Dosa

Method

1. 1Soak separately. Place rice in one bowl and urad dal with fenugreek seeds in a second bowl. Cover each with cold water by several centimetres. Soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. The rice and dal must soak separately: they grind to different textures and take different amounts of time in the blender. Don't over-rinse the urad dal — you want to keep the natural yeasts on the surface.
2. 2Grind. Drain the urad dal (reserve the soaking water). Blend dal with fenugreek seeds and 80 to 100 ml of cold water for 4 to 5 minutes until completely smooth, pale, and slightly fluffy — it should almost look like thick cream. Transfer to a large bowl. Drain the rice and blend with 100 to 130 ml of cold water until the texture is smooth with just a slight graininess — not as fine as the dal. Add to the bowl with the dal and mix well. The combined batter should pour like thick pancake batter. Add a little more water if needed.
3. 3Ferment. Cover the bowl loosely with a cloth or lid (not sealed — fermentation produces gas). Leave in a warm place (25 to 30°C) for 8 to 12 hours until the batter has risen noticeably, smells mildly sour, and shows small bubbles throughout. In a cold kitchen: place in a turned-off oven with just the oven light on. Do not add salt before fermentation — iodised salt especially inhibits yeast activity. Once fermented, add the non-iodised salt and stir gently to preserve the air in the batter.
4. 4Cook the dosas. Heat a cast-iron tawa or heavy flat pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Wipe with a paper towel dipped in oil. Pour a small ladle (about 80 ml) of batter into the center of the pan. Immediately use the back of the ladle or a flat-bottomed cup to spread the batter outward in a spiral motion — from center outwards — pressing lightly and working quickly. The dosa should be thin and even, about 20 to 22 cm across. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil around the edges. Cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes until the top surface turns from white to off-white and the edges lift. Flip and cook 30 seconds more. Roll or fold and serve immediately.
5. 5Masala dosa (optional filling). Boil and mash 3 to 4 medium potatoes. In a pan, heat oil and add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When they pop, add 1 sliced onion, 2 green chillies, a sprig of curry leaves, and ½ tsp turmeric. Cook until soft. Add the mashed potato, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Stir well. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling on one half of the dosa before folding. Serve immediately with coconut chutney and sambar.