How to do the dosa...

[LaMarschallin]

I'm a fairly good cook and cook quite a lot of Indian food as DH is a big fan.
However, I absolutely can't manage dosas! Funnily enough autocorrect just changed "dosa" to "disaster" and it's about right 😁
I've tried various recipes, watched YouTube, tried a mix recommended by an Indian friend, tried a recipe from the Spicery (which I normally find excellent)...
Even bought a new frying pan!
I've now bought a crepe pan and am wondering whether to try dosas again. They're so delicious when I've had them at restaurants but maybe they'll have to stay a treat for eating out...
Unless anyone here can help 🙏

Can't help, I'm afraid, but I bloody love a good dosa so I hope you manage to get some tips!

I think dosa are quite difficult to make well at home. You need a lot of time to soak the daal and rice, grind it, let if ferment etc and then once you’ve done that most home cooks struggle to make the pancake thin enough as you need to work quickly with a hot pan. Definitely one I save to eat out.

If you have an Indian shop around you, many sell the batter which are brilliant.
You can then look up how to ladle it out and cook them on youtube.

DarkChocHolic

That sounds a good idea. I didn't realise you could buy the actual batter.
My friend has taken me to an Indian shop he favours so I'll try asking there.
Thank you 😊

If you’re keen to persist, the only person I ever knew who made good dosa at home used this pan. I bought the same pan expecting miracles but was unfortunately disappointed.

https://www.dunelm.com/product/tefal-indian-non-stick-30cm-chapati-pan-1000045984?defaultSkuId=30148876&branchCode=0115&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Cook_Pots+and+Pans-Tefal_%5BGOO-LIA-COOK-POTSPANS%5D&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADGqyX21I_pssJ0N4hJdsLvygFcqv&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxM_S4rO9hwMVnIdQBh3K4AAxEAQYASABEgK0xfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

karmakameleon

Thanks. I might look into that.
Even if it turns out that dosas are not for me, I enjoy making chapatis.
It's comforting that I'm not alone in finding dosas difficult.

You can buy dosa mix!!

I have had numerous attempts. The method demonstrated by Indian cooks online (cool the pan with water at the last moment) didn't really work for me. I'm gradually finding my own.method though. The most important thing to realise is that they're not normal pancakes, and should be cooked for longer on a lower heat. The batter is more liquid and should be poured into a puddle in the middle of the pan and smoothed outwards in a spiral motion with a fish slice (the Indian cooks use the back of a ladle, but that doesn't work for me)

Ready dosa mix is the way to go.

The pan should be cool/low warm when you first pour a cupful and spread it in circles. Then add some fat - oil/butter - then turn up the heat halfway (not all the way). It will crisp beautifully, then flip.

Lower the heat to min.

Before the next dosa let the pan cool a bit / splash some water on it

The heat level is the game changer in making crispy, even dosas.

It’s actually a t-shaped wooden stick thing that you need to spread it but it’s not easy! And yes a thin pan

SoftPillowAllNightSoftPillowAllNight and
gynaeissue

Thanks. Perhaps I'll try a mix again.
It does sound like homemade dosas may not be something I'll manage.
Although, it took me a while to master making pizzas in the pizza oven so I won't give up just yet