Rava dosa is a popular variety of South Indian dosa which are crisp, netted and thin. They are very easy to make and need no grinding or fermentation. This recipe gives you a truly crispy rava dosa which you will make again and again.
Rava dosa is one of the quick breakfast I make on occasions. At home, we prefer the rava dosa which has onions and some spices in them.
So I usually add onions, ginger, green chilli and some spices to the batter. At times I even add some chopped cashews. Addition of these ingredients makes the dosa more healthy and tasty.
Here I am sharing my mom’s recipe of instant rava dosa which is made without curd or buttermilk. Water is used to make the batter.
You can even use curd or buttermilk instead of water to make the batter. This rava dosa recipe can also be halved or doubled or tripled.
Instant rava dosa can be served with sambar and coconut chutney.
Table of Contents
What is Rava?
Rava stands for suji or semolina or cream of wheat. Hence this dosa is named after one of its main ingredients. The type of rava used is the fine variety of rava also called as Bombay rava.
Rava is coarsely or finely ground husked wheat. Depending on the type of dish, the type of rava is used accordingly. E.g fine rava is used in making Rava Idli, Upma, sooji halwa, sheera etc.
All the three terms suji, rava, semolina and cream of wheat mean the same. In western and southern parts of India, the word ‘rava’ is used. In northern parts of India the word ‘sooji’ or ‘suji’ are used. Thus rava dosa can also be called as ‘suji ka dosa’ or ‘suji dosa’.
Along with rava, rice flour and all purpose flour (maida) are also added to the batter. You can make the suji ka dosa plain or you can spice it up by adding chopped onions, curry leaves, herbs and spices.
How is Instant Rava Dosa made?
A thin batter is made of sooji, rice flour, maida and water or buttermilk. The batter is spiced with onions, green chilies and some more herbs & spices.
The batter is then poured on a hot tawa (griddle) to get netted effect on the dosa. The dosa is cooked till golden crisp and then served hot.
To make perfect crisp instant rava dosa which has a netted texture, the batter has to be thin. So always remember that the batter should be thin and easy to flow.
Also allow some soaking time for rava or suji, so that they soften. I usually mix everything and set the batter aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
How to make Rava Dosa
1. Take ½ cup unroasted fine rava, ½ cup rice flour and ¼ cup all-purpose flour in a bowl.
2. Then add ⅓ cup chopped onions, 1 or 2 green chillies (chopped), and ½ inch ginger (chopped).
3. Also add ½ tsp crushed black pepper, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 8 to 10 curry leaves (chopped) and salt as required. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped cashews.
4. Add 2 to 2.5 cups water. Depending on the quality of rava or suji and rice flour, you can add less or more water – from 1.5 to 2.5 cups water. I added 2.25 cups of water. You can also use buttermilk instead of water.
5. Whisk till smooth without any lumps. The batter has to be flowing and thin. If the batter looks thick or has a medium consistency, then add more water. If the batter looks very thin and runny, then add some rice flour.
6. Cover and let the batter rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Once the batter rests, you will see that the rava and the flours have settled down and the water will be floating on top.
7. Before preparing dosa, mix the batter very well.
8. Spread some oil on the tawa. Do make sure that the tawa is hot. Keep the flame to medium or medium-high before pouring the dosa batter.
Making rava dosa
9. With a ladle pour the dosa batter. Start from the edges move towards the center.
10. If there are big or small gaps, then fill them lightly with the batter.
11. On a medium-low to medium flame, cook the dosa. If the tawa or pan becomes too hot, then you can reduce the flame.
12. When the top side looks cooked, then sprinkle ½ to 1 tsp oil on the top and sides.
13. Spread oil all over the dosa with a spoon.
14. Instant rava dosa takes a little longer time to cook than the regular Dosa.
15. Cook till the base is golden and crisp.
16. The more you cook the dosas and the more golden it becomes, the more crisp it will be. You can even cook both the sides if you want.
17. Fold and then serve instant rava dosa hot with coconut chutney and sambar. The flours settle down at the bottom of the batter. So you have to stir and mix the batter very well every time you make dosa.
In case the batter becomes thick after making a few dosa, then add some water and stir again. Make all dosa this way.
18. Serve rava dosa with sambar, coconut chutney or dosa podi or any chutney of your choice.
Expert Tips
- Before making rava dosa, always allow a soaking time of 20 to 30 minutes for the batter.
- The batter has to be thin and of pouring consistency. Even if the batter is of medium consistency, the rava dosa will be soft and not crisp.
- When pouring the batter, the tawa has to be hot. When you pour the batter, it will sizzle when it comes in contact with the hot tawa. So keep the flame to medium or medium-high.
- The batter also has to be poured from a slightly more height than what is the norm. This will give you the netted effect on the instant rava dosa.
- When pouring the batter, pour from the edges first and then move towards the center.
- When you make the first dosa then you will come to know whether you are getting the crisp and netted effect or not. If not then you will need to add some more water. Instead of water, you can also add buttermilk to the batter.
- Rava dosa takes more time to cook than the regular dosa.
- When cooking instant rava dosa, you can reduce the flame if the tawa becomes too hot.
- Every time before pouring the batter on tawa, you have to mix it very well as the flours and rava settle down at the bottom of the batter. After making some rava dosa, if the batter looks slightly thick, then you can add some more water.
- Always use a heavy or a thick bottomed tawa or pan, so that the rava dosa does not stick to the pan. You can even use cast iron pan.
Variations
With the basic instant rava dosa recipe, many variations can be made. Increase or decrease any of the herbs and spices and make a variation. Example: you can make pepper rava dosa by increasing black pepper or onion rava dosa by increasing amount of onions.
