11 Dosa Recipes from My Kitchen

A dosa is a thin pancake in South Indian cuisine traditionally made from a fermented batter of ground black lentils and rice. It is a healthy breakfast with the goodness of grains and lentils. Because of fermentation, it is easy to digest, is a source of good bacteria and is great for the immune system. However, there are many varieties of dosas that are made, with different ingredients, some requiring overnight fermentation and others that can be prepared instantly.

Irrespective of the method, what stays common is that dosas are served hot with chutney, sambar and sometimes with potato or mixed veg curry.

You can check out my 12 Chutney recipes and sambar recipes – instant Bangalore-style sambar, Mixed Veg Sambar, and Radish and Shallots Sambar.

If you visit any South Indian restaurant for breakfast, you will be spoilt for dosa choices. Some of the popular dosas are Plain Dosa ( made with rice and urad dal, well roasted in ghee or oil), Masala Dosa ( Plain dosa with a delicious stuffing of potatoes), Set Dosa ( A slightly thick and fluffy dosa, served with mixed vegetable curry), Paper Dosa (very thin, crispy and brittle dosa made using rice and urad dal) and Rava Dosa/Rava Masala Dosa/Rava Onion Dosa ( Dosa made with Semolina).

In addition, there are many dosa recipes that are not so popular in restaurants but are commonly made in homes, for example, Pesarattu ( A dosa recipe from Andhra Pradesh, made with Green Gram Lentils), Adai Dosa ( A dosa recipe from Tamil Nadu, using a mix of lentils such as chana dal, toor dal erc), Ragi Dosa ( A popular breakfast from Karnataka, made using Finger Millet), and there are many more.

Making Dosa is quite easy. You can get creative in your kitchen by combining different grains and lentils. Add spices like cumin seeds, fennel, red chillies, etc and give them different flavours. You can even add vegetables such as finely chopped onions, tomatoes, grated bottle gourd/zucchini and herbs such as coriander, spinach, drumstick leaves, fenugreek leaves, dill leaves etc. If you play around with all these ingredients, imagine the varieties you can make and the diversity you can bring to your breakfast.

Today I am listing 11 of my tried and tested dosa recipes. These recipes are easy to follow and can be made at home. So, let’s check them out:

Rice and Urad Dal Dosa:

This dosa is made by soaking rice and urad dal for a couple of hours and then grinding them to a smooth batter. This batter is fermented overnight. The following day, the batter develops a slightly sour taste. You can make plain dosas or serve them with a potato mix called Masala. Check out the recipe for these crispy and delicious dosas here.
Pesarattu:

These dosas are made using green gram lentils and rice. The grains are soaked and ground to a smooth batter. Then spices are added, and the consistency of the batter is adjusted. This batter doesn’t require fermentation. It is an excellent source of protein. Check its recipes here.
Ragi Dosa:

This recipe combines Ragi (finger millet) with rice and semolina. Yoghurt and water are used to make the batter. The combination of yoghurt, finger millet and ginger gives this dosa its unique flavour. Check out the recipe for this protein and calcium-rich dosa here.
Adai Dosa:

This dosa is made by combining various lentils with rice. The grains are soaked and ground into a batter. A generous amount of curry leaves and onions added to this batter elevates its taste multifold. While dosas are typically eaten with sambar and chutney, this one goes well with butter too. Check out its recipe here.
Quinoa Dosa

In this recipe, quinoa, rice and urad dal are soaked, ground and fermented overnight. These dosas have a slightly sweet taste (because of the presence of quinoa), which gets balanced by the sourness caused by fermentation. Check out the recipe for this protein and fibre-rich dosa here.
Foxtail Millet Dosa

To make this dosa, foxtail millet and urad dal are soaked and ground. The batter is fermented overnight. This is an excellent recipe if you are looking at replacing rice with millet in your diet. These nutritious dosas are easy to make and delicious. Check out the recipe here.
Atta Dosa:

This dosa is made using wheat flour and semolina. This is an instant dosa recipe, as it doesn’t require soaking, grinding and fermentation. It is an ideal recipe when you haven’t planned anything for breakfast but still want to make something healthy and tasty. Check out the recipe here.
Uttapam:

Uttapam is made using a fermented batter made by soaking and grinding rice and urad dal. The batter is the same as masala dosa batter- the difference between them is that Uttapam is thick and is topped with vegetables like onion, tomatoes, green chillies, fresh coriander leaves etc. The vegetables get fried along with the dosa. Check out the recipe for Uttapam here.
Set Dosa

Talking about thick dosas, the next in line is Set Dosa. It is so named because, in restaurants, it is always served in sets of 2 or three. This dosa is also thick, but its main characteristic is light and fluffy. The fluffiness comes from ingredients such as puffed rice/poha (beaten rice) and Sabudana ( sago) added to rice and urad dal. After fermentation, this batter comes very light and is ideal for making soft dosas. Check out the recipe for set dosa here.
Rava Dosa

These crispy dosas are quite popular in South India. Made with rice flour and semolina, these delicious dosas are quite filling and will keep you full and satisfied for a long time. This is an instant dosa recipe. Check it out here.
Potato and Chickpea Flour Dosa

This started as an experiment and has now become a regularly followed recipe in my home. This is yet another instant dosa recipe. The combination of potatoes and chickpea flour gives these crispy dosas a unique taste. Check out the recipe here.