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A Word of Caution before you proceed this week!!!
For those who are new to the term, dosas are thin pancakes made out of various batters. They are usually crisp and can have many types of fillings. They are eaten with an accompaniment of chutneys and sambar.
The making of dosas is an art in itself. The first time may not bring
out the best dosas, even if you have followed the recipe to the letter. A lot
of patience is required in the pouring and forming of the dosa on the tawa (griddle). However do not let this dishearten you a bit. Once you get the hang of it, there's nothing as good as a homemade dosa to please your family, guest and self alike.
Once you are at it, I promise you will not regret the time and energy
put in. Another very cheerful feature about making dosas is that the whole
family can pitch in. Once the batter, chutney, etc. are ready, each member can make their own and eat when they want. You can be away and not worry about what the kids or hubby will make, 'coz you have done the preparation hours ago. All they have to do is spread the batter and roast.
So just go ahead and keep trying and it won't be long before you will
proudly be labeled the best dosa maker in your neighbourhood. Happy cooking and all the best.
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- The soaking time for the rice, etc. as well as the fermenting time for the batter are very important since underdone batter will not give the required body and crispness to the dosas.
- Once you have mastered the basic recipe for dosa, the possibilities are umpteen. You can make fillings and chutneys of your choice and as per your palate, whether spicy or sweet or cheesy.
- Even though all the preparations can be done way ahead of the meal time and kept in the fridge, the last stage, i.e. the spreading of the batter and roasting the dosa should be done as eaten to enjoy the crispness and crunchiness of this dish.
- The sharper and thinner the front edge of the spatula, the easier and neater the lifting of the dosa.
- Though parboiled rice can be replaced by plain rice if not available, some change in the texture of the end result is inevitable. However if you are not using parboiled rice, then increase the quantity of the plain rice against the dal by about 25 %.
- I am not including making time in the recipes of this week because the making go dosas requires small amounts of your time at far spaced intervals. The main time consumer is the process of grinding. If a handgrinder is being used then the time will be far more than that taken in an electric grinder or mixie. However the quality of that dosa from the handground batter will be far better than from the latter.
- All dosas need not be thin and crisp. Some (eg. Poha dosa) are very soft and fluffy. While others like the plain may be thin and very crisp.
- As a general rule haet the griddle well, spread dosa on high and allow to shallow fry on low.
- Always use a flat based round serving spoon to pour and spread the dosa. Start from the centre and move outwards in a circular concentric motion till the outer edge is reached.
- Dosas are traditionally folded in the form of brandy snaps with opposite ends overlapping. However igenius and interesting folding can be done with/without fillings. Like triangles, squares, or open.
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