poha dosa or aval dosa or atukula dosa recipe with step by step photos. this is one dosa which is amazingly soft, spongy, porous and stays so even after some hours. excellent for tiffin boxes with some dry chutney or podi.
i chanced upon this poha dosa recipe a few years ago in chandra padmanabhan’s book simply south : traditional vegetarian cooking. since then i have been making these poha dosas often.
this poha dosa recipe is an andhra specialty and also known as atukula dosa. other names are aval dosa. in fact i like these dosas so much that i usually pair them with tea or coffee. when i made the dosas this time, i served poha dosa with red amaranth sambar and sesame coconut chutney.
i make a lot of recipes with poha for breakfast or evening snacks like:
the method to make poha dosas is slightly different than the one for regular dosa. here the rice and poha are soaked in buttermilk. then ground and fermented for 4 to 5 hours.
while cooking these poha dosas you can cook one side or both sides. poha dosas makes for excellent weekend or sunday breakfast or brunch.
if you are looking for more dosa recipes then do check masala dosa, ragi dosa, mysore masala dosa and rava dosa.
atukula dosa or poha dosa recipe below:
poha dosa recipe - soft, spongy and porous aval dosa from the andhra cuisine.
- 1 cup idli rice OR parboiled rice OR regular rice like sona masuri rice, parmal rice
- ½ cup thick poha (flattened rice, parched rice)
- 2 tablespoons urad dal (husked black gram)
- ½ cup fresh curd
- 1 cup water for mixing with curd
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt or add as per taste
- oil as required
in a bowl, take ½ cup fresh curd (dahi or yogurt) and 1 cup water. mix very well with a wired whisk to make buttermilk.
in an another bowl, take 1 cup idli rice OR parboiled rice OR regular rice like sona masuri rice, parmal rice. also add ½ cup thick poha (flattened rice) and 2 tablespoons urad dal (husked black gram).
rinse the rice, poha and urad dal a couple of times with water. then drain all the water.
now pour the prepared buttermilk (curd+water mixture) in the rinsed rice, poha and urad dal.
gently stir the mixture.
soak the rice, poha and urad dal in the buttermilk mixture for 2 to 3 hours.
drain and reserve the liquid. add the soaked rice, urad dal and poha in the blender jar.
grind to a smooth batter using all of the reserved liquid.
remove the batter in a bowl and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. mix well.
ferment for 4 to 5 hours.
heat a tava or griddle. brush the pan with some oil.
take a ladle of batter.
spread in a circular motion with the back of a spoon.
make a slightly thick dosa.
drizzle oil around the edges and spread it.
cover the dosa with a lid.
cook poha dosa for 1 to 2 minutes or till the base is cooked and crisp and the top is soft and spongy.
flip the dosa and you can cook the other side if you want.
similarly make the rest of poha dosas.
serve poha dosa hot with coconut chutney or sambar.
how to make poha dosa or atukula dosa recipe:
1. in a bowl, take ½ cup fresh curd (dahi or yogurt) and 1 cup water. mix very well with a wired whisk to make buttermilk.
2. in a bowl, take 1 cup idli rice (parboiled rice) or regular rice like sona masuri or parmal rice. also add ½ cup thick poha (flattened rice) and 2 tablespoons urad dal (husked black gram).
3. rinse the rice, poha and urad dal a couple of times with water. then drain all the water.
4. now pour the prepared buttermilk (curd+water mixture) in the rinsed rice, poha and urad dal.
5. gently stir the mixture.
6. soak the rice, poha and urad dal in the buttermilk mixture for 2 to 3 hours.
7. drain and reserve the liquid. add the soaked rice, urad dal and poha in the blender jar.
8. grind to a smooth batter using all of the reserved liquid.
9. remove the batter in a bowl and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.
10. mix well.
11. ferment for 4 to 5 hours.
making poha dosa:
12. heat a tava or griddle. brush the pan with some oil.
13. take a ladle of batter.
14. spread in a circular motion with the back of a spoon.
15. make a slightly thick dosa.
16. drizzle oil around the edges and spread it.
17. cover the dosa with a lid.
18. cook poha dosa for 1 to 2 minutes or till the base is cooked and crisp and the top is soft and spongy.
19. flip the dosa and you can cook the other side if you want.
20. similarly make the rest of poha dosas.
serve poha dosa hot with coconut chutney or sambar.
