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What makes a good dosa batter?

Analysing different kinds of dosa batter for versatility and taste.

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Ahan Joshua Penkar | 02/02/2023 | Github

Getting a good dosa in NYC is the equivalent of being ripped off. And it isin’t even that good. I could not have survived my undergraduate degree without my dosa and keema curry. In New York, getting a Dosa is a ridiculously expensive affair. I refuse to pay more that $12 for something I could get for much cheaper back home. However, what I am willing to do is buy dosa batter, which is made from a soaked rice and lentils that have been grounded down into a nice paste. For an outsider, it’s difficult going into a store and picking up you’re an ideal kind of batter, so I’ve tried to make an explainer.

Much like pancake batter, there is plenty you can do to play around with over here. There are two fundamental components to every kind of batter: Rice and Lentils (which I will call Dal from this point) and their ratio is what makes the base of a lot of South Indian carbs. After they’re ground, the rice and dal start to ferment, and this allows for interesting textures when you make dosa or idli. Fermentation causes 2 things:

  • It makes your food sour
  • It makes your food fluffy
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Home made batter is the best kind of batter that you can get, but since we don’t have access to that, we’ll just have to settle for ID’s dosa mix. Id’s mix has the closest percentage to the ideal ratio, which allows for 5 versatile breakfasts. Another variant is the Idli mix which allows for ridiculously soft idlis, but that’s a terrible idea for versatility. Always look at the ingredients and think about what you prefer, while specialized batters are great they are never versatile.

Back home, making this batter is a long and elaborate process, so we do all we can to make sure that they strech out for the week as much as possible. If you're feeling experimental and want flamboyant breakfasts, here's what you can do.

5 Breakfasts you can make!

All of these are elaborate, and need special equipment. It's pretty hard for a college student to make these.

  • Dosa Picture

    Day One: Dosa

    You will need: A griddle, some patience

    The batter has not fermented as much, making it perfect for Dosa. Think of dosa as akin to pancakes, but way better, because there’s no sugar. You can put toppings like potatoes, although minced lamb is my favorite. Have it with some chutney too.

  • Image of Appam

    Day Two: Appam

    You will need: An Appam Griddle

    We’re still in pancake territory here, but an extra day of fermentation allows the batter to have a hint of sourness. Appams are pancakes too but have a nice soft center that goes really well with stew or a chutney. Making this is no joke, I’ve only ever managed it once, and that was a disaster.

  • Image of Idli

    Day Three: Idli

    You will need: A steamer, an idli mould.

    Idlis are soft through and through, like I said earlier, it’s best to have a higher amount of rice, but we’re sacrificing that for a more diverse week of breakfasts. However, you can add plenty of fillings to an idli, or even throw in a bunch of spices. Idlis are a comforting way to begin your day.

  • Image of Panniyaram

    Day Four: Set dosa

    You will need: The same griddle you used for the dosa.

    Set dosas use more batter over less surface area and are much thicker than normal dosas. These are quite indulgent and and silky in texture, as opposed to how crispy the first dosa is. Since they're smaller, they're usually eaten in a set of 3.

  • Image of Panniyaram

    Day Five: Panniyaram

    You will need: A Panniyaram mould. Panniyaram is my least favourite, so we’re going to use leftovers for this one. Panniyaram is crispy on the outside and is probably the most interesting texturally. Panniyaram is ideal for the last day because you really need the batter to do some heavy lifting in terms of flavor. It’s sour at this point, but not too much.