Dosa recipe, Learn to make dosa batter at home. This is a detailed post that will guide you to make dosas of all kinds – soft, crispy, restaurant style, home style and healthy dosas. No matter you are a beginner or an experienced cook the tips & tricks mentioned in this post will help you to master the techniques of making the best South Indian dosa.
If you are new to South Indian cuisine, then read on to know more
What is dosa?
Dosa is a popular South Indian thin crepe that is made of fermented rice and lentil batter. History of dosa says that they were made using only rice but with the passage of time, people started to add urad dal / black lentils to give texture and taste. Dosas became very popular with the rise of udupi restaurants which serve the best dosa varieties – plain, set and masala dosa.
How can I make dosa at home?
Dosa is made by soaking and blending black gram lentils (urad dal) and rice to a batter. Then the fermented batter is spreaded like a crepe on a hot griddle or tawa.
Idli and dosas are made regularly at my home for breakfast and sometimes even for dinner. There are so many kinds of dosas one get to find on a tiffin or a fast food center menu. Dosas can be made with so many different ratios of rice and urad dal. I am sharing 4 recipes here on this post which I follow. You may experiment with any of these dosa recipes to suit your taste or need.
Is dosa healthy?
Yes Dosa is a healthy protein rich breakfast. Urad dal is high in protein & calcium and makes a great food to start our day. I consider it to be one of the best health foods that can nourish our body so I try to keep the ratio of urad dal more & rice to minimum or only as needed without compromising the taste and crispness.
Mixer or a wet grinder – which is better?
I do not use a wet grinder though I have one since I personally do not prefer the cleaning and lifting the stone works. Years ago We used to have frequent guests home from India, So we used to make batter once in a week.
It is a good deal to have and use a wet grinder if you have many people at home to eat idli dosa frequently. For the past 3 years I am happy with my mixer grinder though we are a family of 4 and make dosas at least 3 times a week. The batter rises very well even when ground in the mixer if it is a good one and doesn’t make your batter warm while grinding.
However I have shared making batter in a wet grinder and also in a mixer. All the ratios shared in dosa recipe post will work even if making batter in a wet grinder.
Which kind of rice is suitable for dosa?
There are many kinds of rice available in the market. All the recipes posted here have been tried with raw rice, idli rice and parboiled rice. Please note that all parboiled rice are not suitable, only short grain like ponni or sona masuri etc are suitable.
When to add salt?
When to add salt to dosa batter? while grinding, before fermenting or after fermenting is one of the most common question. This you will have to experiment and check what works good for you since this depends on the climatic conditions and the water used to blend the batter.
In cool places or cold countries, batter takes long hours to ferment without the addition of non-iodized salt. When kept for long hours the batter may turn smelly. So to avoid the smell it is good to add sea salt before fermentation as it assists in quick fermentation.
But in hot places and hot season, it is good to add salt just before making the dosas i.e after fermentation else the batter turns sour and smelly. In India most people add salt after fermentation unless living in cool places like Bangalore.
Taste wise yes there is a difference in adding before and after. So please experiment what works good for you.
Recipe 1 – Crispy masala dosa recipe
This recipe yields one of the best tasting brown & crispy dosa. This batter can be used to make masala dosa, crispy plain dosas, uttapam, masala paniyaram and sweet paniyaram. I follow this recipe the most for my regular breakfast.
The masala dosa shown in the first pic is made using this recipe. It can be enjoyed with any Chutney, potato masala or Tiffin sambar.
Typically most proportions yield red to brown color dosa only when made on cast iron tawa, but this dosa recipe yields brown crispy dosas even when made on non stick. You can find the step by step pictures below along with the link to potato curry recipe and the detailed recipe in the recipe card.
Recipe 2 – Restaurant style crispy flavorful masala dosa recipe
If you have ever wondered how dosas made in restaurant or tiffin centers turn out so flavorful, crisp and delicious, then you will have to put in little more effort and try this karnataka restaurant style masala dosa. These are very aromatic and unique.
Recipe 3 – Soft idli & crispy dosa batter recipe. 2-in-1 batter
These ratios yield good crispy as well as soft dosas and can be used to make soft idlis as well. Just mixing the batter matters. A runny batter yields soft dosas. Making with moderately thick batter, but of spreadable consistency yield crispy dosas.
