Onion rava dosa is an instant and easy Indian crepes recipe. Its lace-like design and crispy texture make it a popular snack or breakfast item!
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What is Rava Dosa
Rava means semolina and dosa means savory crepes and it is one of the most popular South Indian snacks! It's also a restaurant favorite that's loved by all ages. They are thin savory crepes that have a mesh-like pattern. Its key ingredient is rava or semolina and the batter requires no fermentation or grinding.
These Indian crepes are light, have a golden hue, crisp, aromatic, and extremely delicious to taste. This instant dosa recipe is a great alternative to the traditional dosa because of the way it is prepared.
Wheat Rava Dosa
Difference between a dosa and a rava dosa
While both are South Indian-style thin crepes, they are still very different. For starters, the traditional dosa is made from a fermented batter while rava dosa is not. Since there is no need to ferment the rava dosa batter, they can be made instantly. Also, the texture and appearance of rava dosa are different.
The batter is thin and porous which creates a mesh or net-like pattern (similar to crepes) when poured over the skillet. This is what makes the rava dosa stand out! One of the popular variations of sada or plain rawa dosa is onion rava dosa or wheat dosa. Here, onions are added to the batter. I like to cook and soften it before adding it to the batter.
There is also rava masala dosa similar to the regular masala dosa where it's stuffed with a potato mixture. I love making both these variations, frequently at home. Buckwheat crepes, Methi Ghavan, and Quinoa Dosa are some other varieties of crepes.
Why make this
- Instant dosa recipe
- No fermentation or grinding required
- Can be made in an hour
- Simple recipe with basic ingredients
- It can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled
- A great meal for breakfast, snack, or lunchbox
- Very delicious to taste
Ingredients needed 🧾
Rava/Rawa - It's also known as semolina, or suji/sooji. I like to use a fine variety of rava also known as Bombay Rava for making this dosa. There is no need to roast it first. You can use rava to also make Rava Idli, Wheat Rava Dosa, and Rava Ladoo.
Other flours - rice flour (which helps to give them a crispy texture) and all-purpose flour or maida are the two kinds of flours used here.
Yogurt - You can either use full-fat or low-fat yogurt in this recipe. Greek yogurt can also be used. Yogurt or dahi gives the dosa a nice golden brown color. You can also use buttermilk. If doing so, then add additional water accordingly.
Spices and herbs - cilantro, curry leaves, ginger, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing or asafoetida, and green chillies bring in a lot of flavors and aroma to the dosa.
Onions - Since this is an onion rava dosa recipe, we need to add onions!
Ghee - cooking this dosa in ghee is very essential to get that authentic flavor. Do not skip this. You can also use vegan ghee.
Some also like to add chopped cashews, dry coconut pieces, and/or peppercorns to the batter. You can also add some grated veggies to the batter. Apart from the ingredients, another important thing in this rava dosa recipe process is the tava or skillet. Use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or a nonstick tawa.
How to make it 🔪
- In a mixing bowl, add the rawa.
- Followed by the all-purpose flour.
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- Then add the rice flour.
- Add half of the chopped cilantro to the bowl.
- Add yogurt or buttermilk to the bowl.
- Heat ghee in a pan, then temper mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves, minced green chillies, and ginger paste. Fry for a minute.
- Add the chopped onions and the remaining cilantro to the pan. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Take the pan off the flame.
- Transfer this mixture to the bowl.
- Add 3 cups of water to the bowl. Then let it sit for 30 minutes. Now add salt and 2 more cups of water. Give it a good mix. The batter should be very thin and lump-free.
- Heat a flat nonstick tawa or skillet. Only when it's very hot, using a ½ cup or ⅓ cup measuring cup or a small bowl, pour the batter. Drizzle oil or ghee around it. Reduce the flame to medium, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes (for me it takes around 7-8 minutes). The edges will begin to leave the pan and it will turn brown. Then flip it carefully. Cook for another minute. Some prefer to not flip and cook the other side because it's almost cooked. Not flipping also ensures a crispier dosa. It's a personal preference. Carefully scrape out the dosa from the pan and transfer it to a plate. Add some grated cheese on top at this point if you like.
Serving suggestions 🍽
Make as many as you need at the moment and serve them as you go. There are lots of rava dosa lovers out there so you will need to make lots! It's time-consuming. Serve onion rava dosa with the usual condiments like coconut chutney, tomato chutney, sambhar, rasam, and/or my favorite - molagapodi along with filter coffee.
To make these Indian crepes more filling, serve them with a side of potato curry like Masala dosa or vegetable korma. You can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snacks, or just about anytime you are hungry! They can also be packed in lunchboxes. They will not remain crispy, but still taste great! It's best to make them fresh and consume them immediately while they are still hot. If you have them later, they will not be crispy and be a bit soggy.
