You can tweak the regular dosa batter & make it more nourishing by adding quinoa to it. Quinoa Dosa is a vegan savory pancake that you can enjoy as a snack.
Dosa is my weakness!
I need to have dosa batter in my fridge all the time else I get very anxious. That's because it's my quick fix whenever I get hungry (especially in the evenings).
Dosa is the Indian version of crepes and Uttapam (made from the same batter) in the fat cousin of it which you call an Indian savory pancake.
The batter is made with rice and lentils mainly and then fermented overnight. While fermenting the batter takes time, it’s otherwise a quick recipe.
I do have the dosa recipe on the blog. You can read it here.
Whether it's for breakfast, as a coffee-time or tea-time snack, or dinner at midnight, the ubiquitous dosa is always a preferred option.
When kids come back from school or from play and are hungry, dosa comes to the rescue.
I would also recommend having a mini pancake pan
where you can make multiple mini dosas in one go.
This not only saves time but also feeds many hungry mouths (especially when you have guests) at the same time!
If you generally love pancakes, you will love dosa too! Thanks to social media, world cuisine has been exposed and how.
People sitting in their living room in any part of the world can get the recipe of any cuisine they want. I simply love this! There is still so much to discover as this is just the beginning.
Breakfast being the most important and the first meal of the day, I am pretty serious about it.
Also, I always wake up extremely hungry and need to eat or drink something soon to stop me from being cranky and irritable.
In fact, one of the first things KR asks me in the mornings is, "You hungry?" I need a scrumptious breakfast to help me kick-start my day.
I am fine with a tall glass of a hearty smoothie that's loaded with fruits on some days but on the other days, I crave a hot breakfast like savory pancakes, Oats Upma, Idli, or Waffles.
Any breakfast is good as long as you have something in the morning which will give you the energy to begin your long day.
I remember, as a kid, my mom would always insist on every member of the family not leaving the house without breakfast.
For that, she would wake up ahead of us, shower, do her morning puja and prepare a fresh meal for our lunchboxes as well as something different for breakfast.
When we woke up, everything was ready and done! Back then, I never really understood what struggle mornings would have been for her until I got married and began to run my own house.
Mornings are tough, especially with kids. There is too much happening around the house at the crack of dawn.
That is why a breakfast recipe like dosa or idli works. You can make the batter in advance and refrigerate it. It stays good for a week.
If the batter is ready, you can enjoy this snack any time of the day. Of course, it begins to turn a tad sour towards the end of a week. But many like the sour taste.
Now, many feel that making the perfect dosa is a task that cannot be mastered. But let me tell you that it is a skill that you can master over time with a lot of practice.
I have been making dosa since I was a teenager. It was one of the first dishes my mom taught me. She would always ask me to make the last dosa and no matter what the shape, she would eat it.
Having learned the right technique from her, I quickly began to make perfect dosa every time. Here are some tips that can help you as well to make dosa correctly.
If you have refrigerated the batter, it's a good idea to take it out at least 15-20 minutes before cooking it.
The pan
in which you are going to make dosa needs to be warm and to check that, sprinkle some water over it.
If the tava
/pan sizzles and the water is quickly absorbed, it is a clear indication that the tava is ready.
I have seen some smear some oil and rub a cut onion over the tava to moisten the tava before starting to make the dosa.
Pour a spoonful of batter onto the tava and start at the very center of the pan to spread it out in a circular motion.
Smear ghee/oil around it to cook it crispy. In fact, for an ultra crisp dosa add a little more oil and cook it on a low flame for a longer period till it gets golden brown, and then flip it.
Dosa or Idli batter is easily available at all leading Indian grocery stores if you find it inconvenient to make it at home.
Although it is a super easy recipe to make at home and here is my way of doing it.
It doesn't matter whether you got the batter ready or made it at home, today I am going to show you how you can spruce it up to make it healthier.
Quinoa is a superfood because it's gluten-free, high in protein, contains essential amino acids, fiber rich, and contains antioxidants.
You can add quinoa
to the batter and make Quinoa Dosa. Here is how you can do it. Wash and rinse quinoa very well.
Then, soak it along with urad dal
or moong dal lentils in water for 4 hours minimum.
You can also add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds with it. Drain the water and transfer it to a blender.
Blitz to a smooth paste by adding little water. Pour this over the dosa batter, add salt and mix it all together.
Quinoa dosa batter is now ready. You can use this batter to prepare dosa following the tips I have shared above.
You can add any veggie toppings on top while preparing it. I have used some leftover cilantro-coconut mixture from Vegan & Gluten- Free Polenta & Cilantro Savory Bites recipe as toppings today. Serve Quinoa Dosa with some chutney/Sambhar/Molagapudi | Gunpowder on the side.
Quinoa Dosa | Uttapam
Ingredients
- 3 cups dosa batter
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/2 cup urad dal
- salt to taste
- any vegetable toppings of your choice
- oil or ghee for cooking
Instructions
- Here is how you can do it. Wash and rinse quinoa very well. Then, soak it along with urad dal lentils in water for 4 hours minimum. Drain the water and transfer it to a blender. Blitz to a smooth paste by adding little water. Pour this over the already prepared dosa batter, add salt and mix it all together. Quinoa dosa batter is now ready. If you have refrigerated this batter, its a good idea to take it out at least 15-20 minutes before cooking it. The pan in which you are going to make dosa needs to be warm and to check that, sprinkle some water over it. If the tava/pan sizzles and the water is quickly absorbed, it is a clear indication that the tava is ready. I have seen some smear some oil and rub a cut onion over the tava to moisten the tava before starting to make the dosa. Pour a spoonful of batter onto the tava and start at the very center of the pan to spread it out in a circular motion. Smear ghee/oil around it to cook it crispy. In fact, for an ultra crisp dosa add a little more oil and cook it on a low flame for a longer period till it gets golden brown and then flip it. You can add any veggie toppings on top while preparing it. I have used some leftover cilantro-coconut mixture from Vegan & Gluten- Free Polenta & Cilantro Savory Bites recipe as toppings today. Serve Quinoa Dosa with some chutney/Sambhar/Molagapudi | Gunpowder on the side.
Spicy Quinoa & Red Pumpkin Adai | Lentil Dosa, Instant Wheat Flour Dosa , Green Peas Crepes/Dosa, Instant Carrot & Oats Dosa/Crepes, Potato Dosa, Masala Dosa with Sweet Potato Filling, South Indian Mini Masala Uttapam With Vegetables, Nutritious Pink Uttapam with Beets & Veggies, and Kale Adai | Kale & Lentil Savory Pancakes are just some interesting twists to the regular dosa/uttapam that you can try in your kitchen. They make a great snack that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Quinoa is recommended by many doctors nowadays. But it doesn't taste that good when tried to eat it like rice. This recipe looks yummy and it is quite unique and also healthy. I would surely try this soon. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Keep sharing such healthy and yummy dishes.
Thank you..yes, that is what I try to do. 🙂