugreek in the grinder.
   • If it seems to you that the mixture is dry, add a little water in which they were soaked.
   • The mixture should be fluffy and creamy.
   • The grinding process will take approximately 15 minutes.
   • When finished, transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
4. 4 Grind the rice. You don't need to wash your coffee grinder after urda and fenugreek. Add all the rice and one cup of the water it was soaked in and blend for 20 minutes, until the mixture is smooth but grainy.
5. 5 Mix rice dough with urd. Place the rice dough in a bowl of urd and fenugreek mixture, add salt and combine all ingredients with clean hands. Cover with a cloth or lid, but not airtight.
   • Make sure the lid is not closed tightly. Air is needed for the fermentation process.
6. 6 Let the dough ferment. Now your mixture needs to stay warm for 8-10 hours.
   • Optimum fermentation temperature (27 - 32 degrees C).
   • Leave the dough on the table or in a warm room if you live in a warm climate.
   • If you don't have a place with the right temperature, put the dough in the oven and turn on the light. The light will provide enough heat for fermentation, but will not start the cooking process.
7. 7 Check the dough. Check the dough after 8-10 hours. It should have a foamy appearance and will double in size. If this is not the case, it may take a little longer. If the dough is too thick, add a little water.
8. 8 Store the dough in the refrigerator until you start cooking. Ideally, cook as soon as the dough comes up. If you plan to cook after a while, put the dough in the refrigerator.

Part 2 of 4: Preparing to Cook

1. 1 The dough should be at room temperature. If your dough has been stored in the refrigerator, then it must be taken out and left at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Dosai are best made from dough at room temperature.
2. 2 Heat your cookware on the stovetop. You will need to reheat the cookware over medium heat for 10 minutes. The best crockery is a regular iron skillet or a flat pancake skillet.
3. 3 Season your dish. It is best to prepare the pan and add spices at the same time - add a couple of drops of oil to the cut onion and rub the pan with it. The amount of oil may vary depending on the size of your pan, but a couple of drops should be sufficient.
4. 4 Determine what size your dosai should be. The size will be determined by the diameter of your pan. Dosai can be small - for one serving, as well as large - for a company of several people. If you plan on doing large dosai you need to double the amount of dough for each one.

Part 3 of 4: Making the Dosai

1. 1 Pour the dough into the skillet. Scoop ¼ cups of dough with a ladle and pour into the skillet. Pour the dough in the center and spread in a circular motion over the entire surface of the pan, to the brim. You don't have to make a lot of bucket movements.
2. 2 Leave the dough to bake. Cook until the underside is lightly browned and the top is hard. You will see how bubbles appear and burst in the dough, leaving small holes.
3. 3 Flip the dosai if desired. This step is not necessary as the dough is very thin and has time to bake, but if you want crispy dosai, turn it over and bake for another 40 seconds.
4. 4 Remove the dosai from the pan. When removing the dosai, be sure to use a spatula that will not damage the surface of the pan. Be careful not to break the dosai (this will affect the aesthetic side, the taste will still be great).
5. 5 Roll the dosai while it is still hot. Dosai is served folded in half or rolled. This must be done immediately to avoid cracking.
6. 6 Repeat the process. Continue baking the dosai until you run out of dough. You will need to wrap each one as soon as it is ready.But if you want to wait and wrap them all up after cooking, put them on a plate and place them in the oven “warm” or cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.

Part 4 of 4: Serving the Dosai

1. 1 Serve with a variety of chutneys. Dosai is traditionally served with coconut and sambara chutney. Tomato and cilantro chutney is also a great option. At least 2 types of chutneys are preferred.
2. 2 Try other gravy options. Although dosai is an Indian food, it is not necessary to serve dosai with chutney. Try a gravy with hummus, spinach, or even guacamole for a little mix of Mexican and Indian cuisine!
3. 3 Serve the dosai fresh and warm. These delicate pancakes are best eaten fresh, so make sure to set aside time to eat right after you cook them.
4. 4 Freeze dosai as needed. If you have any dosai left, you can freeze them. They can be reheated in a skillet. It is better to freeze them flat than rolled.
   • Remember that the texture can change during the freezing and thawing process.

Tips

• Use high quality rice to make the best dosai. A mixture of masuri rice and idli is good.
• Dosai can be served with a filling. You can fill them with mashed potatoes with grainy mustard and fried onions, and serve with coconut chutney.

Warnings

• Dosai contain a large amount of the glycemic index and should be avoided by diabetics.