Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Masala Dosa

Masala Dosa with Coconut chutney and a cup of sambhar
Masala dosa with coconut chutney and a cup of shallot and carrot sambhar

How can anyone not like dosas? Just one bite, that’s all it takes to fall in love with them. They are such a knockout mini meal any time of the day. I often dream of starting my own franchise here, 🙂 to cater freshly cooked dosas with all kinds of filling inside them. There is one already in New York, New Jersey area, called ‘Dosa Express’, which boasts about 50 different types of dosas – all kinds, from just plain dosa to dosas with variety of fillings, like cheese-potato curry combo etc.,

But if you ask me, nothing can beat the old classic, ‘Masala Dosa’. Crisp dosas filled with spicy powders, onion-red chilli paste and potato curry, if that’s not enough they are served with coconut chutney and a cup of sambhar. Can’t stand on your feet kind of knockout combo. Preparing this type of restaurant dosa at home is really easy, only thing you need is time and some planning.

Recipe:

A thick bottomed, flat, seasoned cast-iron pan
1 cup of rice
½ cup urad dal

Wash and soak rice and dal together in 2 to 3 cups of water for at least 6 hours. Drain and grind them in a blender or wet grinder into a smooth batter. Add little water in-between for smooth grinding, if necessary. The consistency of batter must be like that of evaporated milk (commercial kind). Not too watery or not too thick.

Pour the batter into a big vessel, cover it with a lid and keep it in a warm place for overnight fermentation. By morning the batter will be doubled, usually. Add half teaspoon of salt to the batter and stir thoroughly and the batter is ready for dosas. Place and heat the dosa skillet on the stove and follow the procedure shown in the pictures below.


Season the Dosa skillet with a teaspoon of oil and rub it with a cut onion. Onion not only gives nice flavor to dosa, also seasons the skillet.(this is an oldtime tip)


Pour a ladleful of batter on the skillet. Spread it around with the ladle.


With the ladle, shape and move the batter outwards in concentric circles – until it shapes in a circular, thin round. Sprinkle half teaspoon of peanut oil around the batter. Increase the heat high and cook it for few minutes.


Flip it to other side to cook for few seconds.


Reverse it again and quickly sprinkle some pappula podi(spicy dalia powder), apply red onion-dried red chilli paste around the dosa and then place a general portion of potato curry in the middle.


Fold the dosa in middle, remove and serve it immediately. This whole process must be done in maximum two to three minutes. Hot skillet and fast hand action is necessary and do not keep dosa on skillet for long, it’ll turnout hard and brittle, instead of soft and chewy.

Masala Dosa with Coconut chutney and a cup of sambhar
Masala dosa with coconut chutney & a cup of sambhar ~ Our weekend brunch

Prepared in a style of Udipi restaurant dosa, Nandyala, India.
Potato Curry: Pressure cook/boil potaotoes until tender. Remove the skin, cut or crumble them into bite-sized pieces. Saut̩ finely chopped onions, green chillies and crumbled potatoes together. Season to taste Рpotato curry for dosa is ready.
Onion -red chilli paste: Cut one big red onion or 4 to 6 shallots into chunks. Add 6 dried red chillies and quarter teaspoon of salt or to taste, and grind into coarse mixture.
Pappula podi – recipe.
Coconut chutney – recipe.
Sambhar – recipe.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Sona Masuri Rice,Urad Dal (Washed) (Tuesday March 21, 2006 at 4:53 pm- permalink)
Comments (69)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

69 comments for Masala Dosa »

  1. hi indira,
    i LOVE dosa. thank you for posting this recipe. i’m going to try it out this weekend. didn’t realize you could use an onion to season the pan – good tip. i think it’s always a skill to not make the batter too thick or thin. excellent photos, as usual.

    Comment by payal — March 21, 2006 @ 5:06 pm

  2. If you try, let me know how you like it. Thanks!

    Comment by Indira — March 21, 2006 @ 5:07 pm

  3. hi indira,
    i will surely let you know. i do have a quick question though. do you use asofetida in any of your cooking, e.g. in sambhar or elsewhere? is that a common ingredient for you? i seem to remember my mom using it alot, but she cooked mostly guju food.

