Rava Dosa -Instant Onion Rava Dosa

Rava Dosa; Lacy crisp South Indian style semolina crepes. This is an instant Rava Dosa recipe and can be made in a pinch. These semolina crepes are pure South Indian breakfast bliss when served with coconut chutney and Sambar. 

This is a very popular Dosa in most South Indian restaurants. They also serve this with the Potato masala that is usually served with Masala Dosa. 

Dosa is a staple in most South Indian homes. The traditional Dosa batter has rice and urad dal. This is a fermented batter and making this is like a ritual in my house. There is always a sense of calm that familiar ritualistic habits bring. For me, grinding my weekly stash of Dosa batter is one.

What happens when I do not grind a batch of batter? I resort to Instant Dosa recipes like this. These golden Dosas are an indulgence that happens typically for breakfast on Saturdays. We wake up late, have a big breakfast of Rava dosa and some chutney. All this is followed by steaming hot cups of chai.

Today, I will be sharing how to make the best Rava dosas that are like the ones you order in a restaurant. In this post, I will also try to include all the tips for someone who is trying their hands at making Rava dosa for the first time.

Ingredients

Key ingredients- Semolina, rice flour, Maida

We are going to be using a combination of Rava rice flour maida today. Apart from this, we will be adding some whole spices, nuts and water. Making Rava dosa without Maida will not give you the same texture and taste as that of a restaurant-style Rava dosa.

But if you are wary about including Maida in your diet, you can substitute Maida with whole wheat flour in the same quantity.

What Rava to use? 

Instant Rava Dosa recipe uses Bombay Rava. Choose a finer variety for some amazing lacy crisp Rava Dosas. Chirotti Rava, for instance, works beautifully in this recipe. Do not worry if you are unable to find the finer variety. Regular Bombay Rava works just fine as well.

Tips to make the best Rava Dosa

Consistency of the batter– The first step to make those lacy and crispy dosas is to get the batter in the right consistency. Unlike traditional dosa batter, this batter is watery and thin. To test whether the batter is of the right consistency, first pour a ladle of batter on a preheated Tawa. If the dosa does not have holes on the surface and is thick, then the batter is thick. Dilute the batter with 1/4 c water and test again. 

After making the batter- Allow it to rest for 30 mins. Resting the batter give you a smooth batter. Smooth batter means easier pouring and crispier dosas.

The heat of the Tawa- Many people assume that a nonstick pan is easier to use when making instant dosas. This s not true. Let me explain why. It is very difficult to control the heat in a non stick pan. It tends to heat up very quickly and cools down very quickly too. When the Tawa is too hot, the dosa may stick to the pan. 

For Rava Dosa, we need to maintain a consistent heat. If the Tawa is not in the right temperature, the dosas will tear or stick to the Tawa. How to tell if the Tawa is heated up correctly? Take a tbsp of batter and pour it on the Tawa. If it sizzles immediately, your Tawa has heated up correctly.

To get the best sooji dosa, use a cast iron griddle or an iron griddle. Maintaining and controlling heat is easier. Also, crispy dosa guaranteed!

Dosa Making Tips

Before making every dosa– Mix the batter well. If you find that the batter is becoming thicker, dilute it with 1/4 c water. Scrub a cut onion on the Tawa before every dosa. Crank up the flame while pouring the batter. The Tawa has to be sizzling hot while we pour the batter. But the Tawa should not smoke.

Pouring the batter– Do not use a ladle to pour the batter on the Tawa. Yep. Use a tumbler or a measuring cup with a handle instead. Begin with the outer edges of the Tawa and proceed to the middle. 

After you pour the batter- lower the flame to medium and wait till you see no more raw batter on the surface. Now, drizzle oil around the edges and inside a few holes on the Dosa and continue to cook till edges crisp up and become golden. You can see through the dosa when this happens. Always cook these instant semolina dosas on medium flame and ensure that you pour batter on a hot tawa.

Once dosa is cooked- Do not flip! Yep. Rava dosa is best when cooked on one side. Unlike our regular Dosas, we will not flip these. 

Variations

Use this recipe like a template. You can make several variations with this batter. Try making Rava Podi Dosa with our Idli Podi. Or stuff the dosa with our traditional potato filling to make Rava Masala Dosa. 

In this post, I have shared how to make Onion Cashew Rava Dosa aka Rava Mundhiri Dosa. 

There are some things that should always feature in this recipe. Finely chopped cilantro and ginger are two of those. The dosa will taste flat without these ingredients.

Method

Making Instant Rava Dosa Batter

In a bowl, combine the Rava, Maida and rice flour along with salt. Add cumin seeds, whole pepper corns and ginger to this. Mix well using your hands.