Top recipe tips 💭
Cooking the onions softens them and doesn't fall out when making the dosa. You can also add them raw. To make plain rava dosa, skip adding them. If the batter is thick, the dosa will not be thin and crispy. Add more water to the batter if required to get the desired thin consistency. The dosa will break if the batter is too runny. Adjust the batter by adding 1-2 tablespoons of flour and semolina. Keep a separate pan for the dosa. Ensure the tawa is hot enough before you pour the batter. First dosa is always discarded. So don't fret if you don't get it right on the first try. You will eventually get the hang of it after a couple of tries.
Recipe FAQs 📖
Always use plain rava that is not roasted. It can be very fine or coarse in texture. Do not get it confused with idli rava and use it to make these savory Indian crepes.
Onion Rava Dosa batter should be thin and of pouring consistency. It should resemble thin buttermilk.
In this instant rava dosa recipe, the amount of water you add also depends upon the quality of the rava used.
Stir the batter every time before you pour it. This brings together all the heavy ingredients that settle down at the bottom of the vessel.
Use a ½ cup or ⅓ cup measuring cup or a small bowl to pour the batter rather than a ladle. Pour it from a height and not very low to get that mesh texture.
Begin pouring from outwards and then come inwards. Connect the mesh with additional batter wherever you feel it needs to be.
However, do not pour at one spot multiple times. Also, do not try to spread it like regular dosa.
Ensure the tawa is hot when pouring the batter and then reduce the flame. Give it a couple of minutes to cook on one side.
The longer you cook the rawa dosa on one side, it will be crispier. Keep the flame on low-medium and be patient. Do not flip it in a hurry.
Flip only when you begin to see the edges leave the pan and it turns brown. It should come off the tawa easily.
The onion rava dosa batter can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
You can freeze it and keep it for 2 weeks and can take it out a couple of hours before when needed. Add a little water if the batter has become too thick.
The dosa once made is best consumed immediately. That's why make just the quantity you need and store the remaining batter.
Instead of yogurt, just use water to make the batter. While cooking the dosa, use vegan ghee or coconut oil.
To give this instant rava dosa recipe a different/new flavor, add tomato, beets, or spinach puree along with water. It will change the color of the dosa and make it more appetizing.
More dosa recipes
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Recipe 📖
Onion Rava Dosa
Equipment
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1 cup rava
- 1 cup rice flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- 5 cups water
- salt
For the tadka
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon hing
- 4 green chillies
- 6 curry leaves
- 3 tablespoon cilantro
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- ½ cup onions
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the rawa.
- Followed by the all-purpose flour.
- Then add the rice flour.
- Add half of the chopped cilantro to the bowl.
- Add yogurt or buttermilk to the bowl.
- Heat ghee in a pan, then temper mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves, minced green chillies, and ginger paste. Fry for a minute.
- Add the chopped onions and the remaining cilantro to the pan. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Take the pan off the flame.
- Transfer this mixture to the flour bowl.
- Add 3 cups of water to the bowl. Then let it sit for 30 minutes. Now add salt and 2 more cups of water. Give it a good mix. The batter should be very thin and lump-free.
- Heat a flat nonstick tawa or skillet. Only when it's very hot, using a ½ cup or ⅓ cup measuring cup or a small bowl, pour the batter.
- Pour it from a height and not very low to get that mesh texture. Begin pouring from outwards and then move inwards.
- Drizzle oil or ghee around it. Reduce the flame to medium, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes (for me it takes around 7-8 minutes).
- The edges will begin to leave the pan and it will turn brown. Then flip it carefully. Cook for another minute.
- Some prefer to not flip and cook the other side because it's almost cooked. Not flipping also ensures a crispier dosa. It's a personal preference.
- Carefully scrape out the dosa from the pan and transfer it to a plate. Add some grated cheese on top at this point if you like. It tastes yummy.
- Make as many as you need at the moment and serve them as you go with some chutney and sambhar on the side.
A.S. RAMAKRISHNAN says
Crispy onion rava dosa dipped in coconut chutney...aha!
Priya says
Yes, best combination!!! Thank you.
Kinnary Patel says
Never going back to those boxed packs ever again !!! The recipe was so easy and the dosa turned out delicious!!!
Priya says
Thank you so much Kinnary! 🙂 So glad you liked it.
Mate Mate TW says
The dish is easy and quick. My family members are demanding a new breakfast recipe. I hope they will love it. Thanks for sharing.
Priya says
Thank you. Yes, please do try and let me know. 🙂