Dosa Batter

Dosa is an Indian crepe to simply describe it. It is a popular breakfast meal in the south of India. There are various kinds of dosa that you can make by changing the filling. From the humble masala dosa with the traditional spicy potato filling to the new generation Chinese dosa, they are all delicious! Dosa is usually served with the sides of saambhar and chutney. 

Dosa batter is usually made once a week and then had for the entire week. You can make the dosa crepes and idlis with it initially. As the week passes, you can add some vegetables to the batter and make uttapam. You can also add spices and onions to it to make appe or fry it to make punugulu. Dosa batter is versatile and the sky is the limit to what you can come up with using one simple recipe! I have a Colombian friend, Nick and I offered to make him some dosa one day. He fell in love with it so much that he learned to make it from scratch! He would top it with Colombian ingredients and that would be his meal for the day. 

This recipe was shared by my friend Vandana. She is the dosa and idli master in our friend circle! I have tried her recipe multiple times and it has never failed. Enjoy!

What you will need:

Ingredients	Quantity
Fenugreek/ Methi Seeds	1/4 teaspoon
Poha	2 tablespoons
Rice	3 cups
Urad Dal	1 cup

Soak Time: 4-5 hours

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Fermentation Time: Overnight in a warm place or 10 hours in the instant pot on yogurt setting

Serving: This recipe will easily make at least 30-40 dosa. 

How to make it:

• Wash the urad dal and rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. 
• Soak the rice and urad dal along with the poha and fenugreek seeds for at least 4 hours if not overnight. You can soak everything separately as well if you would like. 
• Grind the soaked ingredients with minimal water, just enough to make a fine paste. Ensure that the batter is not grainy but rather smooth. The batter should be of medium consistency, not very thick and not very runny. 
• Now leave this batter for fermentation overnight in a warm place. I use the instant pot to ferment my batter with the yogurt setting for 10 hours. You can also leave it in the oven with the light on overnight if you live in a colder place and do not have an instant pot. 
• Tip for instant pot fermentation: Ensure that there is enough room in the instant pot to let the batter rise because at the end of the fermentation process it will rise to at least 3 times its original size. Also, use a regular lid or plate to cover the instant pot instead of the instant pot lid. Sometimes if your batter rises too much there are chances of the lid getting stuck. This is the best way to avoid this from happening. 
• Once the batter is ready, you can store in the the refrigerator for up to a week. 
• If making idlis, do not add water to the batter. Pour onto greased idli molds and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the mold, out.  Let the idlis cool a little before taking them off the mold. Serve with saambhar and chutneys. 
• Add a little salt to the batter while making dosa. You can add a little water as well to make the batter slightly runny. Take a ladle full of batter and pour over a hot frying pan. Spread in a circular fashion. Pour some oil on top and let it naturally release from the base of the pan. Add masala of your choice and serve hot with saambhar and chutneys.