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In a recent X post shared by IIT Madras, an article authored by Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula elaborates on how the skillful art of achieving the perfectly crisp-outside-soft-inside dosa is as much a culinary tradition as it is scientific. Detailing the physics involved in the technique of making the South Indian rice crepe, he said that the step where water is sprinkled on a steaming pan is a visual cue and temperature test drawn from the Leidenfrost Effect—an 18th century concept identified in Germany. The practice of testing the amount of heat before the batter is poured and spread thinly has long been part of the making across Indian homes. However, the concept talks about how water touching an extremely hot surface does not evaporate instantaneously.
Instead, it sizzles while forming a flimsy cushion of vapour underneath the droplets which keeps the water from touching the surface directly. The ‘dancing’ movement that the water is often observed to perform skates across the surface of the pan, helping create a protective layer of steam. ‘That same effect is what ensures her dosa doesn’t stick. If the pan is too cool, the batter clings stubbornly, tearing into messy lumps. If it’s too hot, the batter never grips at all, leaving burnt spots and holes. But at just the right temperature, the pan is hot enough to keep the batter from sticking yet not so hot that it floats away. The result? A dosa that is crisp at the edges, soft in the centre, and perfect all around,’ the article originally published in DT Campus details.
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The professor also states that a dosa’s crispness is also reliant on the consistency of the batter as well as the spreading technique. Batter that is well-fermented contains small pockets of air that expand when exposed to heat and contribute to the characteristic fluffiness that most of us enjoy in dosas. Moving beyond the simplicity of the dish itself, the fascinating discipline of the crepe’s technique is testament to how much Indian cuisine is rooted in age-old wisdom that the world is taking note of in contemporary times. With vapour dynamics, temperature regulation and even the water content of the batter being key factors in determining what makes the perfect dosa, breakfast just got a bit more analytical!
