Masala dosa recipe
To make masala dosa, soak 3 cups of rice and 1 cup of urad dal with a little fenugreek for 5–6 hours, grind them to a smooth batter and ferment it for 8–14 hours. Spread a ladle of batter thin on a very hot tava, drizzle oil, cook until golden and crisp, then add potato masala and fold.
The timeline
Masala dosa takes two days of calendar time but less than two hours of actual work. The batter needs to soak, then ferment overnight. The potato masala and chutney are made on the day you cook.
| Stage | Time | When |
|---|---|---|
| Soak rice and dal | 5–6 hours | Day 1, morning |
| Grind the batter | 30 minutes | Day 1, afternoon |
| Ferment | 8–14 hours | Day 1 night to Day 2 morning |
| Potato masala and chutney | 30 minutes | Day 2 |
| Cook each dosa | 2–3 minutes | Day 2 |
What is the right rice to urad dal ratio?
Use 3 parts rice to 1 part urad dal for a dosa that is crisp outside with a little softness in the middle. That is the ratio in the recipe below. A 4:1 ratio makes a thinner, crisper, more brittle dosa that suits paper dosa. A 2:1 ratio makes a softer, thicker dosa closer to set dosa.
The recipe below mixes two kinds of rice. Raw rice such as sona masoori or ponni gives crispness. Parboiled rice, sold as idli rice, gives the batter body so it spreads without tearing. A spoonful of chana dal and fenugreek seeds help the dosa turn an even golden brown, and a little thick poha keeps the centre tender.
How long should dosa batter ferment?
Dosa batter is ready when it has risen by about half, looks bubbly on the surface and smells pleasantly sour. Room temperature decides how long that takes, so the same batter can be ready in 6 hours in a Chennai summer and need a full day in a Delhi winter.
| Room temperature | Typical time | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Above 30°C | 6–8 hours | Check early; refrigerate as soon as it rises |
| 25–30°C | 8–12 hours | Overnight on the kitchen counter |
| 20–25°C | 12–16 hours | Keep the bowl in a closed cupboard |
| Below 20°C | 16–24 hours | Put it in the oven with only the light on |
Once the batter has fermented, stir it gently and keep it in the fridge. Cold slows fermentation almost to a stop, and the batter stays usable for 3–4 days, turning more sour each day.
Recipe card
Ingredients
Dosa batter
- 2 cups raw rice (sona masoori or ponni), about 400 g
- 1 cup parboiled idli rice, about 200 g
- 1 cup whole white urad dal, about 200 g
- 2 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
- 1/4 cup thick poha (flattened rice)
- 2 tsp salt
- About 2 1/2 cups cold water for grinding
- Oil or ghee for cooking
Potato masala
- 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), boiled and peeled
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 tsp chana dal
- 10–12 curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander (optional)
Coconut chutney
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 2 tbsp roasted gram (pottukadalai or hurigadale)
- 2 green chillies
- 1/2 inch ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and a few curry leaves for tempering
Method
Soak
- Rinse both kinds of rice together 3–4 times and soak them in plenty of water for 5–6 hours.
- Rinse the urad dal, chana dal and fenugreek seeds together and soak them in a separate bowl for 5–6 hours.
- Soak the poha in water for 15 minutes just before grinding.
Grind and ferment
- Drain the urad dal mixture and grind it with about 1 cup of cold water until it is smooth and fluffy, 8–10 minutes in a wet grinder or in short bursts in a mixer jar.
- Drain the rice and grind it with the soaked poha and about 1 1/2 cups of water until smooth, with only a very fine grain when rubbed between your fingers.
- Mix both batters with the salt in a large bowl, stirring with your hand for a minute.
- Cover loosely and leave it in a warm place for 8–14 hours, until the batter has risen by about half and smells pleasantly sour.
Potato masala
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and asafoetida, and fry until the dals turn golden.
- Add the onions, green chillies and ginger, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft but not brown.
- Add the turmeric, salt and water, bring to a simmer, then add the potatoes, crumbled roughly by hand.
- Cook for 3–4 minutes, mashing lightly, until the masala is soft and holds together. Stir in the coriander and take it off the heat.
Coconut chutney
- Grind the coconut, roasted gram, green chillies, ginger and salt with about 1/2 cup of water to a coarse paste.
- Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, and when the seeds splutter pour the tempering over the chutney.
Cook the dosa
- Stir the fermented batter gently. If it is too thick to spread, add water a tablespoon at a time until it pours like thick pancake batter.
- Heat a cast-iron tava on medium-high until a sprinkle of water sizzles away in 2–3 seconds, then wipe it with half an onion dipped in oil.
- Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the centre and spread it outward in quick circles with the back of the ladle.
- Drizzle 1/2 to 1 tsp of oil or ghee around the edges and over the top, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the underside is golden brown and the edges lift.
- Put 2–3 tbsp of potato masala on one half, fold the dosa over and serve at once with chutney and sambar.
- Sprinkle a little water on the tava and wipe it before each new dosa, so the pan cools slightly and the next one spreads evenly.
Why isn’t my dosa crispy?
Most dosa problems come from three things: batter thickness, tava temperature and fat. Change one at a time.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dosa is soft, not crisp | Batter too thick, or tava not hot enough | Thin the batter with a tablespoon of water; heat the tava until water sizzles off in 2–3 seconds |
| Dosa sticks to the tava | Tava not seasoned, or too hot when batter goes in | Rub the tava with a halved onion dipped in oil; sprinkle water and wipe before each dosa |
| Batter did not rise | Kitchen too cold, or too much water when grinding | Move it somewhere warmer and give it more time |
| Batter is very sour | Fermented too long | Refrigerate as soon as it rises; use within 3–4 days |
| Dosa tears while spreading | Batter too thin | Add a spoonful of rice flour, or leave the batter unstirred for 20 minutes |
| Dosa stays pale | Not enough browning | Cook a little longer on medium heat; keep the chana dal and methi in the batter |
A cast-iron tava gives the crispest dosa because it holds heat when the cold batter lands on it. On a non-stick pan, keep the heat at medium and use a little less water in the batter.
Storing batter and masala
Fermented batter keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge in a covered container. Take out only what you need 20–30 minutes before cooking so it is not ice-cold when it hits the tava. Potato masala keeps for a day in the fridge; warm it in a pan with a splash of water. Coconut chutney is best on the day it is made.
Make it a different masala dosa
The same batter and potato masala make most of the well-known varieties. For a Mysore masala dosa, spread red garlic-chilli chutney inside before adding the potato. For a benne masala dosa, cook with butter instead of oil. For the calories of each version, see the masala dosa calorie calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct rice to urad dal ratio for masala dosa?
A 3:1 ratio of rice to urad dal gives a masala dosa that is crisp outside and slightly soft inside. Use 4:1 for a thinner, crisper paper dosa, and 2:1 for a soft, thick dosa. Mixing raw rice with parboiled idli rice helps the batter spread without tearing.
How long should dosa batter ferment?
Dosa batter usually needs 8–14 hours. It can be ready in 6–8 hours above 30°C and may need 16–24 hours below 20°C. It is ready when it has risen by about half, looks bubbly and smells pleasantly sour.
Can I grind dosa batter in a mixer instead of a wet grinder?
Yes. Grind the urad dal and the rice separately, in small batches, with cold water, and pause every 30–40 seconds so the motor does not heat the batter. A wet grinder gives a fluffier urad dal batter, but a mixer works well for dosa.
Why add poha and chana dal to dosa batter?
Thick poha keeps the centre of the dosa tender while the outside crisps. Chana dal and fenugreek seeds help the dosa brown to an even golden colour. Both are optional; the dosa still works without them.
How much batter do I need for one dosa?
About 1/3 cup (roughly 90–100 g) of batter makes one regular 25 cm dosa. The recipe on this page makes about 20 dosas.
How long does dosa batter last in the fridge?
Fermented dosa batter keeps for 3–4 days in a covered container in the fridge. It turns more sour each day. Take out what you need 20–30 minutes before cooking.
Can I make masala dosa without fermenting the batter?
A rice and urad dal dosa needs fermentation for its texture and taste. For the same day, make rava masala dosa instead: its semolina and rice-flour batter rests for 20–30 minutes and needs no fermentation.
Which pan is best for crispy dosa?
A well-seasoned cast-iron tava gives the crispest dosa because it holds heat when the batter goes in. A non-stick pan works at medium heat with slightly thicker batter, but the dosa will be softer.