3 cups rice (not basmati!), soaked overnight — room temp. water. 1 cup urad dal (a specific type of lentils avail. at Indian grocery stores— no substitution; other dals will not work like this)
Soaked separately overnight — room temp. water
Traditionally, stone grinders (huge mortars) and rolling pestles are used to grind the rice and the urad dal and motorized versions of those are now available at Indian elcetronic stores in D.C. A mixie
or a blender cuts the grains into fine pieces, but does not “mash” them like the stone grinders do. So there is a good deal of difference taste when you use a blender. But still, it is not bad at all if you make sure that you grind the rice really fine. Cover the rice with water just 1/2 “above the rice line in the blender.
Grind till Sssssmooth.
Grind the dal separately, with water that barely covers it. Grind a long time (be patient!), stirring once
in a while and grinding again. When
the dal is ground very well, and small air bubbles appear once you stop running the blender, it is enough. Add more water if necessary. But this should be very thick.
MIx the rice and the urad dal pastes, with 1/2 tsp salt.
Add one tablespoon beaten yogurt, and mix well.
Keep covered to let oit ferment fro at least 5 to 8 hrs or more. (Keep it close to a heater or in any warm place).

Once it has risen, stir briefly, and keep it oin the fridge.

You have the batter now.

Grease a griddle with plain sesame oil or peanut oil if you care about max. flavor; if not use veg. oil. The heat should be medium or slightly higher. When hot (a few drops of water will sizzle gently and disappear), using a metal ladle, pour one ladleful over the griddle; with quick and even and gentle strokes, spread the batter out
with the ladle as if you are drawing concentric circles on the batter. Do it either clockwise OR anticlockwise else you get lumps.
It takes a few tries believe me, and some of us who are trained well in this mess up occasioanlly. drizzle oil around edges, and on top. Once the bottom is cooked, turn it over, and cook the top. Be careful when using your spatula (metal preferred) to take it out to flip it.

This can be served with chilli-dal-spice powder and oil or ghee, coconut chutney, cilantro or mint chutney, onion chutney, or
red garlic chutney, and/or saambar. (If you want their recipes, email me) This is standard breakfast or supper fare for us, growing up in the south.

Else, as in your restaurant, make a filling as follows:

1. Take 2 large boiled potatoes, peel and mash coarsely.
2. Thinly slice one large red onion, 2 cloves of garlic (optional) and 3 or 4 green chillies.
3. Grate a 1″ piece of ginger.
4. Cut up a tomato if you want.
5. Take a sprig of curry leaves and chop them coarsely.
6. Heat some veg. oil, add some fennel seeds, and cummin seeds (1/2 tsp. each) 7. Add 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds.
8. When they crackle, add the green chillies, ginger, garlic (if used), and onions and fry them with a little salt for a while till
onions are transparent. Add curry leaves.
9. Next add 1/2 pkt of frozen peas, tomatoes (if you choose), and fry for 5 minutes.
10. Add the potatoes, and more salt if desired. stir well till blended 11. Add some chopped cilantro if you want.

When making the dosai, spread the batter out as mentioned earlier, drizzle oil, and keep the skillet or griddle covered (any
cover will do as long as the dosai area is covered; just be sure the cover does not touch the dosai). In less than a minute, the dosai will be cooked with oil on the bottom, and its top will be cooked by the steam that is generated when you cover it. The color is now not the white of the batter but kinda dull; you’ll know)

Turn the heat down, place the cooled filling acrooss the center along the diagonal, and fold both sides overlappingly over it
to form a cylindrical shape. Increase the heat slightly, drizzle more oil, and cook both sides till golden.

Else, place the filling in the center, and fold from three sides, forming a triangle, overlapping and covering the filling.

Cook as above.

If you have left over batter, and really fermented, make “OOTHAPPAM”: Chop some onions, green chillies, and cilantro really well, mix with salt.Soon as you spread out the pancake, sprinkle the chopped stuff on top. Drizzle oil on top, flip it over carefully when the bottom is cooked, and cook the other side. Serve with coconut chutney.

If you are into a health-diet, do not drizzle oil over and around pancake. Just grease the griddle lightly with a paper towel; in this case, cook just one side of the dosai on the greased surface, covering the dosai to let the steam cook the top. This dosa is very soft and tasty.

Back home, we add some fenugreek seeds to the urad dal, soak and grind them together for a superior texture, flavor, and color.

