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Tamilnadu · Breakfast

Ghee Roast Dosa (நெய் ரோஸ்ட் தோசை)

Traditional 21. Ghee Roast Dosa recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 2 cups dosa batter (fermented rice-urad dal — same as classic dosa recipe)
• 4 tsp ghee (clarified butter), divided — 1 tsp per dosa
• ¼ tsp salt (already in batter)
• Water — to adjust batter consistency (thin, pourable)
• Coconut chutney
• Tomato-onion chutney
• Sambar
• Batter must be well-fermented (8–12 hours) — under-fermented batter will not spread thin and won't crisp properly

👩‍🍳 How to make Ghee Roast Dosa

1. Use standard dosa batter (2 cups raw rice + ½ cup urad dal soaked 6 hours, ground fine, fermented overnight at room temperature).
2. Batter should be thin — thinner than idli batter, about the consistency of thin yogurt.
3. If batter is thick, add 3–4 tbsp water and mix.
4. Place a flat cast-iron tawa or non-stick griddle over high heat for 2 minutes.
5. The tawa must be very hot — flick a few drops of water; they should evaporate immediately with a sharp sizzle.
6. Rub the tawa with a cut onion half dipped in sesame oil — this seasons the surface and prevents sticking.
7. Reduce heat to medium-high.
8. Pour one ladle (approximately ½ cup) batter at the center of the tawa.
9. Immediately, using the back of the ladle, spread in concentric circles outward to form a thin round crepe about 25–28 cm (10 inches) diameter.
10. Work quickly within 4–5 seconds — the batter sets fast.
11. Drizzle ½ tsp ghee around the perimeter of the dosa first, then drizzle another ½ tsp ghee over the surface.
12. You will hear an intensified sizzle as the ghee hits the hot batter.
13. The edges will immediately begin to crisp and turn golden.
14. Cook on medium-high heat for 2.5–3 minutes without flipping.
15. Watch for: edges lifting off the tawa cleanly, surface turning from white/opaque to golden-yellow, underside visible through the dosa turning deep golden-brown with some reddish patches.
16. The dosa is ready when the top surface is no longer wet or sticky.
17. Using a flat spatula, fold the dosa in half (or roll it into a cylinder if preferred).
18. Slide onto a plate immediately.
19. Serve hot — ghee roast dosa must be eaten immediately as it loses its crunch within 2 minutes.
20. Before each subsequent dosa, sprinkle a few drops of water on the hot tawa to cool it slightly, wipe with the onion-oil piece, and repeat from Step 3.

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