Secret of Dosas success

Dosas are the jewels of the South Indian culinary term. It is a perfect breakfast and dinner. It has necessary nutrients and easy to prepare at rushy morning hour. But preparing tastiest, crispy dosas are intrigue to commoners. Tracking some nuances in the preparation of dosa everyone can make crisp, tastiest, papery dosas at home itself as like preparing in hotels.

Dosas are very much liked by the elders and children, so households are happy to agree whatever the tips available on preparing dosas and try out the same. Thereafter dosas are offered to the god as oblation in lord Shiva and Vishnu temples. Dosa is a Sanskrit word says dosa = doh + sssh, in hindi “doh” means two, turning the dosa twicely and “sssh” indicates the sizzling sound while pouring the batter over hot plate.

Soaking time of the urad dal has to go minimum two hours and rice for three hours, grind them separately for better result. The measurement determines the best kind of dosas which keep the dosa fresh for a long time, painless to spread the batter over griddle and can take dosas easily from griddle.

Add 300g – 350g of Urad dhal to 11/2kg of dosa rice is the perfect ratio to get desired quality dosas. Some says adding fenugreek, boiled rice, mashed banana gives softness and crispiness but I suggest there is nothing against better than the correct ratio. Even though if you want more crispiness and softness you can mix 100g of maida to the above said dosa batter quantity. For faster fermentation add 25g yeast to 11/2kg of dosa rice batter, takes two hours for the fermentation. Ordinary fermentation goes upto six hours. If you don’t want the batter to ferment much cover the batter with banana leaves which prevents over fermentation.-

Valid Tips

1. Keep the tawa in normal heat, swab the tawa with onion to take out the dosa smoothly.

2. Always use mild accompaniments for dosas, spicy gravies screen the taste of dosas

3. Mix together gingelly oil, dalda, ghee to enhance the dosa flavour, crispiness and for good colour.

4. Slightly sprinkle little water over prepared dosa which preserve the freshness for longtime.

5. Chutnies like Mint and Coriander are the ideal option, lessly spiced mutton gravy, Chicken curry, Kola Pal Urundai are the good dips for dosas.

6. Some prefer tangy curries like Tamarind curry, Fish curry -actually tangy base curries mask the uniqueness of the dosas.

7. NV’s like meaty taste and to increase crispiness may add egg into the dosa batter.

8. For rawa dosa, blend rawa and dosa rice batter in equal proportion.

9. Grind smoothly for dosas, grind the urad dal for 20 minutes and rice for half an hour.

Dosa Recipe

Rocket Dosa

Rice – 1 Kg
Urad Dal – 100g
Maida (Refined Flour) – 100g
Egg – 2 nos (optional)
Salt – to taste

Coconut Chutney – as required

For Masala

Sliced Onion – 100g
Potato – 2nos
Slitted Green chillies – 2nos
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Sambhar Powder – 1tbsp
Oil – 3 tbsp

Ginger & Garlic Paste - 1tbsp
Urad dal – ½ tsp
Curryleaves and salt

Method

Prepare dosa batter with the first five items.
Prepare watery coconut chutney which is not tempered
Make thick masala by adding masala ingredients one by one
Spread the dosa batter gently over tawa and apply the chutney all over
Apply oil over the dosa. Keep the thick masala in the centre of the dosa
Fold the masala dosa into two. Serve hot with accompaniments.

Many varieties, types, tastes of dosas are available, after reading this posting you will be master in dosa preparation. Today our dosa’s and Idlis make great waves in foreign countries; this made the symbol for South Indian food across the world. Another one note, few Tamil scholars says may be the word dosa is derived from the Tamil word Osai. Ok anyhow now you are in the temper of try out.

Have a good dosa at your plate.