    Indira replies:
    Hi Payal, I do use asafoetida in my cooking. I add it in only few specific recipes like tamarind rice, yogurt rice etc., and I don’t add it to sambhar.

    Comment by payal — March 21, 2006 @ 5:12 pm

  4. Hi,
    Nice demonstration and dosa is yummy.
    vineela

    Comment by vineela krishna — March 21, 2006 @ 5:12 pm

  5. I have made Dosa batter today morning with the plans of making Masala dosa for dinner tomorrow.:)

    Comment by santhi — March 21, 2006 @ 5:13 pm

  6. Great minds think alike:)

    just made it this weekend! Yummy Yumm Yumm

    Comment by Janani — March 21, 2006 @ 5:23 pm

  7. Indira, I found your blog 2 weeks ago and it has been an inspiration! I even ordered an idli steamer because of you! (For $8 cnd, how could I lose?) I used to make masalas dosas for breakfast when my kids were in school. I wasn’t a vegetarian then, but we all loved them, so this is very nostalgic to me. I used a recipe out of “Laurel’s Kitchen”, which was one of the few good vegetarian cookbooks out then. Your dosas are alot thinner than mine! I have to try your method of spreading them– I usually use the back of the spoon, and I’m always afraid of making holes, but I’ll throw caution to the wind!

    Comment by Bryanna — March 21, 2006 @ 5:30 pm

  8. Indira, this is so timely!

    I keep seeing recipes for that pnoganalu, and had no idea how to start.

    They look amazing, and I think you’d be quite a success with your own dosa place!

    Comment by Stephanie — March 21, 2006 @ 6:14 pm

  9. You must really start a Dosa place Indira. I’ve been to ‘Aasa Dosa’ and ‘Dosa Camp’ in Hyderabad, not to forget the innumerable dosa stalls, bandiwallahs on the roadside and restaurants like Gayatri Bhavan and Woodlands(Himayatnagar) in Hyderabad, and i absolutely loved each and every one of them. You’ll do really, really good business if you’re thinking seriously 🙂

    Comment by sandhya — March 21, 2006 @ 6:35 pm

  10. I mean, that’s probably the power of Dosas and you being a fabulous cook, the business is sure to rock!

    Comment by sandhya — March 21, 2006 @ 6:58 pm

  11. WOW..that dosa looks yummy..I’d definitely buy from you if you openened a dosa stall 🙂

    Comment by Luv2cook — March 21, 2006 @ 8:41 pm

  12. I recently made dosas…and coming from a very north indian background…its unusual for me to make dosas…but somehow they turned out very good..I looove dosas..thanks for the onion tip..i’ll try it next time…i generally use a basting brush….but this time i’ll try an onion

    Comment by Nabeela — March 21, 2006 @ 8:59 pm

  13. Indira: This is a great post on dosas. Masala dosas are the Best ones.
    We always use onion or a peeled potato to season the dosa griddle and in due course of time, it gets seasoned. Moreover, if we have dosa-exclusive pan, that helps the griddle to stay tuned all time:)
    Your post made me remember my post on dosas few days back. Hope you would have looked at it.
    If you open up a dosa corner, count me towards your regular customer 🙂

    Comment by Karthi Kannan — March 21, 2006 @ 9:58 pm

  14. Thanks for the great post, Indira. You know, my mother has been promising to make me dosa at home, but it inevitably gets postponed. Now, I only have to bring her before the computer and show her this lovely post. I am sure she’ll be inspired by the great images and the superb tips :).

    Comment by Sury — March 21, 2006 @ 11:03 pm

  15. Hey Indira,
    Using onion-chilli paste in masala dosa is indeed new to me.I’m sure it ‘ll enhance its taste..can’t wait to have dosa..And as usual amazing photos..!!

    Comment by Annita — March 21, 2006 @ 11:41 pm

  16. Hello Indira,
    Where is the oil??? No, where is it??? 🙂 This is where your dosas climb one step higher than the Udupi restaurant ones. I wish I stayed somewhere close to you, because then I’d get to eat oil-free dosas made by somebody else. When I eat them otherwise, they are always made by me.

    Comment by Vaishali — March 22, 2006 @ 4:47 am

  17. Hi Indira,

    After the cranberry jam this is my comment again!

