You mix the batter, heat the tawa, pour a ladle and wait for a thin, golden, crackly dosa. Instead, you get something pale, floppy and slightly damp in the middle. Many home cooks blame the batter, but the most common culprit is simpler: pouring batter onto a pan that is not hot enough. When the surface is too cool, the batter steams instead of crisping, and the dosa turns soft and sticky. Here is a five-step look at why it happens and how to fix it.
