Dosas are my favorite! I think I have spoken enough on this that I need not say much. Still if I got to elaborate, I can talk endless on Dosas and what it does to me. For quite a long period, when parottas were not really introduced to me, I always used to order Dosa in a restaurant. Dad used to ask why I would want to order dosa when every other day it is for breakfast at home. Still I never used fail in my taste. This continued to be my standard order until I started loving Parotta.
How many ever times you make at home, still the aroma of a dosa on a tawa is incomparable. The earliest memories of Dosa on tawa must be during my childhood days. During summer vacation while in school, we used to visit ammamma's house. Our stays were never longer than 3 to 4 days, so we used to enjoy the maximum possible. My mom's family is a big one with 6 sisters and a brother. During that time, most of them were not married and hence all were at home. We all used to sleep in the terrace and we kids used to sleep through morning.By then, Ammamma would've started the breakfast preparation. The kitchen's chimney used to be a big hole which opens naturally from the terrace and through this, the smell of dosa getting cooked on the tawa sneaks out through the chimney. That memory is still so fresh that I can even now as I am writing this, can smell it in my mind. Such potent Aroma! Nothing can surpass that! It would be around 8 or 8.30, but still the climate would be kind of chill and not the hot scorching sun that comes out latter part of the day. We rush down to fresh up and straight go attach the dosas. Ammamma would've made ground nut chutney and wow it used to taste to heavenly. Amma, as I said has this on menu almost some 3 to 4 times a week as I love it. Still that aroma of dosa on a iron tawa in a stove lit using the logs, is something unique. Those days there was no gas stove and they used wood for cooking. So the smoky smell from the wood gets mixed with the tantalizing dosa getting cooked. Its like the burnt Chinese Fried rice, you never actually get the exact taste if you don't burn it.
Well years later, I still remember those days as a child I spent in my grandparents home, enjoying the simplest of food, yet nothing was more satisfying. Even now dosas are my favorite. And am happy that my konda is also fond of it. I do hope my twins too like it. Hubby dear at times complains that Konda has so much of my taste. But I think she has best of us in her, which makes me glad. Though I wanted to record 101 varieties of dosa here, I haven't really recorded the basic proportion given by Amma. Anyone can make a dosa when given the batter, but to get the perfect one, makes an expert. The way you spread the batter on the tawa, how thin or how thick all comes out of experience. Amma makes lovely 'Kal Dosa' which is a soft with lot of holes on the top. That's something so wonderful. Its the same batter that she makes, yet she gets Paper Roast and Kal Dosa out of it.
Today its going to be Onion Uthappam and Paper Roast
Basic Dosa Batter:
Par Boiled Rice - 2 cups (400 gms)
Raw Rice - 2 cups
Urud Dal - 3/4 cups
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
*Measurement can be understood as whatever cup you used for rice, use the same one to measure the Urud dal.
Clean and Soak the rice along with urud dal for 6 hrs maximum. This is for grinding in a grinder. If you are going to use mixie, you got to soak for some more time.
Then grind everything together to a smooth batter. This has to be done with adding enough water to get a smooth batter. Add salt and let it ferment over night. Once its fermented well, the batter would have doubled its size. Beat it well and don't add water at this stage. The consistency will be really thick.
Use only what is required, rest of the fermented batter can be stored in fridge for later use. If stored in room temperature, the batter tends to get soured. But when you store in refrigerator, the batter can be fresh for a week.
Before using the batter, mix 1/2 cup water and a pinch of soda if required, to the batter you are going to use, return back the batter to fridge. Mix well.
Heat a tawa, and take a ladleful of batter and once the tawa is hot, you can spread as a circle movement. Clockwise or Anti clock wise is your choice. Amma makes it Anti Clock wise. You can check if the tawa is hot, by sprinkling water on it.
For Paper roast, take less than a ladleful and spread it really thin. Sprinkle Oil or Ghee and simmer it. If you are using non-stick pan, let it come up. Then you can turn over and cook on the other side. If its a regular iron pan, you can cut half an Onion and dip in oil and spread over the tawa. Then spread the batter.
Onion Uthappam
Chop the onions really fine. Take a ladle of dosa batter and pour on the tawa, don't spread. Top it with lot of finely chopped onions. Sprinkle oil or ghee and cover with lid. Sim for a min. Then once its cooked, turn over and press well so that the raw batter beneath the onions come out and gets cooked. Simmer for 5 mins with lid. This will ensure the onions get really brown.
Serve with your choice of chutneys.
Alternatively you can sprinkle podi on the top once the oninos are cooked. That tastes heavenly.
Enjoy!