    You remind me so much of my mom!! She does it just the same way except that she uses ghee instead of oil to give it a heavenly taste!!

    I’m planning to keep a file with all the print-outs of your recipes so that if at all the net is not working, I can still cook!!

    I’m very happy that I found your site.

    Sushma

    Comment by Sushma — March 22, 2006 @ 4:48 am

  18. Oh hell, Indira – wish i hadnt looked at your blog just before lunch time from work!!! Now all I can see are masala dosas and all I can think of – yep, masala dosas. And I’ll have to wait at least 24 hours before I can make myself one!!! Argh! Lovely pics, as always

    Comment by Shammi — March 22, 2006 @ 8:43 am

  19. Hi indira,

    EXCELLENT presentation. Ur family is really lucky:)

    Comment by tanuja — March 22, 2006 @ 9:06 am

  20. That looks fantastic. Although a bizarre coincidence that I was just thinking it would be great to get a good recipe for dosas – and here it is.

    Comment by Silverbrow — March 22, 2006 @ 11:46 am

  21. Drooling…do start your own enterprise. Soon it will become a national chain and then I will get to eat it in Chicago instead of drooling 🙂 That onion thing…god it was like seeing my mom’s kitchen

    Comment by Ashwini — March 22, 2006 @ 1:34 pm

  22. Thank you all for your nice comments. They are fun and wonderful to read. I enjoyed them very much. Thanks!

    Comment by Indira — March 22, 2006 @ 3:34 pm

  23. Gorgeous dosa! I love indulging in them when I can…only one Indian restaurant in the state actually serves them and my usual source of good Indian cuisine (my best friend’s family) only venture into Southern cuisine as so far as to enjoy idli with daal. i’m crepe crazy, i know. 🙂 love your blog!

    Indira replies:
    Thanks Vanessa. I’m also like you, I love dosas/crepes of all kind.:)

    Comment by vanessa — March 22, 2006 @ 5:59 pm

  24. Hi Indira,
    Although I have been watching your receipes regularly, this is the first time Iam writing a comment.Great work with your blog and Pictures.
    Though Dosa’s and Idli’s are staple and regular for us south Indians, we do not get bored of this dish at all.I remember my mom grinding the batter for the whole family, daily in the evening,without any hesitation with all the regular day today work..the sound of the grinder still rings in my ear.You bring back all the nostalgic childhood memories back with ur wonderful pictures.Hey… isnt it good that with all our hectic schedule and our fast moving day today life, we try to keep all those wonderful receipes alive through these wonderful blogs..what do u think?

    Indira replies:
    Thanks Sumi.
    I agree, blog medium is great for Indian cooking. Instead of shortcut, westernised recipes that are so commonly called Indian here, through blogs, people who are Indian and who love to prepare traditional kind of Indian recipes finally have a platform to share those recipes to the rest of world and fellow Indians in beautiful images.
    By the way, I checked your blog, good start. Keep it up.

    Comment by Sumi — March 23, 2006 @ 11:17 am

  25. hi indira, your site is awesome! can you tell me if you use parboiled rice or raw rice for dosas? thanks.

    Indira replies:
    Hi J, thanks. I make dosas with plain raw rice, usually with ‘Sona Masuri’ rice.

    Comment by J — March 24, 2006 @ 12:24 pm

  26. Hi Indira,

    Your site is really one of the best. i refer to it often, just to chk out what you’ve cooked recently. You have amazing pictures and a simple procedure. Moreover, i truly enjoy how authentically indian you try to make your dishes. I have lived in india for a couple of years, but the one thing I always miss is the indian mangoes. Your dish about mango halwa seems perfect to cure the mango craving. I’ll try it this weekend. Your blog is truly an inspiration.

    Indira replies:
    Thanks Sangeeta for your nice words about my blog.
    About mango halwa, it taste really great, give it a try and let me know how you like it. Thanks!

