Recipe from Anita Jaisinghani
Adapted by Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus soaking and fermenting
- Rating
- 4(62)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Making dosas— those gloriously thin, pleasingly sour South Indian flatbreads— at home requires some advance planning. You may need to hunt down the ingredients (online or at an Indian market), and you’ll definitely have to soak the lentils and then let the batter ferment for at least 8 hours or overnight. But the crisp and flavorful crepes are well worth the effort. Note that the first dosas you fry might not turn out well— spreading the batter thin enough takes practice. This recipe, adapted from the chefAnita Jaisinghani of Pondicheri, calls for filtered water because fluoride can interfere with fermentation. —Melissa Clark
Featured in: A Dosa Lesson From a Professional
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 1cup white rice (long or short grain)
- ⅓cup white urad dal (see note)
- ¼teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ⅓cup rice flour
- ⅓cup ragi flour or millet flour (see note)
- ½teaspoon sugar
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt
- Coconut oil, as needed for cooking
- 1cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ½cup coconut oil
- ¾teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 2½tablespoons fresh or frozen curry leaves, chopped
- 1cup finely chopped red onion
- ⅔cup coarsely grated fresh or frozen coconut
- 2tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- ⅛teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅓cup coconut water
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½tablespoon coconut oil
- ½teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1small bunch mustard greens, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 cups)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
For the Batter
For the Pumpkin-seed Chutney
For the Greens
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
582 calories; 36 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 377 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the batter: Rinse the rice and urad dal in cold water, then drain and transfer to a large bowl or container. Add fenugreek and cover with cold, filtered water by 2 inches. Let soak at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight.
Step
2
Drain the mixture, then transfer to a powerful blender, food processor or wet/dry grinder. Add 1 cup filtered water and blend until you get a smooth and runny batter. Depending on the power of your machine, this could take several minutes.
Step
3
Whisk in rice flour, ragi or millet flour, sugar and salt. The mixture should resemble thin pancake batter.
Step
4
Transfer batter to a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours to ferment — the colder the room is, the longer it will take to ferment. You’ll know it’s ready when the batter has puffed up and bubbles have formed all over the surface. If not using immediately, cover and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Step
5
Meanwhile, make the chutney: In a blender or spice grinder, coarsely grind ⅔ cup of the pumpkin seeds and set aside.
Step
6
In a large skillet, heat the ½ cup coconut oil over medium heat. Stir in mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in onions and grated coconut and cook until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. If necessary, reduce heat to low to prevent browning. Stir in ginger and cayenne and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in coconut water, ground and whole pumpkin seeds, and salt to taste; scrape into a serving dish. (Chutney can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)
Step
7
When ready to make dosas, remove batter from fridge and let come to room temperature. (Do not try to make dosas from cold batter.)
Step
8
Meanwhile, cook the greens: In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat until almost smoking, then stir in coriander and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in greens and salt, and continue to cook until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Step
9
To make the dosas, heat a 10-inch or larger cast-iron or nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat (no higher) and brush very lightly with coconut oil. Don’t use too much oil or the dosas will move around, and will not cook properly. Using a ¼ cup measure or ladle, pour batter in the middle of the griddle. Let it set for about 2 seconds, then quickly spread outward in a circular motion using the bottom of the ladle or measuring cup. You’re looking for a circle approximately 8 to 9 inches in diameter.
Step
10
Drizzle a little coconut oil on top of the dosa. Leave dosa batter to cook until browned on the bottom and dry at the edges and on top, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully loosen all sides of the dosa and transfer to a plate.
Step
11
Spread a layer of pumpkin-seed chutney over the dosa then top with greens. Fold in half or gently roll up, and serve immediately. Repeat with more batter, chutney and greens.
Tip
- White urad dal (a type of black lentil that has been split and husked), ragi flour (malted finger millet flour), frozen shredded coconut and curry leaves are available in Indian markets.
Ratings
4
out of 5
62
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Prakash Nadkarni
The use of Ragi (Eleusine coracana) is optional.If using rice flour, you don't need to use rice- just increase the flour quantity. Urad dal (vigna mungo) is a cousin of mung bean (vigna radiata), and mung bean flour can substitute.By using flours, you can make the batter directly by mixing instead of soaking the grains overnight, and grinding away for several minutes with a super-powerful processor (regular processors result in a coarse,grainy batter).
Prakash Nadkarni
Excellent recipe.There's a must-read section in Harold McGee's Bible, "On Food and Cooking" ("the Fermented Legumes of India"), where he discusses the microbiology of dosa batter fermentation - a mixture of natural yeasts and lactobacilli are involved. When I first read this, it blew my mind: I'd been eating dosas all my life, and here was a non-Indian teaching me something about Indian food that I didn't know.
Prakash Nadkarni
Yes. In a pinch, you can substitute mung bean flour or chick-pea flour, both of which are used by themselves in pancakes (the Korean bindaetteok and the Southern French socca respectively.) The end-result wouldn't, strictly speaking, be dosa, but is quite good. The crispiness of dosa is due to the rice, however, and the proportions of rice to legume should be maintained.