Now, add 1 cup water at a time and mix into a free-flowing lump-free batter. For the quantity of flour I have given here, I used about 6 c water. Depending on the quality of your flour, you may need 1 c more or less of water.

When you are mixing the batter, always go with the lesser quantity of water. Start with adding 1 c water and go on till 4 c. After the 4th cup, start adding water by 1/2 c to mix the batter. 

Your batter should be thin and watery. It should literally pour down like water when poured from a ladle.

After adding the water and mixing the batter, add the finely chopped coriander leaves and cashews. When adding cashews, chop them very finely. Now, allow the batter to stand for 30 mins.

This s how the batter will look after 30 mins. The flour mixture would have absorbed some of the water. You can see that the flours have settled at the bottom too. Now, using a ladle, mix well. You can also use a balloon whisk. After mixing well, if you find the batter thick, then dilute the batter with 1/4 to 1/2 c water.

Now, let s make the dosas.

Making Rava Dosa

Heat a cast-iron or iron griddle. The pan should not be smoking hot. It should be hot enough for you to hear the sizzle. 

To test this, sprinkle 1 tsp water on the tawa. It should sizzle immediately and quickly evaporate. 

Once the Tawa is ready, mix the batter well. Pour 3/4 c of the batter on the tawa. Begin with the outer edges of the Tawa and quickly proceed to the center. Lower the flame. And wait till you see no more raw batter on the surface. 

At this stage, drizzle oil around the edges. Continue to cook on low flame until the edges become crispy and golden brown. Once done, sprinkle finely chopped onions over the dosa. Do not flip the dosa. Fold and serve hot.

It takes around 2- 3 mins for each dosa to cook. This is a slow process and you will get the best results when you do not rush the process. A low flame, while the dosa gets cooked, will give you beautifully thin, lacy, and crispy golden Dosa.

Explore More Dosa Recipes

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Rava Dosa

Thin, lacy and crisp south Indian style semolina crepes. Instant dosas with Sooji.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time3 minutes mins

Standing Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Breakfast/ Brunch

Cuisine: Indian, Indian- South, South Indian

Servings: 12 Dosas

Ingredients

• 1 c Bombay rava ( Semolina/ Sooji/ Vella Ravai)
• 3/4 c Maida ( All purpose flour)
• 3/4 c Rice flour
• 1.5 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp Whole black peppercorns
• 2 to 3 tsp Salt or to taste
• 5 o 6 c Water
• 3 tbsp very finely chopped cashews
• 1/4 c finely chopped coriander leaves

For making dosas

• 1.5 to 2 tsp Oil for each dosa
• 1 c very finely chopped onions around 2 tbsp finely chopped onions for each dosa

Instructions

Making Instant Rava Dosa Batter

• In a bowl, combine the Rava, Maida and rice flour along with salt.
• Add cumin seeds, whole pepper corns and ginger to this. Mix well using your hands.
• Now, add 1 c water at a time and mix into a free-flowing lump-free batter.
• For the quantity of flour I have given here, I used about 6 c water.
• Depending on the quality of your flour, you may need 1 c more or less of water.
• When you are mixing the batter, always go with the lesser quantity of water.
• Start with adding 1 c water and go on till 4 c.
• After the 4th cup, start adding water by 1/2 c to mix the batter.
• Your batter should be thin and watery. It should literally pour down like water when poured from a ladle.
  
• After adding the water and mixing the batter, add the finely chopped coriander leaves and cashews.
• When adding cashews, chop them very finely.
• Allow the batter to stand for 30 mins.
• After 30 mins, the flour mixture would have absorbed some of the water. You can see that the flours have settled at the bottom too.
• Now, using a ladle, mix well. You can also use a balloon whisk.
• After mixing well, if you find the batter thick, then dilute the batter with 1/4 to 1/2 c water.

Making Rava Dosa

• Heat a cast-iron or iron griddle. The pan should not be smoking hot. It should be hot enough for you to hear the sizzle.
• To test this, sprinkle 1 tsp water on the tawa. It should sizzle immediately and quickly evaporate.
• Once the Tawa is ready, mix the batter well.
• Pour 3/4 c of the batter on the tawa. Begin with the outer edges of the Tawa and quickly proceed to the center.
• Lower the flame. And wait till you see no more raw batter on the surface.
• At this stage, drizzle oil around the edges.
• Continue to cook on low flame until the edges become crispy and golden.
• Once done, sprinkle finely chopped onions over the dosa.
• Do not flip the dosa. Fold and serve hot.
  

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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