    Comment by Sangeeta — March 24, 2006 @ 12:42 pm

  27. this looks so gorgeous

    it reminds me of a Mexican tortilla and the Viet Namese bahn xeo

    it is so interesting how different cultures create similar dishes such as pancakes and dumplings etc

    Comment by mickey — March 26, 2006 @ 12:12 pm

  28. Indira, I’m catching up on all the wonderful posts I’ve been missing in food blog land. This has to be one of the best of them! I love dosa and yours looks especially perfect, with just the right amount of potato mixture. I think in Bombay they call the combination of potato + spice mixture a Mysore Masala Dosa, but I may be wrong. I can hardly wait to try your version!

    indira replies:
    Thanks Brett.
    It is indeed Mysore masala dosa. But, Mysore masala dosa is purely a restaurant term, we in our homes call it masala dosa.:)

    Comment by Brett — March 26, 2006 @ 3:54 pm

  29. wish u happy ughadhi indira and all

    Indira replies:
    Happy Ugadi, Roopa and thanks for the wishes.

    Comment by roopa — March 26, 2006 @ 4:44 pm

  30. Indira, you are truly an inspiration. I found your site through google when i was searching for oatmeal upma. I just fell in love with your site. I love your narration, pitcures and your recipes. Keep up your good work. I am hoping to do something like you very soon 🙂 And “Nutana samvastara subhakankshalu”
    Greeshma
    Washington D.C

    Indira replies:
    Thanks Greeshma, that’s very nice of you to say all these nice things about my site.
    Meeku ‘Ugadi subhakankshalu’ and thanks for the wishes.
    Do let me know if you start on your plan. Best wishes!

    Comment by Greeshma — March 28, 2006 @ 10:35 am

  31. hi indhira, i did try to make onion chutney with onions and chillies, the end result was bitter chutney my husband says its because i grinded onions without frying them, so tell me how to avoid bitterness
    many thanks.

    Indira replies:
    Pungent and little bit bitter and very hot, that’s how this masala tastes, Gayatri. Usually this taste is override, when combined and eaten with plain dosa, spicy pappula podi and aloo curry. We never taste it alone but always in this combination. Also, I usually prepare it with red onions or shallots. That also makes a difference in the taste.
    It is a little bit acquired taste, the raw chutney taste and the smell. That’s the speciality.

    Comment by gayatri — May 21, 2006 @ 6:21 am

  32. Wow. Wonderful. Its like a beginner’s guide to making dosas. Actually I am no beginner having lived in Blore and Chennai many years. Now I live in a much cooler place and its difficult to get the good fermentation. Plus I dont have a traditional tawa (girdle) so I end up trying instant mixes which are really difficult on a non-stick pan. Only the last couple of dosas actually look like dosa and by that time my patience runs out 🙂
    Now I am gonna try the same with rice and udad dal powder this weekend. Wish me luck!

    Comment by archana — September 29, 2006 @ 5:23 pm

  33. thanks for a delicious recipe! I have been trying to find a good one, and this is it! I am Cuban, but was introduced to dosas by an Indian friend at work, then went to live in Bahrain, where I became totally addicted. I now live in Scotland and have to make my own!

    Comment by lee forfar — October 10, 2006 @ 12:18 am

  34. Hi Indira,

    I have been visiting your site regularly now and the presentation of each recipe is superb..!
    Makes anybody slurp..!

    good Work..!

    Comment by Anu — October 24, 2006 @ 11:27 am

  35. Dear Indira,

    Every week I post a link to seven recipes that I’ve found on other blogs that I think are interesting or unique. I call it Recipe Carousel because the idea is to spread good recipes around and around and around . . .

    This week is a pancakes theme and I have included a photo of and link to your recipe for masala dosa
    http://morselsandmusings.blogspot.com/2006/11/recipe-carousel-22-pancakes.html

    I hope this is OK with you, but if it’s a problem please let me know.

    Comment by Anna — November 13, 2006 @ 5:19 am

  36. Hello Indira,
    I’m trying my unexperienced hand at making dosas (using your recipe) and am slightly worried my batter will not ferment well. So I did some research and many times found that dosa recipes call for the urad dal and rice to be soaked and ground separately. I wondered if there was any reason for that (perhaps a chemical or enzyme reaction?) and why your recipe combines them beforehand. I have extremely limited experience making dosa; but I’ve already made coconut chutney so I hope mine come out well for breakfast tomorrow!