S
The pumpkin seed chutney should be ground to a paste in a FP or blender after cooking, otherwise it sticks in your teeth.The mustard greens are very undercooked in this recipe: need a much longer cooking time. The whole coriander seeds should be lightly pounded to a very coarse grind, that will bring out the flavors more.There should also be something on the side to dip the dosai into. Better to spread the greens inside the dosai, and use the chutney as a dip.
prof
Interesting recipe. There are, of course, a gazillion dosa recipes, but I've always just used rice and urad dal (not the flours, although ragi flour is really good for you and ragi dosa is a great variation), with a 1 to .5 ration of rice to dal. Never heard of anyone using sugar. You can use brown rice, too. Most people I know soak and grind separately, then combine. You get better control that way.
Taurusmoon2000
Nice write up. For crisp Dosas, add half a cup of beaten rice (poha, available at Indian grocers) in step 1.
Help please
I've millet, but not millet flour. Can I soak the millet with the rice and dal and grind it with the other whole grains after soaking?
DaveF
McGee’s mom is from India. His parents met in India. The sidebar on fermented legumes of India is in the 2004 edition of OFAC.
Praveen
My favorite recipe.
Jon
I made the batter as directed but have not yet cooked the dosas yet. What concerns me is that the batter feels gritty. Any suggestions?
Doublel
I've made dosas in my NYC apartment for many years. One thing I've found however, is that it's best to make them in the summertime, when the temp in the kitchen is more similar to that of Kerala. Winter weather seems too dry and cold to get the batter to ferment properly.
Prakash Nadkarni
Excellent recipe.There's a must-read section in Harold McGee's Bible, "On Food and Cooking" ("the Fermented Legumes of India"), where he discusses the microbiology of dosa batter fermentation - a mixture of natural yeasts and lactobacilli are involved. When I first read this, it blew my mind: I'd been eating dosas all my life, and here was a non-Indian teaching me something about Indian food that I didn't know.
Bert
I have this book but can't find the section you are referring to. Perhaps because my version is 1984? Is it listed in the appendix somewhere?Thanks!
S
The pumpkin seed chutney should be ground to a paste in a FP or blender after cooking, otherwise it sticks in your teeth.The mustard greens are very undercooked in this recipe: need a much longer cooking time. The whole coriander seeds should be lightly pounded to a very coarse grind, that will bring out the flavors more.There should also be something on the side to dip the dosai into. Better to spread the greens inside the dosai, and use the chutney as a dip.
Taurusmoon2000
Nice write up. For crisp Dosas, add half a cup of beaten rice (poha, available at Indian grocers) in step 1.
prof
Interesting recipe. There are, of course, a gazillion dosa recipes, but I've always just used rice and urad dal (not the flours, although ragi flour is really good for you and ragi dosa is a great variation), with a 1 to .5 ration of rice to dal. Never heard of anyone using sugar. You can use brown rice, too. Most people I know soak and grind separately, then combine. You get better control that way.
GC
Would it work to substitute any other kind of lentil, such as red, green or yellow? Any info or tips much appreciated. Thank you!
Prakash Nadkarni
Yes. In a pinch, you can substitute mung bean flour or chick-pea flour, both of which are used by themselves in pancakes (the Korean bindaetteok and the Southern French socca respectively.) The end-result wouldn't, strictly speaking, be dosa, but is quite good. The crispiness of dosa is due to the rice, however, and the proportions of rice to legume should be maintained.
Atheneus
A perfect dosa. Improved by the non traditional mustard greens and pumpkinseedchutney. Now you need an innovative Sambar to go with it
Prakash Nadkarni
The use of Ragi (Eleusine coracana) is optional.If using rice flour, you don't need to use rice- just increase the flour quantity. Urad dal (vigna mungo) is a cousin of mung bean (vigna radiata), and mung bean flour can substitute.By using flours, you can make the batter directly by mixing instead of soaking the grains overnight, and grinding away for several minutes with a super-powerful processor (regular processors result in a coarse,grainy batter).
GC
Thx you! Very helpful!!!
vivian
How much rice flour would replace the grains of rice in the recipe? And how much mung bean flour would replace the urad dal?
Peter Kuhn
To help along the fermentation, I always add a splash of my sourdough starter. And I don't use millet flour since I have no idea where to get it, even here in Berkeley.
Swapna
But as another Indian reviewer stated, you don’t really need ragi (millet) for a traditional crispy rice-lentil dosai. You can buy the millet flour however if you are making a ragi dosai, which is considered healthier.
Swapna
I also live in Berkeley. I have sometimes found Bob’s Red Mill millet flour in some organic groceries, but I typically just order it from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Millet-Flour/dp/B0007PCZ38/ref=sr_1...’s+red+mill+millet+flour&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&psc=1&smid=A19NVE4G6SOT2C
Raro
You can grind millet yourself. My blender makes quick work of millet to make flour.
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