Indian & South Asian · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Masala Dosa
மசாலா தோசை (Masala Dosai)
Crisp, tangy fermented rice and lentil crepes wrapped around a turmeric-gold potato and onion filling with mustard seeds and curry leaves. This lighter version uses only a little oil, so plan ahead because the batter soaks and ferments overnight.
- Prep
- 1,000 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1,055 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 76% · Fat 12% · Protein 12%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 1/2 cups300 gParboiled or idli rice
- 1/2 cup100 gWhole skinned urad dal (black gram)
- 1 tspFenugreek seeds
- 4 cups1,000 gWater, for soaking (drained)
- 1 1/4 cups300 gWater, for grinding the batter
- 3/4 tsp5 gSalt, for the batter
- 4 medium600 gPotatoes
- 6 cups1,500 gWater, for boiling potatoes
- 1 tbsp14 gSunflower or other neutral oil, for the filling
- 1 tspBlack mustard seeds
- 12 leavesFresh curry leaves
- 1 large150 gOnion, thinly sliced
- 210 gGreen chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp6 gFresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 tspGround turmeric
- 1/2 cup75 gFrozen green peas (optional)
- 1/2 tspSalt, for the filling
- 1/2 cup120 gWater, for the filling
- 2 tbspFresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
- 2 tsp9 gOil, for cooking the dosas
Steps
- 1
Rinse the rice in a bowl until the water runs mostly clear, then cover with about 2 1/2 cups of the soaking water.
- 2
Rinse the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together, then cover with the remaining soaking water.
- 3
Soak both bowls for 5 to 6 hours, then drain.
- 4
Grind the urad dal and fenugreek with a little of the grinding water to a light, fluffy paste.
- 5
Grind the rice with most of the remaining grinding water to a smooth, slightly gritty batter.
- 6
Mix both batters with the batter salt in a large bowl, using clean hands, until combined.
- 7
Cover loosely and leave in a warm spot for 8 to 12 hours, until bubbly, risen and pleasantly sour.
- 8
Stir the fermented batter and add the last splashes of grinding water until it pours like thick cream.
- 9
Put the potatoes in a pot with the boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender.
- 10
Drain, cool slightly, peel and break the potatoes into rough chunks.
- 11
Heat the filling oil in a wide pan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds.
- 12
When the seeds pop, add the curry leaves, then the onion, chillies and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- 13
Stir in the turmeric, then add the peas if using and cook for 2 minutes.
- 14
Add the potatoes, filling salt and filling water, and mash lightly while stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until thick.
- 15
Turn off the heat and stir in the coriander and lemon juice; keep warm.
- 16
Heat a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and wipe it with a little of the dosa oil.
- 17
Pour a ladle of batter into the centre and quickly spread it outward in a spiral with the back of the ladle.
- 18
Drizzle a few drops of oil around the edge and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is golden and crisp.
- 19
Spoon some potato filling onto one half, fold the dosa over and slide it onto a plate.
- 20
Repeat with the remaining batter and filling to make about 8 dosas, serving each one hot.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use 1 1/2 cups regular long-grain rice in place of parboiled or idli rice if that is easier to find, though the dosas may be slightly less soft inside.
- Swap half the potatoes for cooked cauliflower florets or grated carrot for a lighter, more vegetable-packed filling.
- If you can't find fresh curry leaves, leave them out and add a pinch of ground cumin with the turmeric instead; dried curry leaves have much less flavour.
- Use a store-bought dosa batter to skip the soaking and grinding, and check the label if you need it to be gluten-free.
Storage
Dosas are best eaten fresh and crisp, as they turn soft and chewy on standing. Refrigerate leftover filling within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot; fermented batter keeps covered in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days and gets more sour over time.
Make ahead
Make the batter 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it once fermented, letting it come to room temperature and thinning with a splash of water before cooking. The potato filling can be cooked a day ahead, chilled, and reheated until steaming hot before you make the dosas.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Mustard
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (1,037 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 547 kcal | 53 kcal |
| Protein | 15.4 g | 1.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 104.3 g | 10.1 g |
| of which sugars | 3.9 g | 0.4 g |
| Fiber | 10.7 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 7.5 g | 0.7 g |
| of which saturated | 0.9 g | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 770 mg | 74 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