    Comment by Leela — January 9, 2007 @ 8:52 pm

  37. Nice & temptation , thank you for your photos

    Comment by roops — January 15, 2007 @ 6:42 pm

  38. Hi Indira,

    Your Masala Dosa really looks good. I will try it this weekend. By the way, do you have a good recipe for capati? Thanks so much!

    Comment by Amy — January 24, 2007 @ 1:41 am

  39. Hi Indira,

    I made your Masala Dosa complete with all the works on two weekends. My two boys really loved them very much A big thank you!

    Comment by Amy — February 13, 2007 @ 2:56 am

  40. Hi Indira,
    I am a great fan of your site and you have been kind enough to previously answer some of my queries.
    I live in the US and like to cook south indian food once in a while.
    I want to know whether instant dosa can be made from rice flour (available in Indian markets)instead of keeping the raw rice soaked overnight and blending them the next day?

    I came across many recipes using rice flour and all purpose flour mixed with curd.Lastly, do I have to keep the batter overnight or can dosa be made instantly?
    I would really appreciate your advice.
    Thank you.

    Comment by Aparna — February 28, 2007 @ 5:15 pm

  41. Hi Indira garu,

    Is there a recipe in your website for the alu curry that you used in this masala dosa. I’m from Vijayawada and dosa is my favorite. I never tried masala dosa.

    A close friend of mine told me about your site a year ago knowing that I’m from AP too. Ever since I visit your site regularly. This is the first time I’m posting a comment on your site. I’ve no words to express how much I like your site. Great job!!! Such a relief to know that there are sites like your’s to keep us smiling even when we are miles away from home! I have tried many items from your site. Instead of calling home to check any simple thing, I first visit your website!

    Once again thanks so much for such beautiful website with lots of information on it!! Good luck!

    Swarna.

    Comment by Swarna — May 22, 2007 @ 1:35 pm

  42. Hi Indira,

    Great blog, wonderful recipes and pictures. Looks like you really enjoy cooking.

    Well, the proportion for my dosa (rather my mom’s and grandma’s) is quite different

    3 – Parboiled Rice
    1 – Whole Urad
    1 tsp – Fenugreek seeds

    Soak rice separately 4 hours before grinding. Soak Urad and Fenugreek seeds together just 2-3 hours before grinding. Grind the Urad and Fenugreek seeds first, remove into container. Then grind rice and mix the two with salt in the container. Ferment Overnight. The reason behind adding fenugreek is that it facilitates even browning of dosa and adds extra fluffiness.

    Comment by Brinda — June 4, 2007 @ 1:11 pm

  43. If ever i go back to Mumbai it will mainly be for a masala dosa!

    Comment by sudha basgeet — June 10, 2007 @ 8:10 am

  44. Hi Indira, I tried dosas with your recipe this morning, but they are coming out too crispy, kind of breaking up a lot? Anything I can do to correct it?
    please let me know.

    Thanks
    Sangeeta

    Comment by Sangeeta — June 29, 2007 @ 6:05 am

  45. BY the way forgot to mention that your website just awesome…. I am a north Indian but love south Indian food a lot and will now make lots of south indian dishes thanks to your website!

    Comment by Sangeeta — June 29, 2007 @ 6:06 am

  46. such a nice way to tell ur reciepe. i like it very much. nice photos.

    Comment by sudha — July 18, 2007 @ 9:23 am

  47. I live in the UK. Does anyone know where I can buy Inidan cooking utensils especially a dosa griddle – I’d love to make masala dosa but it seems impossible to make the dosa thin enough in an ordinary high sided frying pan.

    Comment by bill best — August 15, 2007 @ 8:32 am

  48. tHIS IS AMAZING. tHANK YOU FOR BEING SO GENEROUS WITH THE RECIPE AND EXCELENT PICTURES.

    Comment by Gloria — October 28, 2007 @ 11:23 am

  49. Hi Indira,
    I tried to make Dosa the way you said but they were not crunchy and soft they were really hard to chew the taste was good but my jaws hurt after chewing them.
    What else can I do to make them soft crunchy easy to chew.
    Thankyou

    Comment by Jigna — December 11, 2007 @ 8:21 am

  50. Hi Indira,

    Dosa is my favourite.But I am not able to prepare the batter very well. during winter, Though I keep it overnight in the oven the batter does nor ferment very well and the quantityy is not doubled.Could you please suggest me any tips to prepare the batter esp. during the winter.

