Craving idli or dosa but not up for a two-day fermentation project? You have three good options at Anoras Cash N Carry, 567 S Fairfax Ave in the Fairfax District: ready-made idli and dosa batter you can pour straight onto the tawa, the idli rice and urad dal to grind your own, or an instant mix for the fastest route. Here's where to buy dosa batter in Los Angeles and how to pick.

Should you buy ready-made batter or make your own?

Ready-made batter is already soaked, ground and fermented — you open the tub, give it a stir, and cook. It's the move on a weeknight or when your kitchen's too cool to ferment well (LA winters can be slow). Making your own from rice and dal costs less per serving and lets you dial in the texture, but it needs planning: soak, grind, and ferment 8–12 hours. Neither is "better" — it's about how much time you have.

Takeaway: ready-made for speed and reliability; scratch for cost and control.

Which ready-made batter should you buy?

• Chennai Caters Idli & Dosa Batter (900 ml, $6.60) — one tub for both soft idlis and crisp dosas. A great starting size.
• Chennai Caters Idli & Dosa Batter (1800 ml, $13.75) — the family-size tub for regular idli-dosa households.
• Chennai Caters Dosa Batter (900 ml, $6.60) — tuned for crisp, golden dosas if that's mostly what you make.

You'll find these in our Frozen Foods collection — keep the tub chilled, and bring it to room temperature before cooking for the best spread.

Takeaway: the 900 ml does-both tub is the easiest first buy; size up if you make it often.

What do you need to make idli-dosa batter from scratch?

Two ingredients do the heavy lifting: parboiled idli rice and urad dal, roughly in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio, plus a little water and time. We carry Laxmi Idli Rice (10 lb, $13.75) and Laxmi Urad Dal (2 lb, $4.95) — soak them separately, grind to a smooth batter, mix with a little salt, and let it ferment overnight until it's risen and bubbly. Prefer a quicker in-between? Instant idli and dosa mixes live in our Pantry & Ready to Eat collection, and you can browse rice options in the Rice collection.

Takeaway: idli rice + urad dal + overnight ferment is all the scratch method really needs.

Where can you buy idli and dosa batter in Los Angeles?

At Anoras Cash N Carry, 567 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 — in the Fairfax District, near Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire and Koreatown. Open daily 10 AM–9 PM. We deliver within a 10-mile radius, 10 AM–8 PM, $35.97 minimum, $7.98 fee, free over $99. Call 323-272-3617 to check batter sizes.

Takeaway: shop in store 10–9 daily, or get batter delivered free over $99 within 10 miles.

Frequently asked questions