This can also be used to make masala dosa, paniyaram, uttapam and also soft idli. The only difference from the first recipe is the color. These do not turn as red or brown like the other one but will be golden. If you like to make your idli and dosa batter in one go in the same blender or wet grinder, then this may be for you.
Ingredients
½ cup whole skinned uraddal
1 ½ cups rice for mixie – 2 cups for wet grinder
¼ tsp methi
2 tbsp poha / avalakki
Non iodized Salt as needed
Recipe 4 – Sada dosa recipe – can also use the batter for idli if the quality of dal is very good
These ratios yield good crispy as well as soft dosas. Just mixing the batter matters here as well. A runny batter yields soft dosas. Making with moderately thick batter, but of spreadable consistency yield crispy dosas. This can also be used to make idli, paniyaram, uttapam. This dosa batter recipe needs just 3 ingredients
Ingredients
½ cup whole urad dhal
1 ½ cup rice
Non-iodized or crystal salt as needed
Recipe 5 – Healthy plain dosa recipe
Healthy, high protein and high calcium dosa. These are made in some telugu speaking homes. Great food for all, including folks recovering from illness, kids and babies above 9 months and even for under nourished. I make this sometimes when the hubby asks for it since he loves the flavor.
These have a unique flavor & taste of urad dal. If you like it, you may not look for any other recipe. They must be served right out of the pan as they turn lightly crisp, not as crisp as the other recipes I have shared in this post.
I highly recommend this, If you have babies & kids at home (especially underweight kids). Also good for those looking for high calcium foods and even for breastfeeding mothers.
Ingredients
Half cup whole uraddal
1 cup rice
For more dosa recipes, you can also check
Instant Wheat flour dosas
Set dose
Pesarattu
Cheese dosa
Oats dosa
Ragi dose
Jowar dosas
South Indian dosa recipe
Dosa recipe | How to make dosa batter at home | Crispy dosa recipe
South Indian Lentil crepes made with fermented batter. These are known as dosa or dosai and are a popular breakfast food. These are served with chutney, potato masala and sambar.
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
Ingredients for crispy dosa recipe - 1
- ½ cup Urad dal (or whole skinned black gram)
- 1½ cups Rice (Refer notes)
- 1 tbsp chana dal (or bengal gram)
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds or methi seeds (optional)
- 2 tbsp poha or attukulu or beaten rice
- non iodized salt or crystal salt as needed
- fresh water as needed (do not use lentil soaked water)
Ingredients for plain dosa recipe - 2
- ½ cup whole urad dal or skinned whole black gram
- 1 ½ cup rice (raw rice or parboiled rice or sona masuri)
- Non-iodized or crystal salt as needed
How to make the recipe
Preparation for dosa batter recipe
Firstly wash urad dal, chana dal, methi seeds several times. Soak them together in enough water for 4 hours.
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Soak separately in ample water for 4 hours.
Lastly wash and soak poha just 30 mins before grinding.
How to make dosa batter
Add dals, methi and poha along with salt to a mixer jar.
- Pour water just as needed. Grind to a smooth paste until bubbly or frothy. You can skip using salt during summer. Add it just before you make dosa.
- Transfer this to a large pot if using a mixer. If using a wet grinder, you can just keep the urad dal batter in the container if making in small quantity as much mentioned in the recipe.
- Add rice to the jar and then very little water. Blend to a thick paste.
- Add this to the urad dal batter and mix.
Check the consistency. It must not be very thick or very thin otherwise the batter will not ferment well. Check the salt as well and adjust.
Fermenting dosa batter
Keep this in a warm place until fermented. It may take anywhere from 5 to 16 hours depending on the temperature.
Next morning gently stir the batter once. Add water enough to thin it down to make it of a pouring consistency yet thick.
- If making masala dosa, you will have to make potato masala from the link mentioned in step by step photos (step 15).
How to make dosa
Grease a dosa pan or tawa with few drops of oil. If using a iron tawa, grease tawa with oil and a slice of onion.
Heat it until hot enough. Pour a ladle full of batter on the center of the tawa. Spread it evenly in a circular shape.
- Drizzle oil and allow to cook on a medium high heat until red or golden.
- Flip it when the edges begin to rise from the pan.
