Ghee Set Dosa Recipe

Soak the grains

Rinse the rice and urad dal separately under running water until the water runs mostly clear. Rinse the poha once. In two separate bowls, combine rice with fenugreek seeds and cover with enough water to submerge by 2 inches; in the other bowl cover urad dal with enough water by 2 inches. Let rice + fenugreek and urad dal soak for 4–6 hours at room temperature. Add the poha to the rice for the last 30 minutes of soaking (or soak poha with rice at start if using cooked rice).

Grind urad dal

Drain the urad dal and reserve soaking water. In a wet-grinder or high-powered blender, grind the urad dal with about 1/2 to 1 cup of the reserved soaking water to a smooth, soft, and airy batter. Grind in short bursts, scraping sides, until you achieve a fluffy texture with tiny visible air bubbles. Transfer the urad batter to a large mixing container.

Grind rice mixture

Drain the rice + poha and reserve the soaking water. Grind them with 1/2 to 1 cup of the reserved soaking water to a slightly grainy to smooth batter (dosa batter is slightly grainy compared to idli). Add small amounts of water as needed to reach a pouring consistency—batter should be thick but pourable, similar to heavy cream. Combine this rice batter with the urad batter in the large container and mix well with a whisk or wet hand to incorporate air.

Ferment

Add 1 to 1.5 tsp salt and mix again. Cover the container loosely and leave it in a warm place (around 28–32°C / 82–90°F) to ferment for 8–12 hours or until the batter has risen and shows bubbles and a mildly sour aroma. In cooler climates this may take 12–18 hours; you can place the container in an oven with just the light on or near a warm appliance.

Adjust batter before cooking

After fermentation, stir the batter gently. If it’s too thick to spread, thin with a few tablespoons of water to achieve a pouring consistency for set dosa (slightly thicker than paper dosa). The batter should spread to about 6–7 inch diameter and maintain a slight thickness for a set dosa.

Preheat griddle

Place a heavy cast-iron tawa or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and let it heat for 4–6 minutes until quite hot. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface — they should sizzle and evaporate immediately. Reduce heat to medium for cooking.

Season pan

Wipe the hot surface with a lightly oiled paper towel (use a little of the 1 tbs oil) to create a thin nonstick layer. This is particularly helpful for cast-iron.

Pour and spread batter

Stir the batter once more. Pour a ladleful (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on ladle size) of batter onto the center of the griddle. For a set dosa, do not spread thin like paper dosa; instead, using the back of the ladle, gently spread the batter in a circular motion to form a 6–7 inch diameter thick pancake (about 3–4 mm thickness).

Cook the dosa

Cook the dosa on medium heat for 2–3 minutes until the surface shows sets of tiny holes and the edges start to lift. Do not flip. Drizzle about 1/2 to 1 tsp ghee around the edges and a little on the surface. Cover the pan with a lid for 30–60 seconds to help the dosa set through without burning, especially if you prefer the top cooked through.

Finish and serve

Once the underside is golden-brown and the top is set, use a spatula to gently loosen and fold or remove the dosa. Transfer to a serving plate and immediately brush or pour another 1/2 to 1 tsp ghee on top. Repeat with remaining batter, re-oiling the pan lightly as needed. If using optional green chilies and cilantro, sprinkle them on batter after pouring and before the top sets so they stick to the dosa.

Storage and reheating

Leftover fermented batter can be refrigerated for up to 3–4 days; bring to room temperature before making dosas. Cooked dosas can be kept warm in a covered container; to reheat, drizzle a little ghee and warm on a skillet over low heat for 30–60 seconds per side.