How to Make a Dosa

Dosas are a traditional Indian food that resemble very thin, crispy pancakes. Dosas can be made from a variety of batters and are a food staple, particularly in South India. Much like burritos, dosas can be filled with anything your family likes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Rice
• Black gram
• Fenugreek seeds
• Oil in a small bowl
• Shallow round ladle
• Food processor
• Electric skillet
• Salt
• Pepper
• Filling
• Basting brush
• Paper towels
• Bowl of ice water

1. Clean rice and black gram thoroughly and mix in fenugreek seeds. Add enough water to the bowl to cover the mixture by at least 2 inches. Soak it overnight so that the batter rises. Some Indian food recipes say to wash the rice several times before soaking.
2. Drain the mixture well, then place it in a food processor or run through an electric grinder until you have a very fine, grainy paste. You might have to add a bit more water if the mixture is too thick, but use as little water as possible.
3. Put your paste into another bowl and drizzle in enough water to make a batter with a consistency similar to that of cake batter. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the batter to rest for at least 1 hour.
4. Heat your electric griddle to medium-high heat and grease it lightly.
5. Fill a shallow ladle about 3/4 of the way full and pour it out in the center of the skillet. Use the bottom of the ladle and swirl the batter outward to achieve thin, crisp dosas.
6. Drizzle a tiny amount of oil over the dosa with a basting brush. Once the edges are browning and crisping, flip the dosa over and cook it for another 60 seconds. Then remove it from the heat.
7. Use a paper towel dipped in the ice water and wrung dry to lightly wash the surface of the griddle before you make another dosa. This prevents the next dosas from cracking.

Tips & Warnings

• The amount of rice and black gram used to make dosas varies from recipe to recipe. Traditionally, it's 3 or 4 parts rice to 1 part black gram. Experiment to find the perfect amount for your palette.
• You should eat dosas immediately after you make them. You can fill them with anything, though chutney and chicken are the most common fillings.