- Cook on both the sides if you desire.
- Repeat making more on the hot tawa.
Serve dosa with chutney and potato masala.
Recipe Notes
Notes for dosa recipe
1. What kind of rice to use?
The taste & texture of the dosa depends on the kind of rice used. Here are my latest updates:
You can use 1½ cups regular rice like sona masuri or ponni.
You can also use 1 cup regular rice and ½ cup parboiled rice or idly rice.
You can also use ¾ cup raw rice and ¾ cup parboiled rice or idly rice.
Experiment with the above proportions and find what works for you the best in terms of taste and texture.
2. You can skip either poha or methi seeds in the recipe. Use at least one of them.
3. During summer you can skip both methi seeds and poha if you live in a hot climate.
Preparation for making dosa batter
1. Add dal, chana dal and methi to a large pot.
2. Add rice to another pot.
3. Wash dals thoroughly a few times and soak in ample water for 4 hours. During cold weather they can be soaked up to 6 hours.
4. Wash rice too a few times until the water runs clear. Soak in enough water for 4 hours.
5. Wash and soak poha for 30 mins before grinding.
How to make dosa batter for crispy dosa recipe
6. Add poha to the grinder jar or container. Drain the water completely from dals and add them along with salt and little water. You can also try skipping salt during summer, add it the next morning when you are about to make dosas. It will still ferment well without salt. I use salt when I grind the dal otherwise my batter doesn’t ferment well. Using dal soaked water turns my batter very sour, so i do not use.
7. Blend until smooth, frothy and bubbly. If needed add more water. But do not make it thin it must be a thick batter. If making in a mixer like me, then transfer this to a large pot. If using a wet grinder, you can just keep it in the container and continue.
8. Drain rice and add to the jar. Add just little water.
9. Blend to a smooth paste.
10. Add the ground rice and mix well.
How to ferment batter for dosa recipe
11. Cover the pot and ferment it for 5 to 16 hours depending on the climate. During hot summers it may rise in just 4 to 5 hours during winters it may need up to 16 hours. When I grind more batter, I use 2 ceramic pots to ferment and refrigerate. I divide and distribute the batter to 2 pots. Undisturbed batter stays good in refrigerator for few more days without going sour.
12. When i made this, I had to ferment for 16 hours. Singapore is hot most times, but still it takes very long to ferment the batter in my home. During summers do not allow to ferment too much as it leaves a sour smell & taste. You can refrigerate when it rises a bit. For a good fermentation 4 things matter the most – quality of dal, non iodized salt, temperature and the consistency of the batter. You can find the details of these on the soft idli post which i shared before.
How to make dosa
13. Add few drops of oil to a tawa / pan. Rub well with a kitchen tissue or cloth until the oil is absorbed. Make sure there is no excess oil on the pan. You can also use a slice of onion to rub the oil. If using a cast iron or a iron tawa then you will have to season it the previous night for best results.
Dilute the batter by adding little water as needed to make it of a pourable and spreading consistency. You can sprinkle few drops of water and check if it is ready. It begins to sizzle. Do not sprinkle water often on a hot non stick tawa that’s going to wear out even the best non stick coating. When the pan is hot enough, pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the pan.
14. Spread it evenly in a circular way to make a thin crepe. Add oil or butter towards the edges.
15. When it turns golden or brown , flip it and cook if you like. Not all dosas require cooking on the other side, if needed you can cook. Since i made the masala dosa, i used this potato masala for filling. It is most commonly served with coconut chutney.
Zoya says
Hi swasthi, all these days dosa turned out well. But today dosa became hard and I feel like having raw aata. Either dal or rice has blended some coarsely. Dosa is not turning golden or brown color. I didn’t use chana dhal and poha. With ur experience share some tips….
swasthi says
Hi Zoya
I guess it is the quality of rice or not blending the dal well. There is nothing you can do to fix it. If the dosa is white in color I feel it happens if the rice is from fresh harvest, just a few months old. Just change the rice and check.
Sourav says
Nice recipe I like it ..
Swetha says
Hi Swasthi
I have been making dosas from here since a few months experimenting to get crisp and dense dosas. Any rice works only when used with chana dal and poha. But over fermenting ruins the dosa making more pores and very thin and light. Thank you very much for your ideas and thoughts. This post really helped.