Add ghee or butter and make ghee rava dosa or butter rava dosa. Serve rava dosa with potato masala and you get rava masala dosa.
Why rava dosa sticks to the pan or tawa?
When making rava dosa or any dosa for that matter, always use a seasoned pan. Iron tawa or iron skillets are the best for making dosas.
Seasoning means that the pan is ready to be used or has been used earlier to make dosas. Never use a pan or tawa in which you make roti or chapati as then the dosa will stick on the tawa.
Usually dosa does not stick on a non-stick pan if it is heavy or thick-bottomed. In case the dosa starts sticking on the non-stick pan, then make a few small dosa initially on it and later the dosa won’t stick.
How to season iron tawa (cast iron skillet)
- For an unseasoned or new iron tawa or iron skillet firstly heat the tawa. Spread some oil all over. Keep the flame to a medium or high and let the tawa get hot for 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the flame and wipe this oil with a cotton napkin or a paper towel. Spread another layer of oil and repeat the process. Lower the flame and then again wipe this layer of oil. Repeat this process once or twice.
- Now spread oil again. Make a small dosa. See if it sticks or not. If it sticks then repeat the seasoning method for 1 or 2 times more. Initially a few dosa, in the beginning, will stick, but later they won’t stick. After making all the dosa, when the iron tawa cools, then rinse tawa also and wipe it dry. You can then spread a layer of oil on it. Next time before making dosas, heat and then remove the oil and then start making dosas.
- You can even season the iron pan a few days before you plan to make rava dosa recipe. Repeat the above process of spreading oil and removing it, 3 to 4 times. Then lastly spread the oil. Switch off the flame. Keep the pan with the oil on it for a few days. Before making dosa, heat the pan. Then with a cotton napkin or paper towel wipe the oil. Spread oil again and heat it. Then wipe the oil again and then start making dosa.
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Rava Dosa | Suji ka Dosa
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
- ½ cup unroasted fine rava (suji or fine semolina)
- ½ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 to 2 green chillies, chopped
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
- 8 to 10 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) – optional
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 to 2.5 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
- oil or ghee or butter for cooking rava dosa
Instructions
Making batter
- Take unroasted fine rava, rice flour and maida in a bowl.
- Add the chopped onions, chopped green chilies ginger.
- Also add crushed black pepper, cumin seeds, chopped curry leaves and salt as required.
- Add water. Depending on the quality of rava and rice flour, you can add less or more water – from 2 to 2.5 cups water. I added 2.25 cups water.
- Whisk till smooth without any lumps. The batter has to be flowing and thin.
- If the batter looks thick or has a medium consistency, then add more water. If the batter looks very thin and runny, then add some rice flour.
- Cover and let the suji dosa batter rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Once the batter rests, you will see that the rava and the flours have settled down and the water will be floating on top.
Making rava dosa
- Before preparing dosa, mix the batter very well. Spread some oil on the tawa. Do make sure that the tawa is hot.
- With a ladle pour the dosa batter. Start from the edges move towards the center.
- If there are big or small gaps, then fill them lightly with the batter.
- On a medium-low to medium flame, cook the suji ka dosa.
- When the top side looks cooked, then sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoon oil on the top and sides.
- Spread oil all over the dosa with a spoon.
- Rava dosa takes a little longer time to cook than regular dosa.
- Cook till the base is golden and crisp.
- The more you cook the dosa and the more golden it becomes, the more crisp it will be. You can even cook both the sides if you want.
- Fold and then serve suji ka dosa hot with coconut chutney and sambar.
- The flours settles down at the bottom of the batter. So you have to stir and mix the batter very well every time you make dosa. In case the batter becomes thick after making a few dosa, then add some water and stir again.
- Serve rava dosa with coconut chutney or dosa podi or any chutney of your choice.
Video
Notes
- Resting batter: Rest the batter for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Batter consistency: The batter has to be thin and of pouring consistency. A medium consistency, will yield soft rava dosa.
- Hotness of the pan: When pouring the batter, the tawa has to be hot. When you pour the batter, it will sizzle when it comes in contact with the hot tawa. So keep the flame to medium or medium-high.
- Pouring batter: The batter has to be poured from a slightly more height and this gives a netted effect on the rava dosa. Pour from the edges first and then move towards the center. When you make the first dosa then you will come to know whether you are getting the crisp and netted effect or not. If not then you will need to add some more water. Instead of water, you can also add buttermilk to the batter.
- Cooking time: Rava dosa takes more time to cook than the regular dosa. You can reduce the heat if the tawa becomes too hot.
- Mixing: Every time before pouring the batter on tawa, you have to mix it very well as the flours and rava settle down at the bottom of the batter. After making some rava dosa, if the batter looks slightly thick, then you can add some more water.
- Pan type: Always use a heavy or a thick bottomed tawa or pan, so that the rava dosa does not stick to the pan. Cast iron pan is also a good choice.
Nutrition Info Approximate values
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It’s perfect, like all of your recipes. Tried it tonight and loved that it came out so well. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for the positive review and the rating on the recipe. Most welcome and happy cooking.
Hi Dassana,
I have made this Rava dosa many many times by now and each time the taste is consistent !! It’s now my hubby’s favorite Dosa. 🙂
I would like to ask if I can use the ingredients onions, chillies, ginger, pepper powder etc in regular Dosas like in Davangere Benne Dosa or plain Dosa ?
Thank you for all your hard work.
Hi Lakshmi, thank you. Yes you can use the ingredients in the regular dosa. Just chop the onions, ginger and green chillies finely, so that you are easily able to spread. My mom used to make this version of spiced dosa with leftover dosa batter. It tastes good. Most welcome.
Hey, what could be the substitute for maida?
You can add whole wheat flour or gram flour (besan) instead.