Dosas Recipe - The Washington Post
The secret to the crepelike South Indian savory known as dosa is not in the incredibly simple recipe: It’s in the wrist. Expect to make four or five dosas before you acquire the delicate swirl technique required to get the crepe to an ideal thinness.
Restaurants such as Woodlands in Langley Park use round-bottomed cups to help spread the batter into a round crepe that’s so thin, it’s often called “paper dosa.” (A soup ladle, gripped near the base, works, too.)
Serve right away, with Coconut Chutney for dipping (see related recipe).
The urad dal and methi seed are available at South Asian and Indian markets.
The urad dal and the rice need to be rinsed in a fine-mesh colander (separately) to remove excess starch, then soaked (separately) in cool water for 6 hours. The dosa batter needs to ferment for about 8 hours. The fermented batter can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month; defrost completely in the refrigerator before using.
Adapted from Ananda Poojary, owner of Woodlands in Langley Park.
Story continues below advertisement
Advertisement
Ingredients
measuring cupServings: 8-10 (crepes)
Directions
Step 1
Rinse the urad dal and rice separately in a fine-mesh strainer to clean and remove any excess starch. Place the rice in one bowl and cover with water. Combine the urad dal and methi seed in a separate bowl and cover with water. Soak each for 6 hours.
Step 2
Drain, reserving the soaking liquid from the dal.
Step 3
Combine the dal and a little of the reserved soaking liquid in a high-powered blender; puree until very smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Clean out the blender, then add the rice and some of the reserved soaking liquid; puree until no individual grains or pieces are apparent.
Step 4
Pour the pureed rice into the pureed dal, stirring until well incorporated. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter or slightly thinner. Season with the salt. Cover the bowl with a plate or loose-fitting lid. Let the batter sit at room temperature to ferment for about 8 hours. It will increase in volume and should smell slightly sour when ready. (In warm weather, keep the batter away from sunlight; in cool weather, place the batter in an oven or microwave (turned off) to ferment away from drafts.)
Step 5
Refrigerate the fully fermented batter if you're not going to make dosas right away. Otherwise, heat a griddle or 12-inch nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter onto the griddle or pan, and very quickly use the bottom of a ladle or bowl to spread it, in one rapid, clockwise motion, into a thin round that's 6 or 7 inches across. (If the batter seems too thick, add water to the mixture in the bowl in small increments; if it is too thin, flour can be added to thicken it.)
Step 6
Use a spoon to sprinkle a small amount of oil on the edges of each dosa for crispness and to ease removal from the cooking surface. When the dosa’s underside is a golden brown, gently roll so that one end is a little wider (a slightly loose cone shape), or fold in half. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining dosa batter.
Step 7
Serve right away.
Story continues below advertisement
Advertisement
Adapted from Ananda Poojary, owner of Woodlands in Langley Park.
Tested by Lavanya Ramanathan.
Published November 4, 2014
Related Recipes
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZL%2Bmr8ipnKxnlKTAor%2BO