Rava dosa is an instant dosa or crepe which means that it need not be fermented. It is one of the hot favorites at South Indian restaurants, but it can be easily made at home as well.
For me, it comes in handy whenever I run out of idli batter. It is also a family favorite and we usually have it with coconut chutney which is the best side dish.
In South India when we say rava it refers to semolina or cream of wheat. But generally, the crushed, coarse version of any grain is called Rava.
So we have idli Rava which is coarsely pounded rice. Likewise, samba Rava is made from wheat, and ragi rava is made from ragi or finger millets.
Even bulgur can be called a Rava for that matter. But simply when you say rava it always relates to semolina or white rava. Two types of coarse and fine are seen in the markets. Do look up the Rava upma which has been already uploaded on my site.
Difference between a dosa and Rava dosa
Dosa refers to the crepe that is made from a fermented batter of a grain (commonly rice) and a lentil (commonly urad dal). Rava dosa is made using Rava (sooji) or semolina, and rice flour as the main ingredients, and does not need fermentation.
Also, the consistency of the rava dosa batter is thin which gives it a lacey texture when drizzled on a hot griddle.
Ingredients for making Rava dosa
The basic ingredients are obviously the rava, then rice and maida (plain flour). The proportions may vary from household to household. My ratio is usually 1:1 of rava and rice with a bit of wheat flour instead of maida.
Other ingredients like curd and seasonings can also be added or omitted as per preference. In fact, onion Rava dosa is a separate menu item in restaurants.
For every cup of the flour mix, at least 3 cups of water should be added. More can be added if needed. The griddle should be greased and the flame should be on high while drizzling the batter. Only then you will get the holes or net-like appearance.
Making Rava dosa
The batter after mixing up should be let sit for at least 15 minutes so that the Rava or semolina dissolves. It should be mixed thoroughly every time before taking out a ladle.
Also, the batter is drizzled on the Tawa or griddle from the outside to the inside. It is simply poured in a circular fashion to cover the Tawa and not spread like the regular dosas.
And these dosas take longer to crisp up than the regular dosas. You may have to operate two tawas if you are cooking for a family of 4.
Do try these instant crispy dosas for breakfast or dinner. I am sure it will become your family favorite as much as ours 🙂 .
O’er to the recipe….
Rava dosa
Ingredients
- 1 cup rava/semolina
- 1 cup rice flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp curd / yogurt
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- a pinch of hing/asafoetida
- 1 big onion
- a small piece of ginger
- 1 green chilly
- a bit of coriander and curry leaves
- salt as needed
- oil as needed for drizzling
- a few cashewnuts(optional)
Instructions
- Measure out the flour and keep the rest of the ingredients ready.
- Chop finely the onion, ginger, green chilly, curry leaves, and coriander leaves. Roughly crush the cumin and peppercorns and break the cashew nuts into smaller pieces.
- In a bowl take all the flours. Add the chopped onion mix, the curd, cumin-pepper, cashew, hing, and salt. Add 2 cups of water, mix well and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add 1½ - 2 cups more of water, and sugar, and check for salt.
- Heat up a tawa or a girdle on a high flame. Grease the tawa with the required amount of oil. Take a ladle of batter and pour it over the tawa from the outside.
- Fill in the gaps and drizzle some oil over the dosa. When it becomes golden on the bottom side, remove and serve with coconut chutney or sambar.
Hema’s P.S
- If you do not like to bite into quite a few things in your dosa, you can skip the onions and cashews and can add crushed ginger and chilly.
- Be cautious while adding water. Too much water and the dosa will break.
- Also, grease the Tawa liberally with oil, else the dosa will stick to the pan.
- Mix the batter every time before taking out a ladle, as the rava tends to settle at the bottom.
- Adjust the flame from medium to high as needed.
- You can use plain flour or maida too instead of wheat flour.
- The addition of curd/yogurt gives a mild tangy taste to the dosa. You can skip it if you don’t want to add it.
- The addition of spices and condiments is up to personal preference.
- In all, I used 4 cups of water. You may require more or less.
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