Ulla says
Hello,
I don’t have a mixer and for obvious that easons am not keen on wet grinding…………would commercial rice and urid flours work?
I live in Australia. Also, what is ‘poha’. Do you have a botanical name?
With thanks,
Ulla
swasthi says
Hi Ulla
Yes you can try with urad and rice flour in the rations of 1:2 and 1:3. The taste of the dosas will depend on the quality of urad dal flour. Poha is just parched rice or beaten rice. If using flour and not grains you can skip. If you are trying 1:3 ratio then you can add 1/4 tsp of ground fenugreek seeds and this is optional. Hope this helps
Z says
Hi swasthi. I have made dosa and to some extent dosa came well but in between the batter got sticked to the laddle. With your please tell me the reason and share some tips……
swasthi says
Hi Z,
Thanks for trying. It happens for these reasons
1. The batter is thick and needs little more water.
2. The pan is not hot enough.
3. The batter has rised a lot and is very light. This can happen during hot weather. To fix this, sprinkle little water and just beat the batter a bit with the ladle. This will reduce the bubbles in batter and fix the problem.
4. Using raw rice that has recently been harvested can also be the reason. Aged rice is best for dosa.
Hope these help
Deepthi says
You can soak 1 to 2 tbsp of millets along with the dal for good fermentation in cold places.
swasthi says
Thanks for sharing your tip
Hina says
Hi swasthi I have been making these dosas for over a year now. They turn out great. Can you please share noodles stuffed dosas? My kids love them a lot.
swasthi says
Thanks for trying Hina
Yes I will try to share
Jasmine says
Very easy n much more clear n good tips..with pics ..thank you
Anandhi says
Tried and loved the crispy dosas. I tried many recipes from your blog. Biryani, dum aloo, paneer butter masala. All turned out awesome. thank you
Piya says
Swasthi I tried this dosa recipe. Kudos for your useful tips!! They turned out great with your potato masala. For how Long can the batter be refrigerated?
swasthi says
H Piya
Thanks for trying. You can keep the batter for up to a week if you partially ferment it. If the batter has doubled after fermenting then it is good to use it up in the next 3 days.
Vidya says
Thank u for making my day…dosaz turned out so yummm. My lil toddler just couldn’t get enuf n for the 1st time my dosaz wr nt a disaster.
Sharan says
Dosa batter recipe is too gud..
swasthi says
Thanks sharan
Kinjal says
Hello,
I used idli rice for the masala dosa recipe. It took me 11-12 minutes to make rice in a smooth mixture after soaking it for 6 hours. Does it take this long or am I doing it incorrectly?
Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Kinjal,
It doesn’t take so long for the rice to blend smooth. I guess you misunderstood – smooth batter/ mixture doesn’t mean like cream. You can see in the pictures – after blending the rice, the mixture is on the sides of the jar.
Timing depends on the mixer.
If you are using a heavy duty mixer then it just takes about 1.5 to 2 mins. If using a normal mixer, then it may take about 2.5 to 3 mins. Hope this helps.
Mega says
Thank you so much for the recipes. I have tried a few recipes from here and all of have been good. I was trying to figure out the best dosa recipe and found yours really worked out well. Wonderful job!
Zoya says
Thanks for your suggestions. I used non stick pan and used JSR lachkari kolam rice…….
swasthi says
Zoya,
I too make dosas sometimes with different variety since idly rice is sometimes not available here. As you mentioned they will not taste good. For best results always use parboiled or idly rice.
Zoya says
First time I tried plain dosa. I kept whole night. It didn’t ferment well. Morning when I do dosa the dosa stick the tawa and there is no dosa taste at all. I don’t know what has been wrong. Suggest me…… Mam
swasthi says
Hi Zoya
If you make dosa without fermenting the batter well, it will taste like the batter or uncooked rice. Always wait until the batter rises to some extent. The fermentation time depends on where you live. In cold climates it may take even 20 hours or more.
Next some kinds of rice is not suitable for making dosa or idli. So using idly rice is very much important. You didn’t mention which rice you have used.
Dosa batter will stick to the tawa if the rice is not suitable for making dosa or if the tawa is not greased well or not hot enough.
