Fermentation and Dosais

Dosais, paniyarams and everything in between

I enjoy dosais and idlys. The heat and humidity of the tropical belt is great for promoting bacterial growth to ensure the batter is fully fermented. However I cannot rely on it where I live now. But I have a jar of living sourdough that I diligently maintain for my weekly sourdough fix. I mix a little of it with the rice and lentils and I get the same results as I would in Tamil Nadu.

Rice and lentil sourdough batter

3 cups parboiled rice

1 cup whole urad lentils

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tbsp sourdough starter at room temperature

Soak the rice in hot water for 3 hours. Soak urad lentils and fenugreek in hot water for 3 hours. Grind them together until the mixture is velvety smooth and is not grainy. I use Vitamix for 5-7 min on medium to get this consistency. Add 2 tbsp of sourdough starter made with any flour. My sourdough is from all-purpose flour.  Let it ferment in a container that is ajar for 6 - 12 hours. Make sure you leave enough room in the container for new life to form and swell.

Uthappam/Dosai

1 cup dosai batter
2 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt
oil for roasting

Mix salt and water in the batter. The batter should be fermented and feel light for the volume. Using a well seasoned cast iron pan will yield the best roasted dosais. Heat the cast iron pan and add a tsp of sunflower oil. Wait until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Pour 1/3 of the cup of the batter on to the hot pan. Spread it a little with the laddle to have thin crisp dosais.

If you are making a uthappam, do not spread it much. You want it to be thick and fluffy in the middle like a pancake. Sprinkle chopped onions, cilantro and green chillies on top and close it with a lid for 1 min. Then turn the side and let it crisp on both sides before removing from the pan.