Preparation / Directions:
Dosas, plain or stuffed, may be served at breakfast, lunch, brunch, or as a snack. In South India, they are often accompanied by glasses of buttermilk or cups of steaming hot, sweet, milky coffee. Dosas may also be served as any Indian bread might be, with an assortment of vegetables and relishes.
Please read the notes on Indian pancakes, especially the part that deals with cooking the pancakes, before making these dosas. Since the dal and rice must be soaked 8 hours and paste must ferment almost a day, plan ahead.
Pick over the urad dal, wash, drain, and then soak in 2 cups water for 8 hours.
Wash the rice well, drain, and then soak in 3 cups water for 8 hours.
Drain the dal. Put it in the container of a food processor (with the metal blade in place) or a blender. Run the machine for 2 minutes, pushing down the dal with a rubber spatula every now and then. Now add 2 tbl water and let the machine run another minute. Add another 2 tbsp water and let the machine run another minute. Keep doing this until you have added 3/4 cup water. The dal should be very well ground, light and fluffy. Put this paste into a bowl.
Drain the rice. Put it into the container of the food processor or blender. Process the rice just the way you did the dal, until you have added 3/4 cup water and the rice is reduced to very fine, semolinalike grains. Pour this rice paste over the dal paste. Mix. Cover, and leave to ferment in a warm place for 16 to 20 hours.
See that you have everything ready for dosa-making. Not far from your 8-inch, nonstick skillet should be your oil (take it out in a cup), a teaspoon, a rounded soupspoon, your bowl of batter, a 1/2-cup measuring cup, and a plastic spatula. Also have a plate beside you on which you can put the dosas as they cook. If you like, this plate may be kept in a warming oven.
The batter should by now have a frothy, fermented look. Add the salt and cumin to it and stir. Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in the nonstick skillet over a medium-low flame. Remove 1/2 cup of the batter and pour it into the middle of the skillet. Let it sit there for 3 to 4 seconds. Place the rounded bottom of the soupspoon very lightly into the center of the batter. Using a slow, gentle, and continuous spiral motion, spread the batter outward with the back of the soupspoon until you have a pancake that is about 7 inches in diameter. Dribble 1/2 tsp oil over the pancake and another 1/2 just around its edges. Using a plastic spatula, spread out the oil on top of the pancake and also smooth out any lumps or ridges. Cover the skillet. Cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the first side or until the dosa turns a nice, reddish-brown color. Lower your heat if necessary. Turn the dosa over and cook, uncovered, for another minute, or until the second side develops reddish spots. Put the cooked dosa on a warm plate. Stir the batter and make another dosa, just as you made the first. Make all dosas this way. Serve with the first side cooked up, accompanied by South Indian Coconut Chutney.
To make stuffed dosas or Masala Dosa (as they are called in India):
Make a recipe of Potatoes and Onions first. This dish may even be made a day ahead of time and then reheated. Now make the dosas. Lay out each dosa on an individual plate, with its "good" side-the side that was cooked first-down. Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of the heated potato stuffing over half the dosa. Fold the dosa over to form a capital "D". Once the dosa is stuffed, it should be served immediately.
Makes 8 pancakes
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