Ghee Dosai

Ghee Dosai

Ghee Dosai

Veg

Thin crispy crepe fried in ghee — the Tamil Brahmin approach to the daily dosai uses the same fermented rice-urad dal batter as idli but spreads it in a thin, widening spiral on a seasoned iron tawa (flat griddle), cooks it until the edges curl and the underside turns golden and lacy, and smears a knob of home-churned cow's ghee across the surface as it finishes. The ghee soaks into the hot crepe and turns the edges nutty and slightly caramelised. No oil substitution is accepted in a Tamil Brahmin household; ghee is the only cooking fat for dosai. Eaten with coconut chutney and sambar poured into the folded triangle; the crisp-to-soft gradient from edge to centre is the defining textural quality.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Mysore

Best for

Breakfast Lunch

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 30 min Total: 50 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup idli rice
1 cup raw rice
1/2 cup urad dal
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
to taste salt
as needed ghee

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash the idli rice, raw rice, urad dal, and fenugreek seeds separately under running water until the water runs clear.
  2. 2 Soak the idli rice and raw rice together in a bowl with enough water for at least 4 hours.
  3. 3 In another bowl, soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together with enough water for at least 4 hours.
  4. 4 Drain the water from the soaked urad dal and fenugreek seeds, and grind them into a smooth batter using a little water. The batter should be fluffy and light.
  5. 5 Drain the water from the soaked rice and grind it into a slightly coarse batter using a little water.
  6. 6 Combine the ground rice and urad dal batters in a large bowl, add salt to taste, and mix well.
  7. 7 Cover the bowl and let the batter ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or overnight until it doubles in volume.
  8. 8 Once fermented, gently mix the batter. If it is too thick, add a little water to achieve a pouring consistency.
  9. 9 Heat a dosa tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat and grease it lightly with ghee.
  10. 10 Pour a ladleful of batter onto the center of the tawa and spread it in a circular motion to form a thin dosa.
  11. 11 Drizzle ghee around the edges and on top of the dosa.
  12. 12 Cook until the edges start to lift and the bottom turns golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for a minute.
  13. 13 Remove the dosa from the tawa and serve hot.
  14. 14 Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding ghee as needed.

Tips

For a crispier dosa, ensure the batter is not too thick and the tawa is well-heated before pouring the batter.