Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Rava Dosa
An incredibly crispy, lacy, and porous instant dosa made from a highly watery batter of semolina, rice flour, and spices.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- semolina (rava)
- rice flour
- all-purpose flour (maida)
- onions
- green chilies
- ginger
- cumin seeds
- whole black peppercorns
- curry leaves
- water/buttermilk
- oil
Equipment
- Wide flat griddle (tawa)
Instructions
- 1
Combine Flours
In a large mixing bowl, combine the semolina (rava), rice flour, and a small amount of all-purpose flour (maida).
- 2
Chop Aromatics
Finely chop onions, green chilies, ginger, and tear the curry leaves.
- 3
Add Spices
Add the chopped aromatics along with cumin seeds, slightly crushed whole black peppercorns, and salt to the flours.
- 4
Make Batter
Pour in a large amount of water (or a mix of water and thin buttermilk) and whisk vigorously.
- 5
Check Consistency
The batter must be extremely thin and watery, much thinner than regular dosa batter. It should look like cloudy water.
- 6
Rest
Let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes to allow the semolina to hydrate. It may thicken, so add more water if necessary.
- 7
Heat Tawa
Heat a wide, flat tawa on high heat. The tawa must be smoking hot for the lacy texture to form.
- 8
Stir Batter
Always stir the watery batter from the bottom right before making every single dosa, as the heavy flours settle quickly.
- 9
Pour (Do not spread)
Do NOT spread the batter with a ladle. Instead, use a cup to splash or pour the watery batter from a slight height, starting from the edges and moving towards the center, filling in large gaps. It should instantly sizzle and form a web with holes.
- 10
Add Oil
Drizzle oil generously around the edges and into the holes of the dosa.
- 11
Cook Patiently
Lower the heat to medium and let it cook patiently for 3-4 minutes. Rava dosa takes significantly longer to cook than regular dosa.
- 12
Fold and Serve
Do not flip the dosa. Once the bottom turns completely rigid and deep golden brown, fold it in half, remove, and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- The tawa MUST be smoking hot when you pour the batter, otherwise the holes will not form and you will get a thick pancake.
- Never try to spread the batter with the back of a ladle. It must be splashed/poured.
Variations
- Onion Rava Dosa: Scatter extra finely chopped onions directly on the hot tawa before splashing the batter over them.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A restaurant favorite that can be made instantly at home without overnight soaking or fermentation.
Nutrition Estimate
310 calories · 5g protein · 48g carbs · 10g fat · 2g fiber per serving