Mythili says
Tried this week. We as a family enjoyed the Poha Dosa!! Thank You
dassana amit says
Welcome Mythili
Asha says
Hi! Dasanna im lil bit confused . U have written fr fermentation u have to keep the batter fr 4 to 5 hours. But if i keep the batter overnight will the poha batter b more sour. Pls reply
dassana amit says
asha, for poha dosa the batter can be kept for 4 to 5 hours. you can also keep overnight. if you keep the batter overnight it wont be sour. after 4 to 5 hours of fermentation, the batter does not have the typical sour aroma. since curd is added, there will be some sourness, but since the fermentation time is less, there will be some sweetness in the dosa. but if you keep for overnight, the batter does not become sour. also fermentation depends on the temperature. since winters are going on, you can keep the batter overnight or for some more hours.
Pranavi says
Hi ,I have a doubt …we must need to use baking soda or we can skip it…bcoz I don’t want to use baking soda…
If I will not use soda ,the dosa will come perfectly… Plzz give fast reply…I am waiting…
dassana amit says
baking soda makes the dosa more softer and porous. if you want you can skip also.
Emon says
Thank you for sharing a healthy and tasty recipe,i will try it out.
dassana amit says
Welcome Emon
Sirisha says
Can we omit the buttermilk and use just water…… as my son is allergic to milk and curd
dassana amit says
Sirisha, yes you can do this way. but for some sourness, you can add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the poha dosa batter.
V Kumar says
Suppose to use curd or buttermilk..???
In ingredients section its mentioned fresh curd; while recipe method its buttermilk that is being mention..!!!
Bit Confuse.. waiting for your reply to try this one (recipe)
dassana amit says
i have used curd. i have mixed the curd with water and hence called it as buttermilk in the post. just mix the curd with water and then soak the rice, poha and urad dal in it. rinse all the ingredients before soaking.
Shriya says
It was a nice and great recipe
Meyyammai says
Hi friend ? Am visiting ur blog for first time. Moment I saw ur recipie for poha dosa I tried it. Have a doubt friend. Hope yo will clarify it. I fermented the batter for 6 hours but I dnt find the batter puffing up as normal dosa do. Did I go wrong somewhere? Please lemme know what should I do and how many days can I use the batter?
dassana amit says
this batter does not ferment and double like the normal dosa. you have not gone wrong anywhere. you can keep the batter in the fridge for 2 to 3 day and use it whenever required.
Meyyammai says
Thanks for your reply ☺️☺️☺️ But I guessed since my place is too cold it’s not fermenting and kept it outside for more than 12 hours. I dnt refrigerate it. Can I use now ????? Keeping the batter outside for long time causes any health issues???
dassana amit says
okay. keep in the fridge. do check how the batter smells. it should have a faint sour aroma. if it smells bad than you will have to discard it.
Janis says
First, thank you so much for your excellent and beautiful website. I love it!!! Your recipes are delicious and I use them often.
When making this poha upma, what grade of poha do you recommend? I found thick, thin, medium and others at my store and wasn’t sure which to choose. Would you give us an education on poha?
Many thanks again. You are a treasure.
dassana amit says
thanks a lot janis. its thick poha. i will also update in the recipe. you can also use medium poha but don’t use thin poha. may be i should write a post on different types of poha 🙂
shwetha holla says
Hi, thanks for the wonderful receipes, i have a doubt, for poha dosa we need to use sour curd? Only 4-5hrs fermentation is required? Plez …..
dassana amit says
you can use fresh curd also. yes this much time is enough.
sneha says
Hi dasana, after a short gap, am writing to u…. Exam time…bit busy…
Would like to share the way I make this type of dosa… Rice n poha 1:3 soak 4 to 5 hrs n add 1/4 part sabudana or tapioca… No curd or buttermilk… Cumin n fenugreek seeds a few… Grind ferment overnight…
In cold weather it takes more time to ferment, in summers… No problem wt fermentation… As urad dal is not added. Soft spongy texture can be got by cooking on low flame n covering dosa with a plate..
Loved malpua recipe… Bye
dassana amit says
all the best sneha for your exams. what is this dosa called. i have noted down the ingredients and will give a try.
sneha says
Hi dasana, it is the same dosa, call it poha,or soft or set dosa. We at bangalore call it medu dosa….medu in kannada is soft. some times to fasten the process of fermentation, we add curd while grinding. Sabudana n poha together render the softness……by the way, my children r writing exams…so busy me, but then I do check the new entries to ur blog everyday.
