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How to make Dosa at home

January 3, 2010 by PadhuSankar 61 Comments

Dosa is a South Indian crepe made from rice and lentils. It is rich in carbohydrates and protein and is usually prepared for breakfast or dinner. It is served with sambhar or chutney. Dosa is a favourite among kids. If I ask my kids whether they want idly or dosa, their choice is always dosa. There are a number of varieties of dosa but before going to all that I wanted to give the basic dosa recipe. It is long since I posted anything in my “how to series” for budding cooks.

Dosa-South Indian
South Indian Dosa with coconut chutney – tomato chutney –sambar 

How to make Dosa at Home – Dosa recipe

How to make dosa batter?

I have given 3 measurements for making dosas. I have tried all the 3 methods several times. You can choose whichever is comfortable for you. You can make both idli and dosa using recipe#1 and recipe#2 but only dosa using recipe#3

How to make Dosa-Dosa Recipe


Dosa Recipe

 Prep Time : 60 mins

 Cook Time : 3-5 mins per dosa 
 Serves: 5-6
 Recipe Category: Breakfast
 Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

   Ingredients needed

  Dosa Batter Recipe #1

   Par boiled Idly rice -3 cups
   Whole skinned urad dal -1 cup
   Fenugreek seeds -3/4 tsp (optional)
   Salt as needed

  Dosa Batter Recipe #2

   Par boiled Idly rice -4 cups
   Whole skinned urad dal -1 cup
   Fenugreek seeds -1 tsp
   Salt as needed

Method of preparing the batter is the same as that of Idly batter (click the link for more details)

You can prepare both Idly and dosa, if you are using Dosa #1 and dosa #2 measurements.

how to make dosa at home

Dosa Batter Recipe #3

Ingredients needed 

Raw rice -1 1/2 cup
Parboiled Idli Rice (idly pulungal arisi)- 1 1/2 cup
Whole skinned Urad dal – 1 cup
Fenugreek – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tbsp ( I use crystal salt). Use less if you are using table salt. Adjust salt as required.

With this Dosa Batter Recipe #3 you can prepare only dosa.


Wash and soak both rice and dal for 5 – 6 hours separately. Soak fenugreek seeds along with urad dal.

Drain the water and grind dal  in a wet grinder or food processor adding water from time to time to a smooth and fluffy batter. Remove it in a container.

Grind rice to a slightly coarse paste adding water little at a time.

Mix both the ground rice and dal together with clean hands or a ladle. The consistency of the batter should not be too thick nor too thin but should thickly coat a spoon when dipped in the batter.

Add salt and leave it overnight or for 7-8 hours for fermentation. The fermenting time differs depending on the temperature and weather conditions.

After fermenting the batter will double its volume. So place the batter in a large container.

This fermented batter is used to make dosa. Now your dosa batter is ready. Mix it well with a ladle.

Ingredients for making dosa

Dosa batter
Non stick tawa/ cast-iron tawa
Sesame seed oil as needed
Bowl of water (for dipping the spatula which makes it easy to take the dosa from the tawa)
Ladle
Spatula

how to make crispy dosa
Method


Heat a non stick tawa/cast-iron tawa, grease it with oil. Cut an onion into half and rub it all over the tawa. This is done so that the dosa will not stick to the tawa. (optional)

Take a ladle of batter, pour it in the centre of the tawa and spread it a circular motion.

Drizzle a tsp of oil around the dosa.

If you want paper thin dosas, dip the spatula in water and flatten the dosa evenly ( See  pic 2) as shown in the picture.

When the corners start lifting up, flip the dosa to the other side, drizzle 1/2 tsp of  oil and cook until done.

Serve with sambar or chutney or milagai podi mixed with oil.

It can be served in different ways-  rolled, folded or made it into a cone (picture above). It can be made thin and crispy or thick and spongy like uthappams, or super thin (known as paper dosas).

Repeat the same process for the rest of the batter. Enjoy making the most popular South Indian Breakfast at home!!

