Crisp Masala Dosa is a dish that is thin like a crepe and has a filling made of potatoes. Dosa is very popular as breakfast dish. We Indians are so crazy about our dosa’s that we can eat them any time of the day. Dosa is available in every town and city all across India. Dosa is quite healthy also as you can avoid using oil all together if nonstick skillet (tava) is used.
There are many varieties of dosas and you can be as creative as you want with the batter and the filling. The popular ones are Plain Dosa, Masala Dosa, Mysore Masala Dosa, Onion Dosa, Rava Dosa to name a few.
You may like to try our other similar recipes like Instant Oats Dosa, Onion Uthappam (Thick Rice Pan Cake) and Vegetable Idli And Cheese Uthappam.
Yield: 10 Dosa’s
Prep time: 20 minutes + soaking 4 hours + fermenting 10 hours
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients For Crisp Masala Dosa
For Dosa batter
1 cup Idly rice or parboiled rice
1 cup regular rice
2 tablespoon poha or beaten rice
½ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek)
½ cup whole urad dal (skinned black lentil)
For the masala
250 grams boiled potato peeled.
1 cup sliced onions
1 green chilli slit
1 tablespoon ginger chopped fine
1 tablespoon garlic chopped fine (optional)
2 tablespoon curry leaves
1 tablespoon coriander chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon urad dal
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon haldi (turmeric)
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste
Oil / Ghee for making the Dosa
Directions For Crisp Masala Dosa
For the Dosa batter
- In a deep bowl wash both the rice and poha (beaten reice) till the water is clean. Add enough water, cover and let it soak for 4 to 6 hours.
- In another bowl combine the urad dal and fenugreek seeds and wash 2 to 3 times. Add enough water to the dal, cover and leave it to soak for 4 to 6 hours.
- Now drain the dal, keep the water separately. Grind the dal to a very smooth paste by adding water slowly as required. The dal batter will be of nice white colour and fluffy. This batter should feel like cream between your thumb and index finger. Transfer into a large container.
- Drain the rice & poha (beaten rice) mix, add to the grinder and grind by adding water as required. The rice paste should be a little coarse and not as smooth as the dal paste. Take care not to add too much water. Transfer in the same container as the dal.
- Add salt and stir well. Cover and keep in a warm place for 10 to 12 hours for the batter to rise and ferment. Please ensure that the container is big enough as the batter will rise and double.
For the filling
- Chop the boiled and peeled potatoes or break them by hand taking care not to mash them completely.
- Heat oil in a pan; add the mustard; let it splutter.
- Add the dal, chilli, ginger, garlic and saute till golden on low flame.
- Now add onions, curry leaves and saute till onions are translucent.
- Add potatoes, haldi and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add coriander and lemon juice and mix.
- Switch off the heat.
How to proceed
- Heat a heavy iron skillet or a nonstick tava.
- Add a drop or 2 of oil and wipe. (For nonstick tava this can be skipped)
- Now pour a ladle full of the batter and working from center spread the batter in a circular motion with the back of the ladle to make a thin crepe. Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee all around and a few drops in the center. Let it cook till the bottom starts to turn golden.
- Place 2 to 3 tablespoon of the filling in the center and cook till golden brown and crisp. Gently release the dosa from the skillet and fold in the desired shape.
- Serve with coconut coriander chutney and sambar.