Bye.
dassana amit says
thanks sneha for sharing the info. i have had set dosa many times. but never heard of medu dosa. take your own time. exams are more important 🙂
Sarika says
Hi dassana
I soaked the rice, poha in the buttermilk (2cups) I. E. 1cup=250ml. After 1.5hr, poha absorb the buttermilk .so, I added the water in it to soak few more hours. Please help me out. I have done any mistake by adding water. Thanks a lot.
dassana amit says
poha will absorb the buttermilk. but still there will be some buttermilk. there was no need to add any water. now what you do is strain the mixture. reserve the excess buttermilk. while grinding, add the buttermilk as required.
JHANSI RANI says
As i am one of the frequent visitors of your website, i definitely will try it in my kitchen. Thank u. keep posting variety Andhra yummy dishes. In all my rice related dishes, i generally use unpolished rice for keeping up the levels of B complex in food.
dassana amit says
thanks jhansi for the feedback. even i use unpolished rice for dal and sambar and veggie dishes. only while making biryanis and pulaos, i use basmati rice.
Sarika says
Hi dassana
I tried the mysore-masala-dosa and onion rava dosa.they came out well. My husband loved it. You mention basmati rice in recipe. Instead of basmati rice Shall I use dosa rice or idli rice or sonamasoori rice. Please help me. Thanks a lot
dassana amit says
welcome sarika. thanks for giving positive reviews on dosa. you can use any regular rice. sona masoori rice will be fine.
Debarati Mitra says
Hi dassana,
yesterday i tried this recipe.it was just awesome,thank you so mush to share such a nice recipe with us.god bless u
dassana amit says
welcome debarati. thanks for your positive feedback and blessings. keep visiting.
harikavijay says
Thanks for the awesome recipe.I tried it out and it turned excellent. So couldn’t resist myself without commenting.This is the first time im writing though i tried many recipes from various websites.
dassana amit says
welcome harikavijay. glad to know that you liked the recipes from this blog.
harikavijay says
Thanks for the awesome recipe.I tried i out today and it was excellent. Couldn’t resist myself without writing the comments.This is the first time im writing though i tried a lot of recipes from various websites.
dassana amit says
welcome harikavijay. glad to read your positive feedback on recipes.
Anita Nandini says
Hi,
You have mentioned Poha in the recipe. Is it the thin or thick variety?
dassana amit says
the thick variety. however thin variety of poha can also be used.
sara says
It came good. Soft and tasty…. thanks a lot…. my hubby had well and we both had a sound sleep 🙂
dassana amit says
welcome sara.
sara says
Hi…
very clear explanation. good job. i wished to eat poha dosa with that chutney also. looks so soft. As soon as read this i soaked the items to prepare for dinner. I didn’t have grinder and with mixie am going to do. Is this same proportion to grind in mixie? Then another one doubt, If i mix the baking soda once means after left over batter can i keep it in fridge and make it use for breakfast? thanks in advance.
dassana amit says
yes the same proportion. after mixing baking soda, you can keep the batter for the hours mentioned in the recipe and then keep in the fridge. but use the batter in one day.
Shilpa says
Tried your jhatpat dosa recipe although I used slightly different proportions of ingredients and methi seeds instead of urad dal.Fantastic !! Soft, sumptuous and spongy dosas. Very easy to make with very little oil required ( almost non existent if one wishes except some required for the initial seasoning of pan) so very healthy. Thanks
dassana says
welcome shilpa. my thanks to you for this detailed feedback on poha dosa as it help other readers too.
Vasudha K. S. says
I am first time visitor here. Loved your blog and the recipe. I am sure going to try it. My folks add a couple tsp of methi seeds for avalakki dosa.
I also liked your way of responding to each comment, shows that you r in touch with your readers. Keep up the good work!
dassana says
thanks vasudha. readers queries and tips are always welcome. thanks for sharing your tip of adding methi seeds.
Poornima says
Hi Dassana
Great blog,wonderful recipes. I made your dosa and chutney and they came out beautiful. My family loved it. In fact your mail came just as I was serving breakfast! Thank you so much.
dassana says
thanks poornima.
Poornima says
Hi Dassana
Great blog,wonderful recipes. Made your dosa and chutney. Came out beautiful. My family loved it. I actually saw your mail just as I was serving breakfast! Thanks so much.
shrikant tillu says
Madam,
Beautiful poha dosa. I was searching for recipe of regular Dosa. Instead I got this.Where is recipe of regular Dosa?
dassana says
on this link you will get a detailed post to make dosa batter as well as dosa.