Refer delicious Chutney Recipes and Sambar Recipes  and more side dishes for idli-dosas.

If you found this post useful, I would really love it, if you pin it or share it with your Facebook fans or Twitter followers or Google+ circles today. All it takes is a simple click on the “pin it” “like,” “share,” “tweet,” or Google+ buttons below the post. It will keep me motivated. Thank you!

Related posts:

Savory Breakfast Muffins with Quinoa-Quinoa Egg and Vegetable Muffins
BisiBelaBath/sambar sadam
Aadi 18-Aadi Perukku Recipes-Pathinettam Perukku Recipes
Kalakai Pickle Recipe-Karonda Achaar

Filed Under: Breakfast Varieties, How To, Uncategorized Tagged With: Dosa Varieties, Uncategorized




Previous Post: « How to make Ghee at Home
Next Post: 2 minutes Instant Healthy Wheat dosa ! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Home Cooked Oriya Food

    January 3, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    Padhu – that dosa looks so good. I want one too…
    Happy New Year!

    Reply
  2. Home Cooked Oriya Food

    January 3, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    lovely dosas – can I have 1 ?
    Happy New Year!

    Reply
  3. Sushma Mallya

    January 3, 2010 at 1:05 pm

    Very nicely explained and shown through those pics….very useful post for the beginners..

    Reply
  4. Anncoo

    January 3, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    My family love dosa, must try to make this. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
  5. Lyndsey

    January 3, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    Nice post, you have explained how to do it well. I'd love to try this!

    Reply
  6. Vrinda

    January 3, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    Perfect dosa,nice presentation…

    Reply
  7. Pari

    January 3, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    Hi. Very nicely explained Padhu, it will be of great help for the beginners. Personally I like cone dosa.

    Reply
  8. meeso

    January 3, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    Oh, they look so tasty and perfect! I wish I had a grinder!

    Reply
  9. Rachana Kothari

    January 3, 2010 at 6:16 pm

    Nice Post. I feel like having Dosa's now:)
    Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving lovely comments.
    http://rachanakothari.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  10. PJ

    January 3, 2010 at 6:40 pm

    great post! and a nice start to a recipe-filled 2010!

    Reply
  11. Balakrishna Saraswathy

    January 3, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    That a lovely post explain how to make dosa at home…looks great:)

    Reply
  12. Viki's Kitchen

    January 3, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Love this post very much. Dosa procedure explained very well. Good job dear.
    Wish you and family a happy n prosperous new year.

    Reply
  13. sree

    January 3, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    delicious dosas and perfect step by step naration. Thanks for dropping by….:)

    Reply
  14. kothiyavunu

    January 3, 2010 at 11:35 pm

    Yummy dosa with nice presentation.

    Reply
  15. Yasmeen

    January 4, 2010 at 12:24 am

    A helpful pictorial about dosa making .My best wishes for 2010 😀

    Reply
  16. Renuka Bedre - Rao

    January 4, 2010 at 12:30 am

    One of my most favorite bfast item. n ur pics r so cool..loved pic of cone dosa!! ur blog is wonderful..i m ur regular visitor now 🙂

    Renuka
    http://cookingyummy.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  17. Soma Pradhan

    January 4, 2010 at 12:39 am

    Wish yo & your family a very happy new year.. The dosa looks perfect.. I was already for it since friday..seeing ur pic makes me crame more !!!

    Reply
  18. Ms.Chitchat

    January 4, 2010 at 2:59 am

    Perfect dosa :):)Nice demo.

    Chitchat

    Reply
  19. Gouri Guha

    January 4, 2010 at 6:49 am

    Lovely dosa and a perfect way of explaining the making of it.

    Reply
  20. Tina

    January 4, 2010 at 7:32 am

    Wow my all time fav…So comfortable and easy dish….Nice pics too dear…

    Reply
  21. Mythreyi Dilip

    January 4, 2010 at 8:09 am

    I love dosas Padhu, beautifully explained with pictures. Pass me some:)

    Reply
  22. Priya

    January 4, 2010 at 8:21 am

    Very useful for novice cookers…lovely clicks!!

