Thosai
Sri Lankan Dosai (Dosa)
Also known as Thosai
Sri Lankan dosai, spelled thosai across much of the island and known elsewhere as dosa, is a thin, crisp, golden crepe made from a naturally fermented batter of rice and skinned black lentils. You soak the grains, grind them smooth, leave the mix overnight until it's light and gently sour, then spread it paper-thin on a hot griddle. It cooks until lacy and crackling at the edges. Mild, savoury and a little tangy, dosai is one of the island's most loved breakfast and dinner foods, especially in Tamil homes. Serve it with sambar, dhal curry and fresh coconut chutney.
Thin, crisp, golden fermented rice-and-lentil crepes: the lacy breakfast and dinner you tear and dip into sambar, dhal and coconut chutney.
- Total time
- 40 min
- 20 min prep · 20 min cook
- Serves
- 4 people
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice level
- Mild
- Country help
- USA · UK · AU · CA substitutes included
CeylonCooking
ceyloncooking.com/recipes/dosai
Sri Lankan Dosai (Thosai)
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Nutrition
Estimated values, per serving.
About This Dish
Walk past a busy Sri Lankan tea kiosk or a Tamil home kitchen at breakfast and you'll catch the sound of dosai cooking: the hiss of thin batter hitting a hot griddle, the scrape of a ladle spiralling it out, and the faint crackle as the edges lift and crisp. Most Sri Lankans spell it thosai, and you'll see thosai painted on the boards of small eating houses up and down the country. It's the same dish the wider world calls dosa, a thin fermented crepe that turns a humble mix of rice and lentils into something golden, lacy and deeply satisfying.
Let's be honest about where dosai comes from. The dish is South Indian in origin, born in the Tamil-speaking south of the subcontinent, and it travelled with people and shared kitchens into Sri Lanka long ago. There it became completely woven into the island's food culture, above all in Tamil and Muslim Sri Lankan homes, where thosai is everyday food rather than a special occasion. So dosai is South Indian by birth and thoroughly Sri Lankan by adoption, eaten across the island for breakfast and again as a light, comforting dinner, served with a Sri Lankan spread of sambar, dhal and coconut chutney.
What makes a great dosai is fermentation, and that's the part that asks for patience, not skill. Rice and skinned black lentils, called ulundu, are soaked separately, ground to a smooth batter, and left overnight in a warm place. Wild yeasts and friendly bacteria go to work, and by morning the batter has risen, turned bubbly and airy, and gained a gentle, pleasant sourness. That overnight transformation is what gives a real dosai its light crispness and its faint tang, and it's why a rushed, unfermented batter never tastes the same.
Then comes the cooking, which is half craft and half theatre. A ladle of batter goes into the centre of a hot griddle and you spread it outward in a quick spiral, thinner and thinner, until it's almost translucent. A drizzle of oil round the edge, a minute or two of patience, and the underside turns deep golden and crisp while the top stays soft. The dosai is folded or rolled and slid onto the plate, and at home this is a generous, sociable affair: one cook at the griddle, a stack of warm dosai growing, and everyone tearing pieces to scoop up chutney and dip into sambar.
Dosai, Thosai or Dosa?
Dosai, thosai and dosa are three spellings of the same dish, and which one you see mostly comes down to where you are. Thosai is the spelling you'll see chalked on eating-house boards across the island. Dosai is the closest transliteration of the Tamil word, and dosa is the spelling the rest of the world got used to. All three name the same thing: a thin, crisp crepe made from a fermented batter of rice and skinned black lentils. The differences are just romanised spellings of one Tamil name, not different recipes.
The whole dish comes down to two ingredients and one process. Rice gives the body and crispness, skinned black lentils (ulundu, also called urad dal) bring protein and that gentle stretch that lets the batter spread thin, and the overnight ferment does the rest. A spoon of cooked rice or a little fenugreek added to the soak helps the ferment along and deepens the colour. Get the ratio and the rise right and the batter almost cooks itself into a good dosai. After that, it's just heat and a steady hand with the ladle.
What It Should Taste Like
Crisp and golden at the edges, soft and a touch chewy in the middle, with the clean savour of toasted rice and lentils and a faint, pleasant sourness from the overnight ferment. It's mild on its own, built to carry the heat and richness of sambar, dhal and coconut chutney.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 4 servings. Change the number and every amount below updates with it. Substitutes for hard-to-find items are in the sidebar.
