How to Get Dosa Batter Right: Ratios, Fermentation and Troubleshooting

Great dosa batter is the real secret behind a crisp, golden dosa. When the batter is right, the dosa spreads easily, browns evenly and lifts off the tawa without a fight. When it is wrong, you get thick, pale, sticky or sour dosas. This guide covers the dosa batter ratio, grinding, fermentation in cold and hot weather, and how to fix the common problems.

The basic dosa batter ratio

A reliable starting point is three parts rice to one part split, skinned urad dal (by volume), plus a teaspoon or so of fenugreek (methi) seeds. Many families use parboiled rice or idli rice for the best colour and crispness, and some mix in a little poha (flattened rice) for softness. Dosa batter can use slightly less urad than idli batter, since dosa needs less lift. A common idli ratio is closer to two or three parts rice to one part urad, which you can see in our soft idli recipe.

• 3 cups parboiled or idli rice
• 1 cup whole or split urad dal
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 to 3 tablespoons poha, optional, for softness
• Salt, to taste

Soaking and grinding

1. Wash the rice and the urad dal separately. Soak the rice for 5 to 6 hours and the dal with the methi for about the same time.
2. Grind the urad first, adding chilled water a spoonful at a time, until it is light, fluffy and doubles in volume. Cold water keeps the grinder from heating the batter.
3. Grind the rice next, slightly coarse like fine semolina for a crisp dosa. A smoother grind gives a softer dosa.
4. Combine both in a large vessel and mix with your hand for 2 to 3 minutes. The warmth and natural microbes on your hand really do help fermentation.
5. Add salt now or after fermentation. Salt added before is considered fine in warm weather, while very cold climates may do better when it is added after.

Fermenting dosa batter in warm weather

In hot weather, the batter ferments quickly, sometimes in 6 to 8 hours. Keep the vessel in the coolest part of the kitchen and use cold water while grinding. The batter should look puffy, smell pleasantly tangy and have bubbles throughout. If it has risen and started to collapse, it is overfermented. Stir gently and refrigerate it right away. Cold storage slows it down, and the batter generally stays usable for several days.

Fermenting dosa batter in cold weather

In winter, a batter that sits on the counter may stay flat for a day or more. Use these tricks:

• Grind with lukewarm water and keep the batter in a warm spot, such as an oven with only the light switched on.
• Place the vessel in an insulated casserole or wrap it in a thick towel.
• Add a spoonful of cooked rice or a spoon of curd to the rice portion for extra starter culture.
• Leave the vessel with a roomy gap at the top, because the batter will rise to double.

What the right consistency looks like

For dosa, the batter should be pourable, similar to thin pancake batter, and coat the back of a spoon lightly. If it is too thick, add water a little at a time. For idli, keep it thicker.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Dosa sticks to the tawa: the tawa is not seasoned or not hot enough. Wipe it with an onion or oiled cloth and heat well.
• Dosa is thick and soft, not crisp: batter is too thick or the rice is ground too fine. Thin it out and add a spoon of rice flour.
• Dosa is pale: not enough rice, no parboiled rice, or the heat is low. Increase the heat slightly.
• Dosa tastes sour: batter overfermented. Use it quickly, add a little extra water and a pinch of sugar.
• Batter did not rise: too cold, the dal was ground too little, or too much salt was added early. Move it to a warm place and wait longer.
• Holes do not form: tawa too cold, or batter too thin.

Spread the batter in a quick circular motion from the centre, drizzle oil around the edges, and let it crisp before folding. Fill it with a spiced potato bhaji for the classic masala dosa with potato bhaji. Once the batter is in good form, you can also use it for uttapam and paniyaram.

Practise South Indian batters in Nadiad

Batter judgement improves with seeing and feeling it. If you want to practise grinding, fermenting and spreading dosas with guidance, our South Indian cooking class in Nadiad at Purna's Kitchen covers dosa, idli and more, and all programmes are listed on the classes page.