    Reply
  23. Devi Meyyappan

    January 4, 2010 at 7:42 pm

    wow, Dosai is my fav!!.. I can eat it all day!!, nice dosai's :), wish you and your family a very very happy new year!!

    Reply
  24. Latha

    January 4, 2010 at 8:11 pm

    Lovely presentation… they look perfect. My family's fav.

    Reply
  25. Dolly

    January 4, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    Dear Padhu, Your Dosas look perfect. Nice and crispy, just the way I like. I have nominated you for a Kreativ blogger award as one of my favorite blogs. Please come visit my blog and see how it works and pick up your award. Thank you.

    Reply
  26. Siddhi Shirsat

    January 5, 2010 at 7:43 am

    hey nice way of explaining how to make dosas…very gud n detailed pics…dosas luk realy crispy

    Reply
  27. vineetha

    January 5, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    looks so crispy…well presented

    Reply
  28. Mansi

    January 5, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    Hey Padhu, thanks for the lovely elaborate post and especially the Onion tip. Will do it the next time I prepare dosas. Wish you a happy new year!

    Reply
  29. Sarah Naveen

    January 5, 2010 at 6:13 pm

    Nice post..those lovely yummy dosas are making me hungry …

    Reply
  30. 3 hungry tummies

    January 7, 2010 at 3:00 am

    i love dosai, i have a tawa and now your recipe, i'll give it a try!

    Reply
  31. kanthi

    November 18, 2010 at 5:57 pm

    Dosa varieties are yummmm for foodies

    Reply
  32. Kulsum

    January 6, 2011 at 7:21 am

    Padhu I always mess up my dosa's. If I'm making 10 5 go to the bin and 5 come out good! I guess i lack the technique. I'm going to try your second batter. Question :
    Which raw rice do u use? Can I use basmati rice? or shd i use something else?

    Reply
  33. PadhuSankar

    January 6, 2011 at 10:26 am

    Dear Kulsum
    Dosa with the second measurement comes so well and there is no chance to mess up .I use ponni raw rice which is easily available in India and for boiled rice I use the one which is sold especially for making idly and dosa .You can use ordinary boiled rice also .I have not tried with basmati rice.Always grease the tawa with oil and rub it with half an onion for your dosa to come out well.Good luck

    Reply
  34. Tony

    June 13, 2011 at 4:15 am

    Thanks for the great dosa recipe! I had my first dosa at a local restaurant and really like the texture and flavor. Cheers!

    Tony
    http://www.realmeneatgreen.com

    Reply
  35. deepu lalli

    December 4, 2012 at 6:02 am

    hello padhu… can u tell me what is idly rice in telugu plss?

    Reply
  36. Sri Ganesh

    December 10, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    You prepare the dosa batter just like my Mother does. I miss her Dosa.

    Reply
  37. aseah othman

    June 25, 2013 at 4:10 am

    Hi Padhu, thanks for the recipe. It look great.
    I've tried it, but somehow my batter didn't fermented nicely and when cook it turn hard.
    Do u have any tips how to make it right? Or any adjustment that I can do to my batter? Thank you

    Reply
  38. PadhuSankar

    June 25, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    Aseah Othman- If the batter does not ferment well, then your dosa will be hard. So it is very important that you ferment the batter well before making dosas.

    Reply
  39. yohashri karthick

    April 21, 2014 at 5:13 am

    hi padhu… i too using d same procedure but i m nt getting tat crispiness n my dosa…dnt knw y?…:-( cud u plz suggest me…wat 2 do?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      April 26, 2014 at 1:09 pm

      It depends on the quality of urad dal, way you grind and also your tawa. Check out how to season dosa tawa
      and my idly batterand hotel dosa batter recipe.

      http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2014/03/appam-dosa-batter-recipe-hotel-dosa.html

      Reply
  40. Manjari Chowdhury

    September 21, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    Hi, Padhu, I tried you dosa and it just came out perfect. Thank-you for sharing this fantastic recipe

    Reply
  41. destiny's mystery

    January 7, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Hello padhu,
    Thanks for wonderful recipes,I love dosas and ur recipes would be great help.i wanted to ask can I replace parboiled rice with something else,coz from where I belong its difficult to get it.so please help

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      January 9, 2015 at 6:19 am

      Thank you for liking my recipes. You can try using sona masori rice. You can add 1/4 cup of poha for softness.

