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Rava dosa
Lacy, crisp semolina and rice flour dosas: no grinding, no fermenting
Rava dosa is the instant dosa of Karnataka's Udupi restaurants: a thin, pourable batter of semolina and rice flour, studded with cumin, cracked pepper, ginger and curry leaves, poured onto a very hot griddle so it sets into a crisp, holey lace. There's no soaking or fermenting, so it's the dosa to make when the craving strikes. Serve straight from the pan with coconut chutney and sambar. Because it contains semolina it's not gluten free. Chef's tip: the batter must be watery, thinner than single cream; pour it from a height onto the pan instead of spreading it, and stir the bowl before every dosa because the semolina sinks.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the batter
To cook
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ½ oz fine semolina (rava), 3 ½ oz rice flour, 1 oz plain flour (maida) and 1 tsp salt with 2 ¾ cups water to a smooth, very thin batter. Stir in 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 2 green chillies, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 10 fresh curry leaves, 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), 1 onion and 2 tbsp fresh coriander. Leave to rest for 10 minutes while the pan heats; the semolina softens and the batter thickens slightly, so add a splash more water if it's thicker than single cream.
10 minStep 2: Heat a cast-iron or non-stick griddle over a high heat until very hot, about 4 minutes, and grease it lightly with a little of 4 tbsp vegetable oil. A cool pan is the usual reason rava dosa sticks and turns soft.
4 minStep 3: Stir the batter well from the bottom. Holding the ladle about 20 cm above the pan, pour the batter in a circle starting at the outer edge and working in, filling any big gaps loosely. Don't spread it; the holes are what make it lacy and crisp.
Step 4: Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over the dosa and round the edges. Cook on a medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, without moving it, until the underside is a deep golden brown and the edges lift and look like crisp lace. It takes longer than a regular dosa, so be patient.
4 minStep 5: Fold in half and serve at once, with coconut chutney if you like. Stir the batter and wipe the pan with an oiled cloth before each dosa. Makes about 8.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rava dosa take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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