When I saw the barley dosa recipe in Champa's blog I decided to try it immediately because we try to incorporate more whole grains and healthy ingredients in our daily meals. I didn't have whole grain barley so I used pot barley instead. The dosas came out very good and the only one issue I had was that it was a bit sour.
So the next time I tried the same recipe with brown rice instead of barely keeping the measurements same. I was very thrilled because the dosas tasted so good. In fact, my husband mentioned that these were the best dosas he ever had. What else a cooking fanatic needs to hear?
This brown rice dosa batter is so versatile that it is good for making thick spongy dosas or paper-like thin dosas. I have never gone back to white rice after preparing this dosa. Why would I, when it tastes even better than the usual dosa and is healthier too! Champa, thank you very much for the wonderful dosa recipe.
Recipe
Brown Rice Dosa Recipe
Ingredients
- Brown Rice (I Used Long Grain) 2 Cups
- Urad Dal ½ Cup
- Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) 1 Teaspoon
- Salt 1 Teaspoon Or As Needed
- Sesame Oil ½ Teaspoon
Instructions
- Soak together the brown rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds (if using) in water overnight or at least 5-6 hours.
- The next day morning, grind together all the soaked ingredients until you get a smooth batter. Add water as required. This takes quite some time than grinding for the usual dosas using white rice. That's why a longer soak time is also suggested for easier grinding.
- Transfer the batter to a big bowl which has enough space for the batter to rise. Mix in the salt and sesame oil (optional) and place it on a plate to let it ferment. Ferment the dosa batter in a warm place overnight or for at least 12-15 hours before you can prepare the dosas.
- Heat a dosa tava and pour a ladleful of batter and spread it out as thick or as thin as you want with the back of the ladle. The beauty of this batter is that both thick and paper thin dosas come out so well. Drizzle some oil around or use a non-stick cooking spray and flip to the other side to cook it thoroughly.
My Notes
- If you prefer oil free dosas, once you pour the batter on the tava cover it with a frying pan lid and wait until you see sponge like holes on the dosa and then flip it the other side. These dosas are thick and spongy without any oil.
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Ruchi says
Hi Madhu,
I'm new to South Indian cooking. Can I use the same batter for Idli too or will it have a different consistency for that?
Thanks.
Sara says
Can you tell me approximately how much water you used? All of the recipes I come across simply say add water to make a batter...not super helpful.
Madhuram says
2 cups approximately. More can be added if the batter is too thick.
Kavitha says
Hi...I had used short grain brown rice for adai.... It came out well can we use the same for idly...
Mayura says
Thank you for the recipe. I would like to add a suggestion for fermenting dosa/idli batter. Its difficult to find hot temperatures in cold countries, which is required for fermentation. What I do is leave the batter on the counter very close to cooking stove, the heat around would be sufficient to ferment the batter overnight. Happy cooking.
Madhuram says
Thanks for your tip Mayura. Alternatively you could also switch on the oven light and place the batter near the light for about 2 hours and switch it off. This heat will help the batter to ferment.
tmwriter says
definetely a healthy choice. I will try this.
azege Permalchetty says
Hi Madhu
Thanks for sharing your recipes, they are all super.
Can you please confirm if i don't use Urad dal to this recipe will it be good. In fact i leave in Mauritius and Urad dal is not available at the market. Thanks for your usual collaboration.
Madhuram says
I'm sorry that I didn't get back to you immediately. If you are still looking for an answer, the dosai will not turn out good without Urad Dal. But another option available is, use about a cup of okra pieces (usually I use the tops and ends which we throw away), grind it smooth and then mix it with the rice batter. These dosas will be a little chewy than soft.
shree yerramilli says
dear madhuram,
i love your website . i am a big fan of brown rice. after seeing your dosa recipe i wanted to try mixing brown rice flour and urad dal flour instead of soaking and grinding. i make dosas by mixing rice flour and urad dal flour and then leaving the batter in the oven for about 12-16 hours. they come very crisp. care should be taken not to add too much water while mixing. hoping to hear from you. thanks shree
Madhuram says
Thanks Shree. I too have prepared idlis using urad dal flour and rice flour. It does turn out good.
Erica says
Thank you for posting this!
In the middle of making my brown rice batter for the first time (coincidentally having pre-soaked the same measurements of brown rice) without a recipe, I needed some guidance and reassurance.
I can't wait to see how these turn out.
Mathangi says
Very nice recipe Madhu.Definitely the best recipe to start with to get used to brown rise.Thanks for sharing this and may more wonderful recipes.
Tori says
how many does this make? Thank you!
Sindhu says
I love your blog and all the recipes you have posted. Am very excited to try them. I tried the Beets brownie for my husband's b'day and they were out of the world. Thanks so much for posting such wonderful, guilt free recipes.
Can I use brown basmati rice for making dosa / idly. Is it any different from long grain brown rice?
Lakshmi says
Just tried this recipe and it came out great! I added 2T flax seed meal to the batter to make it even more healthy! My batter was bubbly but didn't rise (maybe because of the flax meal?) The dosas turned out fine, though not at all puli. Will make them this way from now on. I'm curious to hear how the quinoa dosas turned out!
Leela says
I didn't know about the fenugreek, so I didn't put it in. Is it something that will cause it to be less soft.
Also, do you cover up the batter when fermenting or should it be left uncovered/loosely covered?
I usually cover the vessel with another small vessel. A basin to be precise. Sometimes if we cover it with a plate and the batter ferments too much there will be no room for the batter to rise and its going to stick to the plate making a big mess. So an upside down basin will give enough room for the batter to rise and also it won't stick to the insides of the covered vessel. Omitting fenugreek will not make a big difference..
Divya Vikram says
Really healthy one MAdhu.
Priya says
Our today's dinner is this brown rice dosa, i prepared the similar but with quinoa..Will post mine soon..
Rachana Kothari says
Healthy and yummy dosas :)Lovely click!
Sharmilee says
Healthy dosas