Sri Lankan-Style Dosa |Those |Thosai |Dosai

Learn to make the best Sri Lankan-style dosa!! It is locally called Those (තෝසේ) in Sinhalese and Thosai or Dosai in Tamil. They are savory pancakes made from a fermented batter of rice and split black gram.

Learn to make
Sri Lankan-Style Dosa (Those, Thosai)

Learn to make Sri Lankan-style dosa. It is locally called Those (තෝසේ) in Sinhalese and Thosai or Dosai in Tamil.

Those are Sri Lankan-style dosa or savory pancakes. They are made from a fermented batter of rice and split black gram. Split black gram is also known as Urad Dal, Split black lentils, Black gram dal, ulundu, or උළුඳු.

Those are a typical part of Sri Lankan cuisine. Eating those at restaurants, known as those kade in Sinhalese, is a popular custom in urban areas of Sri Lanka. In restaurants, those are typically served with coconut sambol and sambar on the banana leaf. They are eaten with hands. It’s a cheap yet very delicious and fulfilling meal.

I’ll show you how to make ‘Those’, the easy way, from scratch. Here you’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step pictures, helpful info plus top tips. I hope you will try the recipe and enjoy ‘Those’ as much as I do!!

South Indian dosa VS. Sri Lankan those

Sri Lankan food is somewhat akin to South Indian food. But, it is not the same and remains distinctly its own form of cuisine.

Both dosa and those are typically made from a fermented batter of rice and split black gram (urad dal). But, the ratio of rice to lentils is different. It is typically 4:1 for dosa batters while 1:1 for those batters.

Rice gives a crisp texture to dosa while lentil makes it softer. So, dosa are crisp while those are comparatively softer. However, according to Wikipedia, the original dosa was soft & thick, and thin & crisp dosa was invented later.

Dosa batter is traditionally made through a process of natural fermentation. That means it is made without adding yeast or baking soda. But, in the batter for making Those is typically made by adding yeast or baking soda.

Want to learn how to make dosa?

Learning to make perfect CRISPY DOSA might take time & practice, but it’s worth the effort

How Do You Make Those?

In this post, I will show you how to make those batter from scratch. You do this by grinding soaked rice and urad dal directly into a batter with adequate water.

If you have a powerful grinder, it is a very easy process. You just soak and grind rice and urad dal to make the batter. Then you leave it to ferment overnight after adding yeast. That’s simple.

However, you can also make those batters with commercially available rice flour and urad dal flour. And, if you’re lazy or busy making those from scratch, nowadays, instant those mixtures are also available in supermarkets.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

powerful grinder

You will need a powerful grinder for grinding soaked rice and lentils into a batter. I am afraid you can’t grind them in a food processor or normal blender.

cast-iron pan

A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is a perfect pan for making perfect those with a nice texture. You can also use a crepe pan if you have one. Don’t worry you can also make Those in a regular non-stick frying pan.

INGREDIENTs

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. For the quantities of each ingredient, check out the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

white rice

Use long-grain white rice (I used Thai white rice). Don’t use sticky white rice like Japanese white rice. Rice makes those crisper, when the proportion of rice has increased the crispiness of those is also increased.  

Split black gram (urad dal or ulundu)

Whole beans are small, black-skinned, and oval beans. The skinless form is pale yellow or white. In this recipe, I used split skinless urad dal. You can also use the skinned whole beans. Be sure to remove all of the black skin, if there is any. They add a darker color to the batter.

instant yeast or active dry yeast

You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast. If you use instant yeast, just add it. However, when you use active dry yeast, you need to activate your yeast before adding it.

baking soda

In this recipe, I used yeast as a leavening agent, some recipes call for baking soda instead of yeast. If you use baking soda, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon in a little water. Then add it to the batter.

Extra ingredients

You can make Those just plain without extra ingredients. However, it is common practice to enhance the taste of Those by adding extra ingredients to the prepared batter.

This includes

• Add spices like mustard seeds, chili, cumin, salt, and pepper after tempering them with oil.
• As well as tempered chopped onion, green chili, and curry leaves.
• Add finely chopped onion, green chilies, and curry leaves along with spices without tempering them.
• Grind onion, green chili, and curry leaves together with rice and lentils.

What is Tempering?

Tempering is a cooking technique used in Sri Lanka to enhance the flavor of a dish. When tempering, spices (mustard seeds, cumin, chili, etc.) and other ingredients (chopped chilies, onion, and curry leaves) are fried in oil to intensify their flavor.

Useful Tips for Making the Best Those

Plan ahead of time

We need to plan ahead of time and start this recipe at least 12 hours before serving. The process seems quite extensive. Remember, most of the time there is idle time. You just need to leave your rice and lentils to soak. Then leave the batter to ferment while enjoying the rest of your day.

5 Easy Steps

1. Wash and soak the rice and lentils for about 6 hrs (or overnight)
2. Drain and then grind the soaked rice and lentils
3. Add yeast and let it fermentation
4. Add the spices & herbs, if desired
5. Cook & serve hot

GRINDING

First, grind soaked rice adding little water. Add more water as needed until you get a somewhat thick paste. If you add too much water in the beginning, you will have trouble grinding it to a paste. Next, grind soaked urad dal along with ground rice until you have a smooth paste. You can also grind rice and lentils separately adding some water as needed.

FERMENTATION

You need a well-fermented batter to make perfect those with the right texture. If your batter is not fully fermented, it will not stick to the pan and keep its shape when cooking. Fermentation time depends on the climate. Make sure to leave the batter in a warm place for an adequate time. After good fermentation, the batter will be frothy, bubbly, and smell fermented. Use a large bowl or pot when starting the fermentation process. The batter will rise after fermentation so it may cause overflowing the batter.

Those Batter

The batter should not be too runny or too thick as you need to spread it over the pan easily. Make sure to adjust the consistency of the batter adding water as needed. Can you refrigerate those batter? Yes, you can refrigerate it overnight or for up to three to four days.

HEAT

Heat is a crucial factor in making perfect those. The pan should be hot but not too hot, so make sure to adjust the heat as needed. You can’t spread the batter if your pan is too hot. On the other hand, if your pan is not hot enough, the batter will not stick to the pan.

Do a simple test to know the right temperature

You can check the right temperature by splashing water on the surface of the pan. Water should sizzle and evaporate after dancing for a moment on the surface of the pan. Splashing water on the pan also helps to lower the temperature on the surface of your pan. This makes it easier to spread the batter.

serving Suggestions

Those are typically served with vegetarian side dishes such as pol sambol, sambar, vegetable curries, or lentil curries. But you can also serve them with chicken curry. You can also serve them with fish curry or egg curry if you like it that way. And you can serve them at any time of the day be it breakfast, light meal, lunch, or dinner.  

Click the link for more curry recipes; A collection of delicious curry recipes

More Sri Lankan Breakfast Recipes

Sri Lankan-style dosa (Those, Thosai)
Step-by-step recipe

(Check out the printable recipe card at the end of the post)

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time 30 mins
Soaking time: 6 h to overnight
Fermentation: 6 h to overnight
Servings: 10 to 12 Those

Ingredients

For the batter
150 g long grain white rice
150 g spilit black gram (urad dal)
Water, as needed

For activating yeast
50 ml warm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast

Freshly chopped ingredients & seasoning
½ onion, thinly chopped
1 green chili, thinly chopped
A few curry leaves, thinly chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper, to taste

For tempering
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ onion, thinly chopped
1 green chili, thinly chopped
A few curry leaves, thinly chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper, to taste

Notes; You can add either freshly chopped ingredients or tempered ingredients, it is your choice. In this recipe, I added freshly chopped ingredients along with seasoning & spices

Instructions

Gather the ingredients; split black gram (urad dal), long-grain white rice

Wash and soak rice and split black gram in water for 6 hours or overnight.

Drain the water. Then grind the rice, adding least water as needed in a powerful grinder. Continue until you have a smooth thick paste.

Now drain the water and grind the lentils along with ground rice until you have a smooth batter. Add least water as needed.

Place about 50ml of warm water in a small bowl. Add yeast and sugar and stir well. Keep it aside for about 10 minutes until frothy. If you use instant yeast, skip this step.

Place the batter in a large bowl. Add yeast and mix well. Cover and then let it rise for about 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Nicely fermented Those batter!

If you’re planning to add tempered ingredients, prepare it while your batter is fermenting.

Tempering; Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium. Pop mustard seeds in oil. Then add chopped onions, green chilies, and curry leaves. Cook while stirring for about one minute. Add chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt and stir well. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool.

In this recipe, I added freshly chopped onion, green chilies, and curry leaves. I also added chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

The batter should spread easily over the pan. Adjust the thickness of the batter by adding water as needed. And let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat and grease with oil. Pour a ladleful of batter into the center. Quickly spread it into a circle. This helps to spread the batter evenly.

Spread the batter quickly on the pan, otherwise, it will be difficult to spread. You will need some practice to do this if you are a beginner.

Cook for about 1 minute. You will see bubbles on the surface. Then cover and cook for another minute or so until it’s cooked.

Open the lid. Drizzle a little oil around the edges and then swirl the pan. Cook until those turn golden on the edges. (Adding oil is optional)

Flip and cook for about 30 seconds. Flip it back and then remove it to a serving plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve with coconut sambal and your choice of curry.

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY
I love hearing from you so feel free to leave a comment on the post. If you make any of my recipes, I’d love to see pics of your creations #joyofeatingtheworld or @joyofeatingtheworld

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