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Dosai Batter
- Raw white riceany short or medium grain2 cups
- Skinned black lentils (ulundu / urad dal)1/2 cup
- Fenugreek seedsoptional, helps fermentation and colour1/2 tsp
- Cooked riceoptional, for extra crispness2 tbsp
- Saltor to taste1 tsp
- Waterto soak and to thin the batteras needed
- Oilfor the griddle
To Serve
- Sambar (lentil and vegetable broth)to serve
- Dhal curryto serve
- Coconut chutneyto serve
Method
Follow these 7 steps. Each one explains not just what to do, but why it matters.
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- 01
Soak the Rice and Lentils
Rinse the rice and the skinned black lentils, then soak them in plenty of water for 4 to 6 hours, along with the fenugreek seeds if you're using them. Soak the rice and lentils in separate bowls.
Soaking is what lets the grains grind down to a silky batter, and keeping the rice and lentils apart matters more than it sounds. They swell and grind at different rates, so soaking them separately gives you control over the final texture. The lentils drink up water and roughly double in size, going soft enough to crush between two fingers. The rice just softens enough to break down smoothly. The fenugreek soaks alongside the lentils, where it helps the batter ferment and gives the finished dosai that warm golden tone.
Tip: Use plenty of water. The grains swell a lot. Soft, fully swollen lentils are the key to a light, well-risen batter.
- 02
Grind to a Smooth Batter
Drain, then grind the lentils first with a little fresh water until light and fluffy. Grind the rice until smooth but with a faint grainy feel. Combine the two into one batter with a thick, pourable consistency.
This is where the texture of your dosai is decided. Grind the lentils until they're pale, airy and almost foamy, because the air you whip in now is part of what makes the batter rise overnight. The rice can stay very slightly grainy, and that's what gives the cooked dosai its crisp bite. Add water a little at a time so the batter stays thick rather than watery. You're after the consistency of a loose pancake batter that coats the back of a spoon and falls in a smooth ribbon. Mix the two together gently with your hand, which traditional cooks believe helps the ferment, until you have one even batter.
Tip: Cold grinding keeps the batter from warming and souring too fast. If your grinder runs hot, use chilled water.
- 03
Ferment Overnight
Stir in the salt, cover the bowl loosely, and leave the batter in a warm spot to ferment for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight, until it has risen, turned bubbly and smells pleasantly sour.
Fermentation is the soul of a real dosai, and you can't rush it. Left in a warm place, wild yeasts and friendly bacteria feed on the batter, producing the bubbles that lighten it and the gentle acidity that gives a good thosai its signature tang. You'll know it's ready when the batter has visibly grown, the surface is dotted with little bubbles, and it carries a clean, faintly sour smell. In a cool kitchen it takes longer, so find the warmest corner you have, near a warm oven or a sunny window. Underfermented batter makes dense, flat dosai, while a properly risen one cooks up light and crisp.
Tip: Leave headroom in the bowl, because a well-fermented batter can double, and a full bowl will overflow overnight.
- 04
Adjust and Rest the Batter
Stir the risen batter down gently and check the consistency. Thin it with a splash of water if it has thickened. It should pour and spread easily without being runny.
After fermenting, the batter often firms up as the grains absorb water, so a small adjustment sets you up for thin, even dosai. Stir it just enough to knock back some of the air and bring it to a smooth, spreadable pour, then leave it be. If it's too thick the dosai will be heavy and hard to spread thin. Too thin and it will tear and refuse to crisp. The goal is a batter that flows off the ladle in a steady stream and spreads outward in a clean spiral when you swirl it.
Tip: Taste a tiny bit raw. It should be lightly sour and well salted, so correct the salt now, before you start cooking.
- 05
Heat and Season the Griddle
Heat a flat griddle or wide non-stick pan over medium-high heat until hot, then wipe it with a little oil. For a seasoned pan, sprinkle a few drops of water. They should dance and evaporate at once.
Here's the thing: getting the griddle to the right heat is the single thing that decides whether your batter spreads into a thin crepe or seizes into a thick patch. The pan must be properly hot before the first ladle goes on, or the batter sticks and tears. The classic test is a few drops of water: on a correctly heated surface they skitter across and vanish in a second. A thin film of oil, rubbed in and wiped back with a cloth or half an onion, seasons the surface so the dosai releases cleanly. Many cooks wipe the pan down between dosai to keep that even, non-stick surface.
Tip: Lower the heat slightly just before you pour, then raise it again once the dosai is spread. A blistering pan can set the batter before you finish swirling.
- 06
Pour and Spread Thin
Pour a ladle of batter into the centre of the griddle. Using the back of the ladle, spread it outward in a quick spiral from the middle to the edge, into a thin, even round.
