When it comes to healthy breakfast options, soft idli and crispy dosa are some of the most common dishes that most of us think of on the very first thought. To get fluffy idli and paper-thin dosa, it is important to get the batter right. The catch here is to attain perfect consistency while preparing the batter for both these South-Indian delights. Dosa requires a batter that is of a slight runny consistency; whereas, idli requires a batter that is comparatively thicker. In this article, we'll tell you how to ace the art of making crispy and paper-light dosa that is incredibly tasty.
(Also Read: Indian Cooking Tips: How To Make Famous Mumbai-Style Dosa 'Jini Dosa' At Home)
Dosa requires a batter that is of a slight runny consistency
Let's Get Started By Making The Batter For Dosa
You'd Need:
Rice - 2 cups
Methre (fenugreek powder) - 1 tsp
Urad dal (washed) - half to 1 cup
Baking soda - half tsp
Salt - as per taste
Method:
To begin with, wash urad dal and rice separately under running water and soak them in water for about 4 hours or the entire night in different containers.
Once this is done, strain water from the soaked urad dal and grind it with little water to make a fine paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. In the same way, grind rice as well. However, make sure that you use very little water and it should be comparatively thick than the urad dal paste.
Now combine both urad dal and rice batter and mix well with the help of a ladle. Add methre and baking soda in the batter and mix. Allow the batter to ferment and rise for about 12 hours. (Use a large bowl for the fermentation process as the batter tends to rise after getting fermented.)
Now comes the tricky part of making paper-thin dosa. Here are 3 tips to get it right:
Tip 1: The batter for a crispy dosa needs to be thin in consistency. So add water to the dosa mix to an extent till it reaches a consistency that is a bit thinner than what we use for pakoras.
Tip 2: Before putting a ladleful of the batter onto the pan, always ensure that the pan is sufficiently hot and turned down to low flame. Now, splatter a bit of water on the pan and wipe it with a kitchen towel.
Tip 3: Now add a ladleful of the batter in the centre of the pan and spread the mix clockwise to form a dosa. Bring the flame to medium level and add pour some oil on the sides of the dosa. To cook the centre of the dosa, prick it from the centre and pour oil over it. Allow the dosa to cook from the bottom; once it turns slightly brown, flip it over and cook the other side by applying little oil over it.
Follow the steps mentioned above to get crispy thin, restaurant-style dosa. Pair it with chutney or sambar and make the most of your homemade South-Indian meal.