Hope that helps! I have babbled too much, but really, it is very easy to make once you have the batter.

4 tablespoons grated coconut
2 teaspoon(s) bengal gram (chana dal) roasted
1″ piece ginger peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves chopped
4 green chillies chopped
1 teaspoon(s) each of mustard seeds and black gram (udad dal)
½ teaspoon(s) asafoetida powder
4 curry leaves
1 red chilli(es) broken into bits
2 tablespoon(s) oil
lemon juice and salt to taste

Grind the coconut, roasted gram, green chillies, coriander leaves and ginger to a fine paste using a little water. Pour the paste / chutney into a bowl and adjust the consistency using suitable amount of water.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium level for about 2 minute(s) till it is hot enough. Add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter and then add the black gram (udad dal), red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder. Fry briefly till the gram turns red and pour it on the chutney.
Add salt and lemon juice to the chutney.
Serve at room temperature with: Spicy Semolina (Khara Rava) or any other snacks of your choice.

2 tablespoon(s) coconut oil
1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
1 teaspoon(s) split husked Bengal gram (chana dal)
1 teaspoon(s) split husked black gram (udad dal)
4 green chillies chopped
1 tablespoon(s) cashewnut bits
1 sprig curry leaves
1 cup(s) semolina (or quick cream of wheat)
4 cups sour yoghurt
1 cup(s) coriander leaves chopped
2 cup(s) grated coconut if available
1 teaspoon(s) soda bicarbonate
salt to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds followed by the grams and fry till the seeds splutter fully. Add the green chillies, cashewnut bits and curry leaves. Stir-fry on medium level for about 3 minutes or till the grams are red in color.
Add the semolina and stir-fry on medium / low level for about 3 minute(s) or till golden in color and aromatic. Let cool. Once cooled, mix in the salt as per taste and the soda bicarbonate.
Divide the semolina mixture into two portions to steam then in two batches. Take a portion of semolina mixture and mix in half the quantity of yoghurt, coconut and coriander leaves. Keep aside for 15 minutes to ferment. Meanwhile, heat water in a steaming vessel. Pour the batter onto greased idli moulds and place it in the steaming vessel. Cover and steam on high level for about 10 minutes or till the idlis are fluffy and well cooked. Repeat the procedure to make the next batch of idlis.
TIP:

If coconut oil is not available, any other vegetable oil can be used.
If you do not have an idli mould, try muffin cups.
The stir-fried semolina mixture can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored.

Serve hot with: Green Chutney (Hari Chutney)

(from http://www.syvum.com)

Achar: Any kind of pickle
Aloo: Potato
Biryani: A fancy rice casserole, often containing meat, poultry, seafood or
vegetables
Chapati/Roti: Thin bread cooked on the griddle. Click here for how to make roti.
Dal: Any kind of legume–beans, peas, or lentils. Click here for how to make daal.
Dosa: Crispy, crepe-like southern Indian specialty filled with potatoes or
vegetables
Ghee: Clarified butter
Gosht: Meat
Korma: Braised meats in a thick, mild creamy sauce
Kulcha: Tender, pita-like bread cooked in the tandoor. Click here for how to make kulcha.
Lassi: A refreshing, creamy yogurt drink that can be sweet or salty. Click here for how to make lassi.
Masala: Spice blend
Naan: Flat, oval bread cooked in the tandoor
Pakora: Fritter dipped in a spicy chickpea batter; can be made with vegetables,
cheese, chicken or seafood. Click here for how to make pakoras.
Paneer: Cheese
Pappadum: Spicy lentil wafers. Click here for how to make papadum.
Paratha: Flaky bread fried on the griddle. Click here for how to make parathas.
Poori: Airy, deep-fried bread. Click here for how to make pooris.
Pulao: An aromatic rice pilaf. Click here for how to make biryani.
Raita: A yogurt-based condiment usually containing vegetables
Rasam: A thin, spicy broth. Click here for how to make rasam.
Saag: Spinach, but can also refer to other greens
Sambar: An extremely spicy broth popular in southern India
Samosa: Flaky, pyramid-shaped pastry stuffed with potatoes or ground meat; a
traditional Indian snack. Click here for how to make samosas.
Tandoor: A deep, clay oven that has very high temperatures
Tandoori: Any dish cooked in a tandoor. Click here for how to make tandoori dishes
Vindaloo: An extremely spicy curry dish that’s a regional specialty of Goa. Click here for how to make Chicken Vindaloo