Hope this helps to fix the problem. If you need further help, please let me know the details of rice used.
Milana says
Hai I’m from Sri Lanka.. I have tried your idly recipe.. It was delicious.. My query is about making dosa.. Should we grind rice in to a fine paste or is it okay to grind coarsely?
swasthi says
Hey Milana,
Glad to know you. Thanks for trying. You can grind it to a smooth or slight coarse paste. If it is very coarse then dosas turn out hard and rough.
Khin Maw says
I have not try your recipes but I love Dosa any type. I made with the basic simple recipe. But I have not find the type of chutney I used to eat when I was in Burma. It is un cook, raw grinded mixture of green chilli and may be chana dal or other things. It is like a paste but not very smooth. I love it. dont know what it is called. Not peanut.
I like your site thank you for all the recipes here. If I ever visit India, which city is the best to eat delicious natural Vada, Idli and Dosa ?
swasthi says
Welcome Khin Maw,
You can this link on various chutneys served in restaurants. The chutney is different from region to region. But i guess what you mention is called the getti/ gatti chutney just a mixture of coconut, roasted chana dal, green chilies, cumin and salt blended little coarsely.
You can find best vada, dosa and idli in udupi restaurants or MTR in bangalore, mysore. You can also find good ones in chennai, kochi, coimbatore. But most south Indian places do serve vada, dosa and idli but choosing a right restaurant is important. Hope this helps
🙂
fazmila says
Hello swasthi.I’m Fazmila from Colombo srilanka.I have tried your all recipes. Those are yummy and the recipes are clear and can understand easily.thankyou.
swasthi says
Welcome Fazmila
Your comment made me happy. Thanks a lot for trying the recipes and writing here. Have a wonderful week ahead.
🙂
Sathy says
What do you thinks about using wheat (whole wheat grain) instead of rice in the recipes above? I use whole wheat for more fiber and protein and the end product is pretty good.
swasthi says
Hi Sathy
It sounds really good. But wonder if the dosas will come out good with the above proportions. Haven’t tried them any time. Secondly not all mixers grinders can blend wheat well. It may even spoil the mixers.
Deepti says
Hi Swasthi
I kept the batter overnight but it was smelling very bad.. Like hell i cant even touch it. Please assist on this.
swasthi says
Hi Deepti
Your batter got over fermented so it is smelling bad. Depending on the climate and temperature of the place you live you have to ferment. As I mentioned in the post – instruction -8 and step 11 you have to ferment it for 5 to 16 hrs depending on ur climate. You have left it too long to ferment. Then you have to leave it only for 5 hrs. To fix this. Add some rice flour and beat the batter well. then use it to make dosa or uttapam. If you do not have rice flour then grind some rice and add it to the batter.
Shalini says
It is very useful in my cooking. After watching these recipes I cooked variety of dishes for my husband….Thank you so much…
swasthi says
Welcome Shalini
Glad to know you try the recipes.
Thanks for the comment
🙂
Sohana Karkera says
Dosa is all time favourite for all south indians. Thank you for sharing great type of break fast recipe…as per author has answered so many kitchen queries .
E D Thomas says
is it not necessary to add yeast for fermentation?
swasthi says
No It gets fermented naturally
sairaman says
super verynice
however my query that first day mov is ok
secnd day from fridge the batter sticks to the dosaikal not able to get it out whywhywhy any answer please email sairaman53
@yahoo.com
swasthi says
Hi Sairaman
Thanks. During summer when the batter gets over fermented. It turns very fluffy so it sticks up. Follow these tips to fix it.
Add little water.Beat the batter very well for 3 to 5 mins until the batter deflates completely. If needed add more water. Make dosas as you would make regularly.
Kavitha says
Hi Swasthi,
Couldn’t find recipe for rava dosa in your blog, can you please post it.
swasthi says
Hi Kavitha
Oh yes I forgot about it, I will share it soon
Thank you
Sree Renjini says
Man can I substitute Channa day with thuvar day. Please reply.
swasthi says
Hi
yes you can, you can also skip chana dal
Ruth says
I tried the recipe with canilla parboiled rice, urad dal, channa dal and fenugreek seed two times with the same measurements as mentioned. The grinding and fermentation process was good. But when i try to make dosa, the batter is not firm and sticks to the pan. Is there something i am doing wrong?