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/masala-dosa-recipe-how-to-make-masala-dosa-recipe/
shrikant tillu says
Sorry,Sorry on some other blog I could not find Dosa recipe and inadvertently I have stated that on your site I could not get it.Sorry again and thanks for taking to much trouble for giving good recopies with beautiful photos.They are giving the feeling that it is just kept on dining table.
shrikant tillu says
In the morning we had breakfast of poha dosas and coconut chutney prepared as shown by you. Poha dosas just came out as shown in your pictures. Chutney was also as we get in south Indian hotels.Thanks.
dassana says
thats nice to know shrikant. glad to know you & your family enjoyed the breakfast.
Vasundhara says
Hi,
Just recently i came to know about your blog.. and its simply awesome. You are doing a excellent job.. Keep posting new recipes and rock on!!
The very first item i tried from ur blog was this poha dosa. Since the climate is my place is very cold now, the batter didn,t ferment even after keeping the batter the whole night. Morning i added baking soda and tried making dosa. But it was not up to d mark. So can you help me with any solution for it.
Thank you so in advance. I have one small request also… When ever ur posting cake recipes pls also include how to make in microwave and if possible in cooker. i don’t have oven. I just have microwave grill convection. 🙂
dassana says
thanks vasundhara. the poha dosa does not require much fermentation time. did you see bubbles appearing in the batter when you added baking soda. these dosas are very soft and porous. so i guess the baking soda must have become outdated.
all the cakes, breads & pudding recipes i have posted till nov 12 have been made in the microwave oven in convection mode except for one old post of eggless chocolate cake made in a pressure cooker. there’s not much difference in baking in a regular oven or microwave oven. except for that in while baking in microwave oven in convection mode, the top browns faster.
actually while baking in a microwave oven, you have to use the convection mode. check your manufacturers’s guide for the details. i will be writing a separate post on this topic as i get a lot of queries regarding the same.
Vasundhara says
Hi dassana,
Thank you so much for the reply. I thought the fermentation is like for normal dosa where the batter will rise 🙂 Anyways will try again and let you know sure for the results.
Mine is microwave+grill only. So in this case, do i need use combination?? No is it.. I just have to use microwave option only right ?? 🙂
Whats the meaning of your name.. Its very different and very nice
dassana says
next time do let me know the results for the poha dosa. try reading online on what can be made in the microwave plus grill option. i can only think of sandwiches or patties when i hear the word grill 🙂 i don’t think cakes can be made in this option.
one reader harsha, did try the eggless orange cake first in microwave and then in microwave plus grill method. i have never used this mode, so don’t know what would be the results. i guess the only option is to make the cakes in microwave oven. you can try this eggless orange cake as it can be made in the microwave. here’s what harsha has to say on this link: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-orange-cake/#comment-49806
generally cake batters that need to be microwaved have a lighter and liquid consistency than the ones that are made for regular baking.
“dassana” is a buddhist word in pali language which translates to “search for insight”.
Vasundhara says
Dassana,
I have looked on to the comment, so let me try that and tell my testing and trials 🙂 “Batter for cake should be lighter and liquid” – is very important and main tip for beginners like me. Thanks a TON for that 🙂 Will update you soon after my testings 🙂
dassana says
thanks vasundhara and do give the feedback.
swati says
this recipe of dosas is quite unusual, but the ingredients here cannot go wrong! I’m gonna try this out!
suhani says
i made it yesterday with sambar and sesame coconut chutney and the feast was fabulous..thanks Dassana
dassana says
thats great suhani and welcome dear.
suhani says
gonna try it today..have kept the batter for fermentation..will soon tell u the result..
dassana says
sure suhani…
ayesha says
hi there
i gt to know abt ur blog frm IMBB and i am just hooked on to ur blog now hehe
i want to giv this a recipe a try. is it okay to leave the batter for fermentation overnight, instead of 4-5 hours as you mentioned? that way i can easily make it for breakfast.
i also wanna try ur ragda pattice recipe as my hubby loves them.
thanks in advance dear. you are doing a brilliant job. kudos!
dassana says
thanks ayesha. yes you can keep the batter for fermentation overnight. in this scenario then don’t add the baking soda. in the morning before making the dosas add the soda and mix really well. do try the ragda patties recipe.