      Reply
    • destiny's mystery

      January 9, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Thanks a lot!!!

      Reply
  42. Rohini Suresh

    August 26, 2015 at 5:45 am

    Thank u mam..
    My dosa bcums like rubber..
    Can u suggest tips?

    I use 3 cup rice and 3/4 cup dhal

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      August 27, 2015 at 8:55 am

      The measurement you are using is correct .I use 3/4 -1 cup of dal .Use whole urad dal without skin and grind it well until light and fluffy. Also use fresh stock and not old stock as it will not give soft dosas. Check out these tips which are mostly same for idli and dosa . Link below
      soft idli dosa tips

      Reply
  43. Karen Baker

    September 16, 2015 at 12:47 am

    I have tried #3 several times and when I cook the dosa it won't cook. I have tried idli dishes, a skillet and I've cooked it for a long time hoping it would finally cook and it's completely raw and inedible. Do you know what I'm doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      September 18, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      Use good quality and fresh ingredients. Do not stock urad dal. Grinding the batter well is also important. When cooking dosa, cook on medium heat and wait for the corners to lift up, then flip it over to the other side.

      Reply
  44. Eliteguy

    August 10, 2016 at 9:30 am

    Thanks for the recipe padhu..
    Kindly clarify my doubt:
    For dosa batter(excluding to make idlis ), why can't we grind dal and rice together in a single stretch? Please explain…
    Regards

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      August 11, 2016 at 6:52 am

      For dosa batter, you can also grind rice and dal together or separately.

      Reply
  45. G J kulavansa

    March 3, 2017 at 1:56 am

    dear padhu,
    Thanks for your recipes,I much like this dosas and great help for our family introducing a new food. easily can understand the explanation too. Indians are much talented for many fields

    Reply
  46. Unknown

    May 13, 2017 at 9:34 am

    Is it possible to make instant dosa powder? Store it and add water whenever you want dosa? Will it work?

    Reply
  47. RIYAZ HUSSAIN

    May 21, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    Is there difference in result of dosa using 2 different dosa batter methods

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      May 22, 2017 at 9:04 am

      There is a difference when using the third method.

      Reply
  48. MohanaPriya Thiruvengadam

    April 10, 2018 at 3:20 am

    I will try today itself. I will choose the third method.

    Reply
  49. sumana

    April 26, 2018 at 1:59 pm

    Hi Padhu,
    For the 1st and 2nd measurements, can I use ponni rice?

    Reply
    • Padhu Sankar

      April 27, 2018 at 5:43 am

      Yes, you can use ponni pulugal. Even if you are not able to make idlis, you can make dosas. (I have used idli pulungal arisi)

      Reply
  50. Unknown

    March 8, 2019 at 4:55 pm

    How to make cone dosa

    Reply
  51. Kala

    June 29, 2020 at 8:35 pm

    hi Padhu, can i use brown rice for dosa.

    Reply
    • PadhuSankar

      June 30, 2020 at 9:20 am

      Yes, you can check my brown rice dosa recipe –
      https://www.padhuskitchen.com/2014/04/brown-rice-dosa-recipe-brown-rice-dosa.html

      Reply
  52. Kala

    June 30, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    thanks for your prompt reply.

    Reply

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Meet Padhu, the Chef, the photographer, recipe developer and web designer behind Padhuskitchen which features Simple Indian Vegetarian recipes, healthy recipes, kids friendly recipes, Indian festival recipes, traditional South Indian Vegetarian ...

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