Ruth says
After reading the comments, i also added rice flour to fix the batter. but that did not help either. I think the Goya canilla parboiled rice messed it up.
swasthi says
Hi Ruth
The problem is with the parboiled rice. I have never tried using canilla parboiled rice. But the only reason I have always found for the batter sticking up to the pan is the variety or quality of rice. More sticky, starchy and long grain varieties of rice are not suitable to make idli and dosa. All varieties of parboiled rice do not yield the same results.
The purpose of using parboiled rice is to use rice with less starch, however some parboiled varieties still have excessive starch in them.
I also found that canilla is long grain and even enriched parboiled rice, so I am sure this is the reason.
I hope the rice flour used was the Indian kind made from Indian variety of rice. Rice flour from other asian countries do not work out for me as they tend to be sticky.
Just to use up the ground batter, you can try this recipe of punugulu. You can also refrigerate and make this with in 10 days.
Hope these tips help.
Ruth says
Hello Swathi…. Thanks for your suggestion…. I will try the recipe…. I tried making dosa batter with sona masoori rice and it worked perfect.
kamal says
nice info
Roget says
How do I make bombayduck?
Laila Shabeer says
Is it possible to use US style Thailand par boiled rice?
swasthi says
Laila I am not sure if it works with thai rice. I think you should try with a small quantity. Sometimes the batter sticks up to the pan and will not be able to flip the dosa if the rice is sticky or starchy.
Ashwini says
I love your sambar recipes and halwa recipes. Its too good.why can’t you share puliyogare powder recipe.
swasthi says
Hi Ashwini
Thanks. Its a lot of work to make puliyogare powder, so I do not make it often. Next time when i make i will try to share
Anu says
Hi, usually for 1cup of uraddal I am using 3cup rice.but I want to know for this what amount of poha and channadal required.
swasthi says
Hi Anu
2 tbsps of chana dal and 4 tbsps of poha, 1 tsp of methi seeds for 1 cup urad dal and 3 cups rice.
You can find the recipe in the recipe card
Hilda Holley says
My recent holiday brought back memories of childhood. I feasted on marsala does and idles for breakfast. Much to the surprise of my friends. Not made does or idle before but look forward to attempt this. Thank you, your receipies suitable for me as I am yeast and wheat intolerant.
SUBIMAL MALLICK says
This is a very good recipe for making Dosa. Well described and very good direction. I really like this.
Lisa says
This is a versatile recipe. I mixed the batter with some vegan cheese shreds and put it in the sandwich maker/waffle iron for 3 minutes.
swasthi says
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the idea. Loved it and I never even thought of such an awesome idea. Will surely try this.
🙂
Bhavana says
Hi swasthi
Thanks for your mouth watering recipes explained to cook well even for beginners. I stay in cold country but yet my batter became very soar is there any tip to reverse it, I left it uncovered for 14hrs
swasthi says
Hi Bhavana
You are welcome. Can you tell me which recipe you followed?
Bhavana says
Yeah I used 1table spoon chenna dal, 1/2 cup split urad dal and avalakki and parboiled rice
swasthi says
You dint mention how much parboiled rice? If you have used 1.5 cups then you can fix it by using half to 3/4 cup of rice flour. Just make a thick batter of rice flour with water and mix it just before you make the dosa. You can also make uttapam. Hope this helps
Bhavana says
Hi swasthi Yes I used 1cup parboiled rice and half cup idli rice. Thanks for the tip I’ll try it now
swati says
it’s awsome
Kshama Chorawala says
Swati, I tried the dosa batter recipe. The dosas were crispy and simply awesome. I thank you so much for the recipe. I believe that the addition of chana dal made the dosas perfect.
Will share this recipe with my friends and family.
Zakiya says
Hi there
It looks so delectable and mouth watering. Am so keen to try this soon and share with you!!!
raj says
nice recipes u r helping for bachelors and i tried u r recipes its came nice.
Emine says
What does “parboiled” mean?
swasthi says
Hi Emine,
Rice that is partially boiled with the husk. It is available in most asian or Indian stores
Jyothi Kasina says
Very well explained. Looking good
I tried came well.
Thanks swasthi
Krishna Chaitanya says
Thank you madam.