ayesha says
thanks for such a prompt reply dear. will b making this soon. And ragda pattice is goin in my recipe cook book for iftaars as ramadhan is round the corner 🙂
dassana says
welcome ayesha. on a side note, i just love the goodies that are made during iftaars 🙂
ayesha says
then ur most welcome. plz join us some day if u happen to be in bangalore 🙂
i am a north indian(delhiite), married to a bangalore guy and i love the simplicity of south indian food 🙂
and i meant cook book* in my last comment 😀
dassana says
thanks ayesha for the invitation. sure… would love to visit you when i travel to bangalore.
i will edit your comment to reflect the changes 🙂
Monika Mahajan says
Whats the role of buttermilk ? Can we soak it in water instead of buttermilk ? my kid is allergic to milk .
dassana says
buttermilk helps in the fermentation process. it also imparts its typical taste and flavor to the dish. you can make it without buttermilk also. in this case ferment for a longer period of time or overnight.
sunita sil says
Hi Dassana
A very gr8 recipe, but a little confusion, I need to soak the rice,poha and dal in the buttermilk mixture and then drain tthe liquid and how to use the liquid again. Should i make a batter and again soak it in the drained liquid.
If u could pls explain then i will be making this tomorrow.
Thanks in advance
Take care
Sunita
dassana says
thanks sunita.
you have to soak the urad dal, rice and poha in the buttermilk mixture.
then strain in a strainer and collect the strained liquid in a bowl or pan. while straining keep a pan below the strainer. add the soaked dal, rice and poha to the grinder. keep on adding the strained buttermilk mixture in between while grinding the batter till you get the consistency of a dosa batter. discard the leftover strained liquid.
after making the batter, you don’t need to soak the batter in the strained liquid.
hope the method is clear and you make great fluffy poha dosa at home 🙂
sunita sil says
Yes now its clear thanks for the quick reply dassana
Take care
sunita
Nupur says
First time on your space Dassana and I must say , what a clean, neat and admirable work you have done. Love it here, with all the recipes simple and straight from your heart ..
Glad to follow you, want to see more recipes coming 🙂
dassana says
thanks a lot nupur for such encouraging comments.
uma says
hi dassana
made the dosas as said yesterday and they turned really well. thanks for the recipe
dassana says
thats great to know. thanks uma.
uma says
hey am going to try ths tomorrow, the recipe looks intresting
dassana says
sure, do give the feedback uma.
Richa@HobbyandMore says
you are on a posting roll!:) love how porous these dosas came out.
beena says
This one looks like one excellent dosa recipe…simply superb!
murali says
Nice to know a new variety of Dosa. Is there a possibility to avoid Soda as we are not used to this and not sure of the tolerance level for human consumption.
dassana says
yes you can avoid the baking soda. but the texture won’t be spongy or porous, yet still the dosa will taste good.
Poornima says
Looks so perfect and spongy! My MIL makes these and I just love them smeared with some ghee and with coconut chutney. Just soaked the rice, poha and dal for breakfast tomorrow, hubby will be mighty pleased:)!!
Ram says
Yeh, these are common in Andhra and more so in Mysore and Banglore and the suburbs. In KarnatItaka, in Hotels this is very popular. They call it set-Dosa in the hotels. A set of 4 such thick dosas are served with Samabr & coconut chutney. They are very tasty and one such SET is enough for city denizens to satisfy their Lunch or the heavy Break fast.
as you have pinted out it is very easy to grind as not much udad is involved. You can do it in Mixie too.No grinder required. Yummy, the softies they just disappear in your mouth without much chewing. Good for a hasty work-lunch. Kudos to you for propagating this simple to make and at the same time healthy and rich food.
dassana says
oh… i always thought that the set dosa is different from the poha dosa. i have had set dosa many times in bangalore. i know one set is enough 🙂
yes, it is healthy and light in the summers too…
Sharmilee says
Looks so soft…luv ur version. Lovely clicks!
Katie Lelinwalla says
Excellent recipe! When you say cooking soda, do you mean baking soda? Also can you pl. send me the recipe for sambar, that goes with this dosa recipe. Always enjoy the mouth-watering, delicious recipes that you post. Keep up the good work.
dassana says
yes it is baking soda and thanks katie.
the next recipe to be posted will be the red amaranth sambar recipe.
Ansh says
These look like pillows made of clouds. So soft and nice.