Like most of the recipes I post on the blog, today’s post is yet another easy everyday recipe, to be specific, South Indian Breakfast recipe – Brown Rice Dosa.
Super Crispy and delicious Dosa that will make you crave for more. No Shortcuts here, this is a traditional dosa recipe using fermented batter made of Brown Rice and Lentils.
Traditionally, Dosa is made with white rice and lentils but I prefer swapping the white rice with brown rice for a more fibre enriched breakfast treat.
As you can see from the pic below, a wholesome breakfast platter has been laid out just for you! A dosa, chutney, some oranges (because seasonal fruits are important plus Vitamin C) and a cup of sugar free tea to end the meal. Who wouldn’t want this – Right?
Last month I posted a recipe of Instant Kambu Dosa or Bajra Flour dosa recipe which was made with ready made flours suitable for morning rush hours. I wanted to post a traditional dosa recipe with fermented batter since quite some time on the blog and finally did it today.
By the way, If you haven’t tried the Kambu dosa yet, I urge you to try it once! Tastes just like Rava dosa minus the refined flour and with the goodness of millets.
Let’s get on with the Brown Rice Dosa Recipe, shall we?
Rice Variety Used
For this particular recipe, I have used short grain Sona Masuri hand pounded Brown Rice. You can use any variety of brown rice available, including Basmati Rice.
Tips to make Best Brown Rice Dosa at home using fermented batter
- Soaking time for the rice and lentils should be 5 hours or more. Can be soaked overnight too.
- I have used a regular Mixer Grinder to grind the batter. In case, you have a stone grinder / wet grinder, you can grind in that too.
- Mixing the batter with hands for a couple of minutes is key to good fermentation.
- Keep the batter inside the microwave or OTG (with the light on) in case you live in a cold country to ensure fermentation.
- After fermentation is achieved, add salt and mix lightly. Make dosas immediately or refrigerate until further use.
Now since we are clear with the basics, let us make crispy dosas
Pro Tips to make crispy dosa
- Season your pan well with few drops of oil. Rub with an onion or potato slice or in my case, use a kitchen paper towel and wipe well.
- Pour the batter only when the pan is hot. It should sizzle (sound) once the batter hits the pan. Else the dosas would be soft and limp, not crisp.
- For thin crispy dosas, spread the batter as much as you can. Apply oil on all the sides and cook on low heat. Slowly fold it once cooked from both sides. Serve immediately.
Step by Step Brown Rice Dosa Recipe
It is now time to find the perfect side dish options to enjoy the crispy dosas.
Here are some of the Side Dish Recipes that I recommend trying.
- Kothamalli Chutney or Coconut Coriander Chutney
- Tomato Chutney
- Peerkangai Thol Chutney or Ridge Gourd Skin Chutney
- Pachai Thakkali Chutney or Green Tomato Chutney
If you are on Team – Dosa and Podi, here are some of the Podi Recipes that you would truly enjoy.
Some Recipe Ideas using the Brown Rice Dosa batter
- Add some spinach puree, beetroot puree etc to turn them into Spinach Brown Rice dosa or Beetroot Dosa.
- The same batter can be used to make some paniyarams. Add grated vegetables and a quick tempering to make it interesting.
- You can sprinkle some podi inside the dosa (recipes given above), drizzle it with ghee and turn them into podi dosa.
- If you have a waffle maker at home, turn them into savory waffles for kids.
Storage, Shelf life of the batter
- The batter stays fresh in the refrigerator for a week.
- Ensure the batter is stored in a clean and dry steel vessel with a lid or glass box with a tight lid.
Some Questions / Doubts that you may have about the recipe are addressed below –
- What If I don’t have Gota Urad or Whole Urad – Use regular urad dal. Same quantity.
- Can I use Basmati Brown Rice – Yes you can, Same quantity. Same soaking time.
- How much water to add while grinding dosa batter? – Always add water until it covers the grains. You can always add water later but its best to add very little water just before grinding.
- Why Drain the water used for soaking the rice and lentils? Simply because I prefer getting rid of chemicals etc which might have been sprayed on the grains to increase shelf life. Throwing away the water used for soaking helps (mentally I feel okay). You may choose accordingly.
Brown Rice Dosa
Ingredients
- 3 cups Brown Rice 1 cup is 125 ml measurement
- 1 1/2 cups Urad Dal (Gota urad dal or whole urad) See Notes
- 1/4 tsp Methi Seeds or Fenugreek seeds
- Water as required to soak, grind and adjust batter consistency
- Salt to taste
- Sesame Oil as required to cook the dosas
Instructions
- Wash the brown rice, urad dal and methi seeds for a couple of times under running tap water. Soak all the ingredients together in water for atleast 5 hours.
- After 5 hours, drain the water and grind the batter in 2 batches. Use little water to grind the batter, as required.
- Mix the batter well with your hands for a couple of minutes. Cover it with a lid, keep it aside in a warm place for fermentation. The process would take anywhere between 6 to 10 hours. Note – My batter fermented in 8 hours.
- Once the batter is fermented, add salt to taste, mix lightly. Check consistency of the batter and add additional water if required to adjust consistency.
- Heat a griddle, season it with some oil and then pour a ladle of the batter on to the hot pan.
- Make thin crispy dosas by rotating the ladle with the batter clockwise on the hot pan. Pour oil on all the sides, allow the dosa to cook on low heat.
- Flip or turn the dosas once they have cooked, add more oil and cook the other side.
- Crisp Brown Rice dosas are ready to eat with sambar and chutney.
- Note – If you don't plan to make dosas immediately after fermentation, add the salt, adjust consistency of the batter and then store it in the refrigerator until further use. Always cover the batter with a tight lid or store in a container.
Notes
- Season your pan well with few drops of oil. Rub with an onion or potato slice or in my case, use a kitchen paper towel and wipe well.
- Pour the batter only when the pan is hot. It should sizzle (sound) once the batter hits the pan. Else the dosa would be soft and limp, not crisp.
- For thin crispy dosas, spread the batter as much as you can (on the pan). Apply oil on all the sides and cook on low heat. Slowly fold it once cooked from both sides. Serve immediately.
- I have ground the batter using my mixer grinder so had to grind it in 2 batches. In case you have a stone grinder or a heavy duty mixer grinder jar that can accommodate the quantity, everything can be added at one go.
- The batter stays fresh in the refrigerator for a week.
- Ensure the batter is stored in a clean and dry steel vessel with a lid or glass box with a tight lid.
- Please note that this batter yields around 10 to 12 dosas. The quantity may vary depending on the size of dosas.
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Vidya Narayan
