Dosas are thin, crispy pancakes that started out as a simple mix of fermented rice and lentils, but over time they’ve turned into something much more playful and varied. You’ll find dosas made with different grains, veggies mixed right into the batter, or stuffed with everything from spiced potatoes to paneer or even sweet fillings like banana and jaggery. Here are some easy dosa variations for every day of the week :
1.Jowar Cabbage Dosa
Start by mixing jowar flour with a bit of rice flour or ground soaked urad dal. To this, add finely shredded cabbage along with salt, and, cumin, chopped green chillies, and ginger. Gradually pour in enough water to get a smooth, pourable consistency. You can use the batter immediately if needed.
2.Ragi Dosa
It is best suggested to use sprouted ragi flour. Combine ragi flour with a little rice flour, and a spoon of yogurt to help the fermentation process. Add salt and mix it all together. Keep adding water until the batter is not too thick. Let the batter rest for a few hours.
3.Foxtail Millet Spinach Dosa
Soak foxtail millet for a few hours and grind it along with a small amount of urad dal. Blend in fresh spinach leaves that are roughly chopped. You could also make it into a puree and incorporate in the batter, making it naturally green. Finally, add salt and water. Mix well to achieve dosa-like consistency.
4.Onion Rava Dosa
Mix semolina with a bit of rice flour and maida to help it hold together. Stir in finely chopped onions, salt, green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and a little black pepper. Add lots of water to make a very thin, watery batter so that the dosa is lacy and crisp. Stir the batter well each time before pouring, as the rava tends to settle at the bottom.
5.Neer Dosa
Start by soaking raw rice for a few hours and then grind it into a very smooth, fine batter with plenty of water until it’s really runny and flowing, hence the name neer dosa. Finally, add a pinch of salt. This batter requires no fermentation, no dal, just pure rice flavour. Let it rest for a short while so the batter settles.
6.Wheat Dosa
Mix whole wheat flour that is used to make chapatis, with enough water. Add salt to taste. This batter is similar to regular dosa or pancake batter, but has a nutty flavor. Let the batter rest for about 15–20 minutes so it hydrates well, then stir before using.You can also add coriander leaves and cumin powder.
7.Pesarattu
Pesarattu is a hearty, protein-rich dosa that has an earthy taste. Begin by soaking green moong dal, with or without skin, for a few hours or overnight until it softens. Grind it into a fairly thick batter along with green chillies, salt, and ginger. Add more water to achieve the consistency you would like.
8.Beetroot Dosa
Start with your regular fermented dosa batter made from rice and urad dal. Grate fresh beetroot and blend it into a smooth puree. Mix it with the dosa batter and add spices if you like. The beetroot gives the dosa a beautiful reddish-pink colour and a mild earthy sweetness.
9.Tomato And Cheese Dosa
Start with your regular dosa batter as the base. In a pan, smear oil and pour the dosa batter. After it has partially cooked, place finely chopped tomatoes all over the dosa. Add salt and other spices. Finally, sprinkle grated cheese on top. Let it melt and then cover the dosa. Let it cook again for a few minutes.
10.Set Dosa
Start by soaking a mix of regular rice, parboiled rice and a small handful of poha for a few hours. Grind everything to a thick batter, add salt, and let it ferment overnight until it becomes airy and slightly sour. The poha helps make the dosas spongy. The batter should be thicker than regular dosa batter and much smaller in size. It is usually served three to a set, hence the name “set dosa.”
11.Adai Dosa
Begin by soaking a mix of rice with several kinds of lentils, like chana dal, toor dal, urad dal, and moong dal, for a few hours. Grind them together with dried red chillies into a slightly coarse, batter. Add salt, coriander, and grated coconut for extra texture and flavour. No fermentation is needed.
12.Sweet Jaggery Dosa
Melt some jaggery in a bit of warm water and strain to remove any grit. Mix this jaggery syrup into whole wheat flour, rice flour, along with a pinch of cardamom powder. Add just enough water and a splash of coconut milk. Cook these dosas thick and slightly chewy. You can also pour honey on top and serve.
13.Podi Dosa
To make podi dosa, you don’t actually change the batter itself. The twist comes while cooking. Once you spread the batter on the pan, sprinkle a generous amount of idli podi (also called gunpowder) over the top, and press it gently so it sticks. Drizzle a little oil or ghee around the edges and cook until golden and crisp. The dosa soaks up the podi’s flavour.
14.Stuffed Paneer Dosa
Utilize your regular fermented dosa batter. Prepare a quick stuffing by crumbling fresh paneer and sauteing it with cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, grated ginger, chopped green chillies, and a handful of fresh coriander. Spread this paneer mixture onto the dosa as it cooks. Serve by gently folding or rolling it up.
15.Barnyard Millet Capsicum Dosa
Soak barnyard millet along with urad dal overnight so that it turns tangy. Grind it into a nice batter along with the fermented water. Just before making dosas, mix in finely chopped capsicum (any colour you like) along with optional extras like chopped green chillies, cumin seeds, or coriander for more flavour.
16.Bajra Pumpkin Dosa
Start by mixing bajra flour with some grated or finely pureed yellow pumpkin, which adds natural sweetness. Add a bit of rice flour to help bind the batter and keep the dosas from breaking. Stir in salt, grated ginger, cumin seeds, and chopped green chillies for flavour. Let it rest briefly so that everything blends well.
17.Banana Dosa
Mash ripe bananas in a bowl and mix them with rice flour, grated coconut, wheat flour, and a pinch of cardamom powder. Add coconut milk for a coarse pourable batter, and finally stir in a little jaggery for sweetness. You could also add a little bit of yeast, to help the dosas puff up well. Pour the batter into small, thick dosas.
18.Kodo Millet Lauki Dosa
Soak kodo millet along with a little urad dal for a few hours. Stir in grated lauki along with salt, chopped green chillies, cumin seeds, and fresh coriander. Let the batter ferment for a few hours or overnight. The lauki keeps the dosas moist and tender.
19.Little Millet Carrot Dosa
Soak little millet along with a small amount of urad dal for a few hours until soft, then grind into a smooth batter. Mix in freshly grated carrot, salt, some chopped green chillies, ginger, and cumin seeds. The carrot adds a hint of sweetness and colour, while the millet keeps the dosa light.
20.Finger Millet Radish Dosa
Mix finger millet flour with some rice flour to help keep the dosa crisp. Stir in finely grated radish, salt, a good amount of white pepper, chopped green chillies, ginger, onions, and cumin seeds for extra flavour. Add enough water to get a not too thick batter. Let it rest briefly so the radish flavour blends through.