At a kiosk this looks easy, but at home it takes a few tries, and it all comes down to speed and a light touch. Pour the batter in the centre, then spread it outward in one continuous spiral before the surface sets, working from the middle to the edge so the round stays even. The thinner you spread it, the crisper the dosai. Don't press hard or go back over a patch that has already started cooking, or it will tear. A few small holes are fine, even prized, since they crisp into that lacy texture people love.
Tip: Work fast and commit to one smooth spiral. Hesitating lets the centre set while the edge is still thick and uneven.
- 07
Crisp, Then Fold and Serve
Drizzle a little oil around the edge and cook, without flipping, until the underside is deep golden and crisp and the edges lift away from the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold or roll the dosai and slide it onto a plate.
A thin dosai cooks through from one side, so don't flip it. The oil you drizzle round the rim is what crisps the edges into that crackling golden lace. You'll see the colour deepen and the borders curl up and release as it sets. The top stays soft while the underside turns crisp and spotted golden. When it lifts cleanly, fold it in half or roll it up and serve straight away, while it still crackles. Dosai waits for no one. It softens as it sits, so cook them to order and move them from griddle to plate with sambar, dhal and coconut chutney alongside.
Tip: If you like an extra-crisp dosai, leave it a touch longer until it's deeply golden. Serve it immediately, because the crispness fades within minutes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not fermenting the batter long enough, so the dosai turns out dense and flat instead of light and crisp.
- Grinding the batter too thin and watery makes it tear and refuse to crisp on the griddle.
- Pouring onto a pan that isn't hot enough, so the batter sticks and won't spread.
- Spreading too slowly, so the centre sets before the edge and the round comes out thick and uneven.
- Flipping a thin dosai is unnecessary and tears it, since it cooks through from one side.
Serving Ideas
- With sambar, a tangy lentil and vegetable broth, for the classic Sri Lankan thosai breakfast.
- With fresh coconut chutney and a dhal curry for a light dinner.
- With lunu miris or pol sambol for a quick, fiery start to the day.
- Folded around a spiced potato filling to turn a plain dosai into a masala dosai.
Building a whole plate around it? Start from our sri lankan breakfast menu, which sets out what to cook alongside it and in what order.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Dosai are best eaten fresh and hot off the griddle, while they still crackle. They soften as they sit. The fermented batter is the thing you store, and it keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It grows a little more sour each day, which many people prefer. Bring it back to room temperature and stir before cooking. As the batter ages it suits softer, thicker dosai more than the crispest thin ones, so cook your crispest dosai from fresh batter.
Two Ways to Cook It
Use a good wet grinder or a powerful blender. Soak the rice and lentils together to keep it simple, and ferment overnight in the warmest spot you have. Cook on a non-stick pan, which is the most forgiving surface, and don't worry about spreading the batter ultra-thin at first. A slightly thicker dosai is still delicious with sambar and coconut chutney.
Soak the rice and skinned black lentils separately with a little fenugreek. Grind them to a light, airy batter on a stone wet grinder, mix by hand, and ferment overnight in a warm kitchen. Cook on a well-seasoned flat iron griddle wiped with oil and half an onion. Spread each dosai paper-thin in one quick spiral, crisp it deep golden, and serve straight from the griddle with sambar, dhal and fresh coconut chutney.
Lighter and Healthier Version
Dosai is already one of the more wholesome things you can put on the breakfast table. It is naturally fermented, so it is easier to digest. It is made from just rice and lentils with no dairy or egg, and it needs only a little oil to cook. A few small choices make it lighter and more nourishing still.
Cook with Less Oil
A dosai only needs a light drizzle of oil round the edge to crisp up. On a good non-stick or well-seasoned pan, barely a teaspoon per dosai does the job and still leaves you with a golden, crisp result.
Add More Lentils or Use Red Rice
Push the lentil ratio up a little and you're adding protein. Swap some white rice for red rice and you get more fibre and minerals, plus a nuttier, wholegrain dosai. Both keep the dish naturally vegan.
Naturally Fermented and Gut-Friendly
That overnight ferment partly breaks down the starches and produces friendly bacteria, which is why fermented dosai is often gentler on digestion than unfermented breads. It's naturally gluten-free too.
Mind the Accompaniments
Most of the richness on a dosai plate comes from what sits beside it. A vegetable-forward sambar and a lightly tempered coconut chutney keep the whole meal balanced without losing any comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dosai, spelled thosai in Sri Lanka, is a thin, crisp, golden crepe made from a naturally fermented batter of rice and skinned black lentils. The soaked grains are ground smooth, fermented overnight until light and gently sour, then spread thin on a hot griddle and cooked until crisp. It's a much-loved breakfast and dinner dish, served with sambar, dhal and coconut chutney.
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