You can use any cheese you like on these cheese dosas.

Cheese dosas are traditionally made with grated paneer in India. That’s good but you really can use any cheese you like on a cheese dosa. My wife prefers a good sharp Stilton. Me? That Stilton is a bit too strong so I go for sharp Cheddar.

How do you make the dosa batter?

Making the best dosa batter is hugely important in getting restaurant quality results. I have you covered!

Just head over to my dosa batter recipe with step by step photographed instructions. You will find all the information you need to prepare a batter that will work excellently well, not only with these cheese dosas but masala dosas, egg dosas, any dosas you want to make.

Is it easy to make cheese dosas?

Making dosas does take some practice. You need to get the batter just right as well as ensure you are cooking over the right heat. You also need to spread that dosa batter thinly over the surface.

That said, if you make the dosa batter correctly, you will get very good dosas regardless of what they look like. With a little experimentation you will be making perfect cheese dosas in no time!

I’m here if you have any questions or problems making them and I’m very happy to help.

What cheese is used on cheese dosas?

As I mentioned above, cheese dosas are traditionally made with paneer. I love paneer dosas but like them made with other cheeses even more.

You just need to decide which cheese you want to add. If you like paneer, go for it but using other cheeses might just take your cheese dosas up a level or two.

What can you put in a cheese dosa besides cheese?

You could just add cheese to your cheese dosas. I like to add a few other things such as garlic chutney and hot sauce. I use Franks hot sauce but any will do.

In addition to that, you could add spring onions, red onions, coriander (cilantro) or anything you like really.

Working ahead

This cheese dosa recipe is great for working ahead. The batter takes about 36 hours to prepare. This is mainly sitting and fermenting time so not much to do.

It is important, however that you let the batter ferment for optimum flavour.

How long can you keep the dosa batter?

Your fermented batter will keep nicely in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Just cover it tightly.

Can you freeze dosa batter?

Yes! It freezes really well for up to 6 months. On days that I’m making dosa batter, I usually double or even triple the recipe so that I have lots on hand when I want it.

You just need to let the frozen batter defrost completely and come to room temperature before you start cooking your cheese dosas.

Choosing the right dosa pan

This is an important part of making the perfect dosas with your dosa batter. When I first started making dosas, I used a le Creuset non stick crepe pan. That worked and it’s perfect for beginners but then I moved up to the cast iron version.

You might want to consider cooking on cast iron as non stick pans are exactly that, non-stick. To get a really smooth dosa surface, you want that dosa to stick to the pan some. That said, I did get good results cooking on a non-stick surface.

The size of you pan does limit how large you can make your dosas. So as I continued making dosas, I started using a cast iron crepe maker which is great because the surface is larger and there are no sides.

Step by step photos

Spread your dosa batter out in a circular motion with a ladle as thinly as you can. If you find parts really thick, you can scrape it off.

Rubbing butter along the edges of the dosa.

Take a piece of butter and rub it along the edges. This will make the edges really crispy and nice.

Adding cheese and garlic chutney to the dosa.

You will see the dosa browning from below. When this happens, start adding your toppings.

Dosa with cheese, garlic chutney and hot sauce

In addition to the cheese you can also add other toppings if you like.

Be sure to add a little freshly ground pepper. It really adds to the flavour.

When nicely browned, roll it all up and serve.

The butter gives the dosa really crispy edges.

What do you serve with cheese dosas?

There are many different popular chutneys you can serve with your homemade dosas. Why not try some of these…

Garlic chutney

Green chilli chutney

Mint and coriander chutney

Ginger chutney

Yield: 8

Cheese Dosas

Ingredients

Rapeseed oil for frying
1/2 onion
1 batch dosa batter
400g / 7oz grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat your pan over medium-high heat. If using a temperature-controlled pan, 190c should do the job. If not, your pan is ready when a few drops of water evaporate immediately on contact.
Spread about one half teaspoon of oil over the top with the half onion.
When your pan is up to heat, pour about 200ml (3/4 cup) of batter in the centre. Use the back of a ladle or a flat-bottomed cup to spread the batter outward in a circular motion until you have a thin dosa.
Take a piece of butter and melt it along the sides of the dosa. When you see that it is browning from underneath you can start adding your toppings.
Add the grated cheese along with anything else you would like to add.
When the dosa begins to break away at the edges, it is a good sign that your dosa is ready for rolling.
Fold it into a tube shape or simply fold the dosa in half to serve.

Notes

How much cheese you add to each dosa is up to you. I usually add about 50g per dosa.