Restaurant-Style Ghee Roast Dosa Recipe
Learn how to make crispy, golden restaurant-style ghee roast dosa at home from scratch. This step-by-step recipe covers everything from soaking and grinding the perfect batter to traditional dosa cooking and serving suggestions.
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowl (one for rice/poha, one for dal and fenugreek)
- 1 Grinder (mixer or wet grinder)
- 1 Cast iron tawa or non-stick pan
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Measuring cup set
Ingredients
For Batter
- 1.5 cups idli rice or parboiled rice
- 1/2 cup urad dal (split and husked black gram)
- 1 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)
- 1/2 cup thick poha (flattened rice)
- 20 pcs. fenugreek seeds (methi)
- Rock salt, as needed
For Cooking
- Ghee as required
For Serving
- Coconut chutney
- Sambar
- Tomato Chutney
Instructions
Soak Lentils and Rice:
- Rinse urad dal, chana dal, and fenugreek seeds a couple of times until water runs clear. Soak together in 1 cup water for 4–5 hours.
- In a separate bowl, rinse rice twice, and thick poha once or twice. Add poha to the rinsed rice, cover in 2 cups water, and soak for 4–5 hours.
Drain and Prepare:
- After soaking, drain excess water from both bowls. Reserve soaking water from the dal mixture for grinding.
Grind Dal:
- Add soaked dal and fenugreek seeds to a grinder. Add about ½ cup reserved water and grind until smooth and fluffy.
Grind Rice and Poha:
- Add soaked rice and poha with about 1 cup fresh water to the grinder. Grind until fine and grainy, with a texture like fine semolina (rawa).
Mix and Ferment:
- Mix both batters in a large bowl. Add rock salt and combine well. Cover and ferment in a warm place for 8–9 hours or overnight, until the batter doubles and shows bubbles.
Preheat Pan and Grease:
- Heat a thick-bottomed cast iron tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat. Grease cast iron tawa with ghee; for non-stick, skip this step.
Spread Batter:
- Pour a ladleful of batter onto the center of the pan. Quickly spread in a circular motion to form a thin round dosa. Cool pan briefly if too hot before spreading.
Add Ghee & Cook:
- Drizzle ghee around the edges and top of dosa. Cook until the base is golden brown and crispy.
Fold & Serve:
- Fold dosa into a cone or half. Serve hot with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or sambar.
Notes
- For crispier dosas, use a well-seasoned cast iron pan and do not skip the ghee.
- Fermentation time may vary depending on your kitchen temperature; if the batter doesn’t double, give it a few extra hours.
- Don’t spread oil or ghee on a non-stick pan before pouring the batter; only add ghee during roasting for flavor.
- Batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let it come to room temperature before making dosas.
- To make dosas vegan, substitute ghee with coconut oil or any neutral oil.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, and sambar for an authentic South Indian meal experience.