Recipe for Masala Dosa

Dosa is undoubtedly the most famous South Indian breakfast. Many other South Indian breakfasts, such as idly, vada, upma, etc., are loved too, but nothing can beat the popularity of dosa. Made with rice and lentils, these pancakes are usually served with sambar and chutney.

In many south Indian homes, a good amount of batter is made on the weekend. Then, different breakfasts, such as idly, dosa, appam, uttapam, etc., are made throughout the week. In restaurants too, many varieties of dosas are sold – some popular ones being plain dosa, masala dosa, paper dosa, set dosa and rava dosa. Each of the south Indian states has variations in dosa, masala and chutney recipes according to the people’s taste/ingredient availability etc in that region.

So, let us start. Before I begin with the recipe, let me take my readers through the planning and preparation sequence, which is essential for making masala dosa. For that, let us understand the components of the recipe. When you make masala dosa, there are three components of the dish

–Dosa ( the rice and lentil pancake)

–Masala ( the spiced mix made with potatoes), and

–Chutney ( a spicy accompaniment)

So, if you plan to make Masala Dosa on Sunday morning for breakfast, soak the rice and lentils on Saturday morning. Grind the rice and lentils and prepare the batter on Saturday evening. Let the batter ferment overnight. Sunday morning, you will have the fermented batter ready.

On Sunday morning, prepare the masala and chutney first and keep them ready. Then make the dosas and serve them with masala and chutney.

Read the recipe given below, and you will be able to understand this better 🙂

Ingredients needed to make Masala Dosa:

Ingredients required to make Dosa:

• 4 cups Idly/Dosa Rice
• 1 cup Urad Dal (Black lentils without skin)
• 1 tbsp Fenugreek Seeds
• Salt; to taste
• Water; to soak the rice and lentils; to make the batter and to adjust the consistency of the batter
• Oil; for frying the dosas

Method to make Dosa:

• Combine rice and fenugreek seeds. Wash and soak them for 6-8 hours in 5 cups of water.
  
  
  
• Wash the lentils and soak them for 6-8 hours in 2½ cups of water.
  
  
  
• After 8-10 hours, you will see that the grains have swelled up.
  
  
  
• Grind them separately. Then combine and mix well. If needed, add water.
  
  
  
  
• Cover and let it ferment for 8-10 hours in a warm place.
  
  
  
• After 8-10 hours, you will notice that the batter has risen. Mix well.
  
  
  
• Add salt. Add water if needed and adjust the consistency.
  
  
  
• Now heat a pan. Brush oil on the surface. Reduce the heat to low. Pour 1-1½ladles of the batter on the pan and spread it in a circular fashion. Drizzle oil on the edges.
  
  
  
• When the dosa starts browning, turn it.
  
  
• After 5-10 seconds, take it out and serve.
  
  
  

Ingredients needed to make Masala ( Potato mix):

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
• 1 tsp Urad Dal ( Black gram without skin)
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tbsp Chopped Ginger
• 1 tbsp Chopped Green Chillies
• 8-10 Cashews
• 8-10 Curry leaves
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida
• 1 Chopped medium-sized Onion
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 8-10 Boiled and roughly mashed medium-sized Potatoes
• Salt; to taste
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander leaves; for garnishing

Method to make Masala:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal. Fry for 5-10 seconds on medium heat.
  
  
  
• Add Asafoetida, ginger, green chillies and cashews. Fry for another 10-12 seconds.
  
  
  
• Add curry leaves and chopped onion. Fry till the onions turn translucent.
  
  
  
• Add turmeric powder.
  
  
  
• Add boiled potatoes. Add salt and mix.
  
  
  
• Add lemon juice. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve.
  
  
  

Here is a picture of masala dosa with chutney. In this picture, I have served the dosas with coconut chutney. However, you can make any chutney of your choice. You can check out chutney recipes here.

I served the masala in a separate bowl. However, traditionally, a generous portion of masala is folded into the dosa so you can enjoy it with every bite.

Some important notes:

1. Soaking time of rice and lentils is important, so make sure you soak them for at least 6-8 hours before grinding them.
2. When you grind, the batter should not get heated up. Wet grinders give the best results as they slowly grind the grains, ensuring the batter doesn’t get heated. However, if you use a mixie, make sure that you give it short breaks while grinding. That way, you can avoid heating.
3. You can keep the batter on the kitchen counter for overnight fermentation during summer. However, during winter, that won’t work. So, keep the batter overnight in the oven with the light on. That will ensure perfect fermentation.
4. While making the dosas, the pan should not be very hot. After spreading the dosa batter and pouring some ghee, wait till it browns. Only then should you turn it. If the dosa is thin enough, turning can be avoided. That way, you will get crispy dosas.

About Ingredient sourcing in Germany:

While you can get some of the ingredients needed for this recipe from a local supermarket, for the Indian ingredients, you can check Spicelands. They are a big store in Frankfurt, delivering all across Germany.

Alternatively, you can even buy these ingredients from amazon.de. Links are given below:
Idli/dosa Rice: https://amzn.to/3NZcTtI
Urad Dal: https://amzn.to/41yfdLj
Methi Seeds: https://amzn.to/3LUpf3N
Salt: https://amzn.to/3ACstDM
Sesame Oil: https://amzn.to/3Bi446M
Cumin Seeds: https://amzn.to/44KbGg1
Mustard Seeds: https://amzn.to/42ECigI
Ginger: https://amzn.to/3BlHp9y
Cashews: https://amzn.to/3W2dgFZ
Curry Leaves: https://amzn.to/3I2K9MT
Asafoetida: https://amzn.to/41x8nWy
Onion: https://amzn.to/3plNHTZ
Turmeric Powder: https://amzn.to/41ygWAh
Potatoes:  https://amzn.to/3NWzjfn
Lemons: https://amzn.to/3O6QYBb
Coriander Leaves: https://amzn.to/3AZWU76


Equipment needed for the recipe:
Please note that I use all these in my kitchen. I am happy and satisfied with these products, and hence, I recommend these to my readers.
Dosa Pan: https://amzn.to/41rC8Im
Vessel to keep the batter ( I use the biggest one): https://amzn.to/3O21LfN
Mixer:
Option 1 Bosch: https://amzn.to/3LzMbGF (Perfect for Indian cooking, with great reviews)
Option 2: Preethi: https://amzn.to/3n9XCLH ( I use this. It is perfect for Indian cooking, but priced higher than Bosch)
Kadhai: https://amzn.to/3oXXNtW
Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3n9IXjM
Knife Set (includes a bread knife): https://amzn.to/3Lg64Bj

Check out many other recipes here.

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Here is a printable version of the recipe: