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It is prepared by laying a thin circular film from a batter of rice and lentil flour mixed with water on a flat, preheated pan, and frying it with a dash of edible oil or ghee. It gets evenly fried on one side to obtain a brownish tinge. The other side is partially fried next by turning the dosa over. The end product is neatly folded and served. The crispness, the colour, the amount of batter used and the time for which the batter was allowed to ferment prior to cooking determine the variety of Dosa you eat.
A stuffing inside a folded Dosa is not uncommon. A common variety - Masala Dosa or Mysore Masala Dosay is essentially a freshly cooked, crisp Dosa stuffed with mashed potatos lightly cooked with fried onions and spices. Sometimes the onions are mixed into the batter itself.
Dosas can also be made from cream of wheat ('Maida') in which case they are called 'Maida Dosas' or 'Rava Dosas' (when prepared with 'Rava' or Semolina).
There are different side dishes that a Dosa can have based on regional and personal preferences. Dosa can be served with a variety of chutneys; one such is coconut chutney - a semi-solid paste usually made of coconut, dhals , cilantro, mint and green chillies (Chutney powder is also used and it is just as delicious). It is also served with hot Sambhar - a thick, spicy lentil soup. In Tamil Nadu, the simplest, most basic and traditional side-dish by which purists swear is the humble milagaai podi-ennai,that is chilli powder mixed with oil.