    Thanks,
    Suma

    Comment by Suma — December 14, 2007 @ 3:48 pm

  51. EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!

    This is the best guide for a beginner. The pictures ad to the ease and provides comfort. You are doing great social service for people like me who love to cook and eat.

    Will post comments after my first dosa is made…it should be this saturday !!!!

    Comment by Tina Chakrabarti — December 26, 2007 @ 9:27 am

  52. Hi Indira

    Came home to a cold, empty and dark Finland from Mumbai just a couple of weeks ago.
    Have been feeling kind of ill, but seems it was only lack of mumbaikan food 🙂
    Made some chapatis and a delicious vegetable stuff inside them tonight, and just wanted to check out if anybody knows the Masala Dosa ingredients as I found them in Byculla. Well, your site made my day and probably my new year as well.
    Love to each and everybody popping in here.
    Let´s make them dosas 🙂

    Comment by Nina — December 29, 2007 @ 1:43 pm

  53. Hi Indira,
    Believe me I’ve never visited site like this with pics thanks a lot.

    Comment by nancy — January 25, 2008 @ 6:55 am

  54. Greetings from Paris,

    I love cooking, but I still did not succeed the recipe of Dosai.With the Ustensils available in Paris it is very hard to prepare Dosai, also
    it is necessary a gaz fire place, though I have
    electricity …. you do a good job, Good Luck to you,
    Faure

    Comment by Faure(from Paris) — February 15, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

  55. Hi Indira,
    Would you say that one needs to use a wet grinder to be able to make the “best” dosai? i’ve been using a blender, and although the dosai are okay, they’re not excellent. I’m wondering if the wet grinder is the key.
    Please let me know what you think!

    Comment by Denise — February 16, 2008 @ 9:21 am

  56. […] This food issue has a somewhat predictable feature on organic, free-range meat that will not be news to most who read this blog. Other pieces, though, offer interesting takes on what people are eating now in the U.S. Adam Leith Gollner’s predictions for “the next sushi” includes bibimbap and dosa. Photographer Vanessa Stump’s in-your-face layouts of everyday meals highlight the healthiest school lunch the magazine could find (Pasadena High School), military rations with squeezable apple jelly and a $250 pizza (wine not included). […]

    Pingback by GOOD: The Food Issue » Bay Area Bites — March 17, 2008 @ 11:58 am

  57. Indira,
    wonderful recipe with beautiful pictures, as always. When I was back home, my mom used to make dosas for us almost every day. Now that I’m on my own, I’ve tried it several times, with only average results… Its the ratio of rice:dal that confuses me. People seem to suggest such varying ratios- I’ve seen 3:1, 4:1 and yours looks like a 2:1 rice to dal ratio. Do you know why there is a such a difference here and is there a particular ratio to follow depending on the type of rice?

    thanks

    Comment by dhivya — January 15, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

  58. very neatly explained just like ur dosa,wonderful tips and very immaculate procedure,good on u.I have tried and came out very nice

    Comment by jay a.l. — January 31, 2010 @ 6:26 pm

  59. I love all the blogs from Indira, you are wonderful. After learning about “delayed / retarded fermantation” in yeast breads, I have begun to apply a tiny amount of commercial bread yeast (eight of tsp or less) to my dosa and idli batters and have seen a wonderful rise every time. Maybe not authentic, but we are in New York, not Madras, so climate, atmosphere, etc, not the same. I advise all to make experiment.

    Comment by Kumar — March 29, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

  60. Oops, meant to say “eighth of a teaspoon.” Sorry for typo that would lead to roof coming off house!!!

    Comment by Kumar — March 29, 2010 @ 12:02 pm

  61. Hi Indira,
    I’ve looked at a lot of recipes for dosa’s before reaching yours. Most of them seem to have a larger proportion of rice to dal, ie 3:1 but yours seems to have more dal. Would this make any difference to the cooked dosa? So far I have used the 3 parts rice to one part dal with success. Being somewhat inexperienced, I dont really want to ruin my family’s favorite weekend breakfast!!!

