Ingredients:

• White Rice (2 cups)
• Urad Dal (1 1/2 cups)
• Sabudhana (Tapioca pearls; handful)
• Salt (to taste)

Note: For every cup of rice you have to use 3/4 cup of urad dal.

Directions:

Rinse the rice and sabudhana a few times and then soak them both together in water for 6-8 hours.

Do the same with Urad dal, rinse it a few times and then soak it in water for 6-8 hours.

Drain out the water from the rice and sabudhana and then add it to a blender jar. Add water as required to grind it. Do not add all the water at the same time. Add 1-2 tablespoons at a time. The rice batter will be a little grainy and it is totally fine. Transfer it to a large bowl.

Now, drain out the water from urad dal and add the dal into the blender. Gradually add water to the jar and blend it till the batter is smooth and fluffy.

Transfer the dal batter into the same large bowl as the rice batter. Add salt and mix the two batters together.

Cover the bowl and leave it for 8-10 hours or overnight to ferment, during cold weathers leave the batter in a warm place or inside an oven with the oven lights on.

Note: I usually soak the grains in the morning and then grind them in the evening and leave it overnight to ferment and the dosa batter is ready for breakfast.

During fermentation, the batter volume will increase and little bubbles will appear when you stir the batter. Stir the batter with a ladle and if the batter seems too think add a couple of tablespoons of water and mix it. The batter should be slightly runny but not all too watery.

Place a cast iron griddle or a non-stick pan over medium heat. Splash some water over the griddle/pan and if the water sizzles and evaporates in seconds then the pan is ready to use.

In a small bowl take some oil. Dip a cotton cloth/paper towel into the oil and then grease the surface of the griddle/pan.

Take a ladle full of the batter and pour it over the griddle and then using the base of the ladle spread out the batter as thin as possible using spiral motions to make it into a circle of 7-8 inches in diameter.

Cook for a couple of minutes till the bottom side turns golden brown and then flip it over and cook for another minute. Once both sides are cooked transfer it over to a plate.

Grease the pan again with the cloth/paper towel and repeat the process for the remaining batter.

Serve with sambar and/or chutney.