# Ghee roast dosa, crisp from edge to centre

Source: https://howtomakedosa.com/ghee-roast-dosa/
Updated: 2026-09-25

A ghee roast is a plain dosa taken further. It is spread thinner and wider, covered in ghee, and cooked longer at lower heat until it is brittle all the way to the centre. Same batter, different pan technique.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Batter | 90 ml |
| Diameter | 28–30 cm |
| Ghee | 10 g |
| Roast | 2½–3 min |

## What goes in

| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fermented [dosa batter](https://howtomakedosa.com/) | 750 ml | Well risen, 1–2 days old. Day-one batter gives a paler roast. |
| Water | 70 ml | About 50 ml per 500 g of batter, slightly more than for plain dosa. |
| Ghee | 80 g | Melted. 10 g per dosa. |
| Onion | 1 | Halved, for seasoning the tawa. |

**Pan size:** You need a tawa at least **30 cm** across. On a smaller pan you cannot spread 90 ml thin enough, and the result is a thick plain dosa.

## Making it

### 1. Thin the batter a little more

Let the batter stand out of the fridge for **30 minutes**, then stir in water until it runs a little faster than plain dosa batter: a thin, steady stream off the ladle that levels itself in the bowl within 2 seconds.

### 2. Heat and season the tawa

Heat the tawa to **200–215 °C** (390–420 °F). Rub it with the oiled onion, sprinkle and wipe off a tablespoon of water, then pour at **190–200 °C**, exactly as for [plain dosa](https://howtomakedosa.com/#step-heat).

### 3. Spread wide and thin

Pour **90 ml** in the centre and spread it in a spiral out to **28–30 cm**. Use lighter pressure than for plain dosa and more turns. The edge should be thin enough to see the pan through.

- Batter: **90 ml**
- Diameter: **28–30 cm**
- Spread in: **15–20 s**

### 4. Ghee over everything, then lower the heat

Spoon **10 g** (2 teaspoons) of melted ghee over the whole surface, and spread it with the back of the spoon. Turn the heat down to medium-low.

This is the difference from a plain dosa. The lower heat lets the whole dosa dry out and crisp before the edges burn, and keeps the ghee's milk solids from turning bitter.

### 5. Roast until it lifts

- Roast: **2½–3 min**, one side only
- Done when: deep golden brown all over, edges curling up by 1–2 cm, the whole dosa slides freely

**Rolling:** Lift one edge with the spatula and roll it into a tube, or fold it into a cone, then lift it off. It should feel stiff, like a thin cracker. Turn the heat back up and wait **45 seconds** before the next pour.

| Problem | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Crisp at the edges, soft in the middle | Spread too thick in the centre, or roasted too fast. Spread lighter, lower the heat, and give it 30 seconds more. |
| Ghee smokes and tastes bitter | Heat too high. Turn it down as soon as the ghee goes on. |
| Cracks when rolling | Roasted a little too long. Roll it 15 seconds earlier. |

## Keep going

- [Coconut chutney](https://howtomakedosa.com/coconut-chutney/): Fresh, frozen or desiccated coconut, in grams, with a tempering that takes 60 seconds.
- [Sambar](https://howtomakedosa.com/sambar/): Tiffin sambar: toor dal, tamarind and shallots in grams, thinner than the sambar you eat with rice.
- [Masala dosa](https://howtomakedosa.com/masala-dosa/): The potato masala in grams, and when to fill and fold so the shell stays crisp.
- [Dosa sticking to the pan](https://howtomakedosa.com/dosa-sticking-to-pan/): Heat, seasoning and batter checks, plus how to re-season a cast iron tawa that has stopped releasing.