    Comment by Fatima — October 15, 2010 @ 11:55 am

  62. Hi Indira,
    I visit very often to your site to check the recipies. Very good postings.
    As for the ingredients for dosa I also add Fenugreek seeds and Poha(for colour).They come out crispy with nice good colour.

    Comment by Samatha — December 3, 2010 @ 12:47 pm

  63. after soaking the dal and rice, then pouring off the water, do you rinse off the dal and rice under running tap water? or just pour the water off, then grind it up.

    it’s a subtle question, because you do this with soaking beans. after soaking beans in water that came to a boil, the next day you pour off the water, but they say you have to rinse it off in running water.

    Comment by CM — May 20, 2011 @ 11:10 am

  64. also do you pour off the soaking water, or actually use that soaking water when you grind up the dal and rice. i read many don’t even pour off that water at all, they use it.

    also some say you soak the dal and rice separately, not together.

    also some say to put poha in the batter.

    the key is to scientifically test a dosai batter after it is made to see if all the vitamins were actually created through the fermentation process. otherwise we won’t know how nutritious the dosai really is.

    Comment by CM — May 20, 2011 @ 11:41 am

  65. […] “What would you have to eat if you could have anything you wanted?” “Excellent question. I would have a magnificent buffet. I would start with rice and sambar. There would be black gram dhal rice and curd rice and—” “I would have—” “I’m not finished. And with my rice I would have spicy tamarind sambar and small onion sambar and—” “Anything else?” “I’m getting there. I’d also have mixed vegetable sagu and vegetable korma and potato masala and cabbage vadai and masala dosai and spicy lentil rasam and—” “I see.” “Wait. And stuffed eggplant poriyal and coconut yam kootu and rice idli and curd vadai and vegetable bajji and—” “It sounds very—” “Have I mentioned the chutneys yet? Coconut chutney and mint chutney and green chilli pickle and gooseberry pickle, all served with the usual nans, popadoms, parathas and puris, of course.” “Sounds—” “The salads! Mango curd salad and okra curd salad and plain fresh cucumber salad. And for dessert, almond payasam and milk payasam and jaggery pancake and peanut toffee and coconut burfi and vanilla ice cream with hot, thick chocolate sauce.” “Is that it?” “I’d finish this snack with a ten-litre glass of fresh, clean, cool, chilled water and a coffee.” “It sounds very good.” “It does.” “Tell me, what is coconut yam kootu?” “Nothing short of heaven, that’s what. To make it you need yams, grated coconut, green plantains, chilli powder, ground black pepper, ground turmeric, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds and some coconut oil. You saute the coconut until it’s golden brown […] Have you ever had oothappam?” “No, I haven’t. But tell me about it. What is oothappam?” “It is so good.” “Sounds delicious. Tell me more.” “Oothappam is often made with leftover batter, but rarely has a culinary afterthought been so memorable.” […]

    Pingback by Michele Humes - Two Literary Passages That Make Me Want Indian Food Immediately — June 2, 2011 @ 2:26 pm

  66. Hello Indra
    We do elgiultra Grinder sales, service,warranty
    and parts in UK.

    thank you
    Nallathambipillai

    Comment by Nallathambipillai — June 4, 2011 @ 12:22 pm

  67. Dear Indira,
    need a bit of information from you really….i just came to US from UK and the prestige mixer i brought is not working because of voltage issues….need to buy a new one….can you suggest a grinder or a mixer which can make batters smooth.
    many thanks

    swapna

    Comment by swapna — July 5, 2011 @ 1:38 pm

  68. Get a ‘like’button!

    Comment by Padme — January 31, 2012 @ 1:08 pm

  69. Hello Indira, thank you so much for your fantastic blog I already shared it with my India and indian cooking french fans friends ( I do not know if this is proper english but I am sure you will understand)I had renounced doing idli/dosai batter here in Paris because it does not rise at all even on the radiator but I feel like giving it a try again. One person commented that she was adding a bit of yeast to make it rise, would it be a good solution according to you?

    Comment by Florence Vasanta — March 5, 2015 @ 2:29 pm

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