Dosa batter recipe | How to make Mysore dosa batter (2024)

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The Mysore style Dosa batter is much different than the commonly used idli-dosa batter in the other states.

This Mysore dosa batter makes dense yet soft, thick or thin yet crispy, deep brown, and extremely flavourful and delicious dosas.

This kind of dosa is typically served in restaurants in Bangalore-Mysore regions and also regularly in our homes.

These dosas taste much different than the dosa made from idli-dosa batter, and the batter is exquisitely used only for dosa and is not a two in one idli-dosa batter.

How different is the Bangalore-Mysore style dosa?

If you have ever tasted dosa in any restaurant in Bangalore, you will notice the difference in the texture and taste of these dosas than the dosa made from idli-dosa batter, like in other parts of South India.

And as a matter of fact, red chutney is not smeared over the dosas in all the restaurants either. It is simply named ‘masala dosa’ be it with red chutney or without it.

Therefore, you can use this dosa batter to make plain dosa, regular masala dosa, Mysore masala dosa, onion dosa, vegetable dosa, sagu masala dosa and also for paddu / appe / paniyaram.

In most parts of Karnataka, as far as I know, we do not make a common idli-dosa batter, but two separate batters that differ in their ingredients and also in their ratio.

The special ingredients used in making this dosa batter

If you have never used the below-mentioned ingredients in your dosa batter, do not be too apprehensive to try, because this is how dosa has been done by our great grandmothers and grandmothers and has been passed on to us. Of course, there could be a few variations in every house and this recipe is totally from my mom and how she has learned it from her mom.

So, trust me you will totally love how these dosas will turn it out- appearance, texture, and taste-wise. Especially if you are that person who prefers dark brown colored dosas.

Apart from the two main ingredients- rice and urad dal, this batter also has very small quantities of toor dal (tuvar dal), chana dal, moong dal, fenugreek seeds and flattened rice (avalakki/poha).

Reasons for adding the following ingredients to make dosa batter

Fenugreek seeds- help in the fermentation process, adds a good flavor, helps balance the carbohydrates
Flattened rice- aids in the softness of dosa
Toor Dal- adds a good flavor as well as color
Chana Dal- helps with the dense texture, crispiness and also with the brown color
Moong dal (my mom’s secret ingredient)- enhances the flavor and also helps with the softness
Sugar (optional)- also helps with the color

Some FAQs about making dosa batter/dosa

1. Can I use this batter to make idli?

No, this batter cannot be used to make idli, or at least I haven’t tried. You can definitely give it a try though. 🙂

2. Should I use a mixer/ blender or a stone grinder?

Ever since I bought a wet grinder, I make my dosa and idli batters always in that. The wet grinder helps in avoiding the heating up of the batter while grinding, fluffs up the urad dal very well thereby yielding a much higher quantity of the batter than a mixer grinder. I personally love dosas and idlis made in a grinder.

However, a mixer/blender can also be used if you are making a small quantity of the batter and if your mixer does not get heated up while grinding. The dosas will definitely turn out good in this as well. Plus, the cleaning up part is much easier compared to the wet grinder.

If you are using a mixer, be cautious of the amount of water you use, as it will need much lesser than a grinder does.

3. How long should I ferment the batter?

If it is summer and the room temperature is above 18-20°C, you might need anywhere between 6 to 12 hours depending on the temperature / where you live.

During winter, it will take longer. If you are living in countries with negative temperatures in winter, keep your dosa batter in a warm place, which could be near your heater.

Otherwise, heat your oven to the lowest temperature (before placing the container with the batter), switch off, turn on the light and then keep the batter in.

4. How will I know if the batter has fermented enough?

From experience, I would say, it is not required that your dosa batter should overflow or raise too much and double in quantity. If you have filled the batter until the rim of your container, then, of course, it will overflow.

If not, it is just enough if the batter has risen and you see a lot of pores in it (check the picture below). Fermenting for too long will make the batter very sour and it will also smell bad.

5. What kind of tawa / pan should I use?

If you don’t have a dosa tawa at all, you can use your regular pan which has a flat base.

However, I strongly recommend using a dosa tawa and especially a cast iron (traditional iron dosa tawa) instead of a non-stick tawa. If the iron dosa tawa has been well seasoned, and well maintained, your dosas will for sure not stick to the pan.

It is good to avoid non-stick cookware for health reasons and buying a good quality cast iron tawa makes dosas healthier and much better in taste than a non-stick pan.

6. How long can I store the batter?

You can store up to 5 days when refrigerated. Sometimes the batter can start turning smelly after 3 days if it is fermented for too long or the quality of the ingredients is not good.

7. Is this batter well only for the Mysore masala dosa?

No, definitely not. This is our regular home-style dosa recipe and can be served with just anything of your choice and of course, you can make Mysore masala dosa by smearing the red chutney and filling in the potato-onion masala.

Tips to make perfect dosa

1. Firstly, use good quality ingredients to prepare the batter.

2. Please follow the measurement and ratio of the ingredients exactly as given here, any alterations will change the texture and taste of the dosas.

3. The consistency of the batter is also very important. It should neither be too thick like idli batter nor too thin. When you pour the batter, it should flow just right.