RAKS KITCHEN says
Love dosai a lot...Now I am off to make dosas:))
Seema says
Lovely dosas a hot favourite with most of us! I liked all those chutneys.. Looks yum!!Onion Uthappam looks great, my dad makes lovely uthappams ofcourse with generous helping from oil!!
remya says
i'm also a grt dosa lover....i like all variations.....nice onion uttaapam...
Shweta says
I am a big time dosa lover, being a North Indian I don't have such happy childhood 'dosa' memories! But I love those home-made small, soft and thick dosas (had a neighbor who would treat us to those :)). Still can't help but order dosa every chance I get! Love your 101, your basic proportion is different from what I normally use, can't wait to try yours! Thanks 🙂
Laavanya says
2 of my favorite dosas... Looks great Srivalli.
easycrafts says
A sweet sambhar would make the uttapam super...my mom also used to make it. Thanks for sharing
KALVA says
Yes true with my grandma tooo,, her dosas are healvenly, and she used to make shutney with mortar and pestel. Sometimes she prefer to use the same for making the batter instead of electri grinder.. hats off.. all AMMAMMAS.,,. they are the best!!
Devi says
Never used raw rice to make doasi batter. Should try it next time.
Srivalli, you have a great blog and the doasi looks inviting.
Latha Narasimhan says
When I find nothing else to post, I always have my 101 dosas! 😀 You know something, after preparing dosas almost everyday my first order in any hotel is dosa! 😀 Finally I found one dosa girl to challenge this dosa aunty! 🙂
Latha Narasimhan says
BTW your paper roast is looking exactly like mine! For a moment I thought you posted my pictures! 😀
Seema Bhat says
Yummy dosas with all varieties of chutneys and podis.
Happy cook says
I love dosa.
My hubby love onion uttapom. When ever in India he always ask for it.
TheCooker says
All those chutneys look delicious. The dosa and uttapam....just fab.
Siri says
Even I am a biiiiiiiiiiiig fan of Dosas.. But, I never get the awesome taste of a hotel dosa.. donno y!
Will try ur way this time.. Thanks for such lovely instructions Sri!!
~ Siri
lakshmi says
haven't made uthappam in a long time - can you believe it!!!
Nags says
dosa is a staple back at home too . we even have it for dinner 🙂 its nice you are going to share more recipes. looks yummy!
bee says
i got a new cast iron dosa tawa yesterday. now i gotta make them. but my batter never ferments in this house. who cares? i'll make them anyway.
Srivalli says
Rajeswari...glad to find a dosa lover...good..now you can also enjoy the great dosas!
Laavanya, thanks ..glad you like them
ec, Sweet sambhar?? as in adding jaggary??..does it taste good??..maybe one day I will try it out...thanks
Lathamma, thats nice to know...looking forward to your dosa varieties...I can take up that challenge anytime..:D...hhaha..is it..thats nice to know...I am so glad I could get my picture same as yours!
Seema, thanks...hope you liked them!
Seema, hahha..so glad to know that...and its nice to know your dad makes a good one...of course with lot of oil it tastes so good no doubt!
Happy cook, oh thats nice...am sure you must be making this so often!
remya, I am so glad to know another dosa lover!
Shweta..welcome to my blog...glad you dropped by...do try and let me know how you like it...this is my Mom's recipe..so it always comes out well!
Kalva, yeah with M&P, the chutneys tastes great..even mine used to do the say..I was planning to mention this...but looks like i have forgotten it, thanks for reminding it..
Devi, Thank you...nice of you to drop by...do try and let me know.!
TC, Glad you liked them!
bee, wow another new one..great...do try and let me know!
Siri, I am so glad to know that!..do try these and am sure you will love it
lakshmi, what??..thats really hard to believe!..so why don't you make it today!
Nags..ehmm..thats an usual one at parents home too...yeah I am planning too..
Namratha says
Hmm, Paper roast, can almost imagine the crispness and yummy taste, love it Sri...looks awesome!
Srivalli says
Thanks..Namratha..paper roast is always so tasty
Madhavi says
Thanks for posting such a nice recipe....i love it
Angie says
I am in the mid-atlantic US. What is meant by RAW rice? Does one normally find this in grocery stores? Is bulk rice usually RAW rice?
Srivalli says
AngieSorry for the delay in responding. In South states of India we get two types of rice, that's why I mentioned Raw rice specially. Since you are in US, you will be getting the rice that you can use for making Dosa. If you are interested to know, we get what's called Raw Rice and Par Boiled Rice, where rice is boiled with the husk and then processed. That's mostly used for making Idlis etc.
For your question, yes the one you normally find in US will be suitable for making Dosas. Hope I clarified your doubt.
Srivalli says
Swathi Please read about par boiled rice on the wiki, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parboiled_rice . This explains how the rice is processed. Basically you should be able to get this from the grocery store.
swathi says
hi
can u jus clear it for me what is par boiled rice??????