4. Heat also plays a very important role. Before starting to make your first dosa, splash some water on the tawa and see if it immediately splutters out. This is the perfect heat to start with. Just before pouring your dosa, bring the heat down to low-medium and spread the batter. Then, cook in medium heat throughout.

5. Every time before making the dosa, splash some water to bring down the heat of your tawa. This is very much needed if you are using a cast iron tawa as it retains the temperature throughout. If the temperature of the tawa is more, the dosa batter will stick to it and you will not be able to spread the batter.

6. Rubbing an onion slightly dipped in oil also helps to get non-sticky dosas. I also remember my elders using the coir of the coconut (thengina naaru: Kannada) to rub the tawa before making the dosas.

Finally, before moving on to this recipe, I would like to leave the links to my other dosa recipes as well.

Instant Cucumber Quinoa Dosa,

Brown Rice Neer Dosa Recipe

I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it down for you all.

I would love to hear your feedback on this. When you try it, kindly post your valuable comments below or share it with me personally onInstagram/Facebook, or post the pictures by tagging me. You may also pin this on Pinterest.

Pin this for later

Please note: 1 cup = 250 ml (standard measurement)

Mysore Dosa batter | Learn how to make crispy, brown, flavourful dosas

Praneetha A Goutham

Learn how to make perfectly crispy, evenly browned, delicious and flavourful dosa. This recipe of Mysore dosa covers detailed description to help you make the dosas right.

4.5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 hrs

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 15 hrs 5 mins

Course Breakfast, Dinner

Cuisine Indian, Karnataka

Servings 20 dosas

Ingredients

1.5 cups raw rice - , sona masuri rice
0.5 cup idli rice/dosa rice/parboiled rice - (refer notes)
0.5 cup urad dal - , whole gota or split
3-4 tablespoons flattened rice - (poha/avalakki)
1.25 tablespoons toor dal
1.25 tablespoons chana dal
1.25 tablespoon moong dal
1.5 teaspoons fenugreek seeds (methi)
1 tsp sugar - (optional)
salt - to taste

Measurement: 1 cup = 250ml

Instructions

Making the dosa batter

In a bowl, measure and add in all the lentils/dal along with fenugreek seeds. Wash them all well thrice or four times. Soak in clean water (1-2 inches above the level of the lentils) for 5-6 hours.
In another bowl, measure and add in sona masuri rice and idli rice together. Wash well thrice or four times. Soak in clean water (1-2 inches above the level of the lentils) for 5-6 hours.
Just before grinding the previously soaked ingredients, wash and soak flattened rice for 10 minutes.
After 6 hours, discard the water from both of these bowls.Next, grind the contents in the urad dal bowl first, adding fresh water as required until they are completely smooth, fluffy and light. Do not add a lot of water in one go, add in steps as required. Once ground well, transfer this to a container.Note: My grinder required about 2 cups water to grind these. Mixer will require less.
Next, adding just enough fresh water, grind raw rice, idli rice/dosa rice and the flattened rice (poha) together until they are ground smooth. Remember the rice should not be coarse as it will not be enjoyable while eating dosa. Likewise, do not grind for too long as it will heat up the batter.Note: I used about 3/4-1 cup water here.
Transfer this to the same container in which you have poured the ground urad dal. With your clean hand or a ladle, mix everything very well. Using your hand helps to bring in the good bacteria needed for fermentation.
Once it is mixed well, just close with a lid leaving a little gap for the air to go in. Let this ferment for 6 to 12 hours or more, depending on the room temperature.

Making the dosa

After the batter is well fermented, add salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar and mix everything well.
Heat a tawa and pour 1 to 2 ladles of dosa batter on to the tawa depending on the size of the tawa and how thick or thin you want your dosa to be.Note: Please check the tips above this recipe card to follow some important steps before pouring the batter.
Spread quickly in a circular motion to form concentric rings. Cover with a lid, add some ghee or oil and cook this for about 3-4 minutes until you see the dosa is browned on one side.Remember: If the batter if fermented well, you will see pores throughout the dosa.
Flip the dosa and cook for about a minute to make sure the other side is also cooked.However, if you are sure the dosa is cooked well, you can skip flipping.Note: Do not cook the other side for too long as it will make the dosa extremely crispy.
If you want to spread red chutney, spread it almost after the dosa has been cooked. If you want to flip your dosa, do it and then spread the red chutney and add in the potato masala.

Notes

You can use only raw rice (sona masuri) and skip using idli rice / dosa rice / parboiled rice if you do not have. Idli rice/dosa rice makes the dosa softer and spongier.
During extreme winter, you can add salt before fermentation as it will help in fermenting.
Kindly do not skip adding any of the ingredients if you want the exact results.
Patience is the key- let your dosa cook well in medium heat until it is uniformly brown, if not only the centre part will be brown.
Also, make sure the tawa is heated just right-neither too hot nor cold.
The very first dosa might not get uniformly brown, as the tawa takes time to get heated uniformly. From the second dosas it will just be fine
You can make thin or thick, crispy or soft dosa. These dosas will just fit everyone's palate.
If you want to pack it for lunch, make slightly thick dosas and do not let them turn too much crispy. Otherwise, they will become a bit hard.
Adding ghee while cooking gives a really nice glossy look on the dosas, and ghee is much better than refined oil in health aspects.

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