Quinoa Dosa is a healthy twist to the delicious South Indian dosa. With no rice and no fermentation, this crispy quinoa dosa is my go-to recipe for a quick south Indian meal.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Soaking Time4 hourshrs
Total Time5 hourshrs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: dosa without rice, instant dosa, quinoa dosa
Add urad quinoa, oats, chana dal, urad dal and methi seeds to a large bowl.
Rinse till the water runs clear. Soak in about 4 cups of water for 4-5 hours.
Drain water from the soaked quinoa and lentils. Add to a high speed blender jar. Add ginger, green chili pepper and salt.
Add about 1 cup cold water as needed to grind the batter to a smooth paste. Start with less water and add as needed.
Transfer the batter to a large bowl and let it rest for about 30 minutes. The batter consistency should neither be thick nor runny, but rather it should be free flowing.
Making the Dosa
Heat a cast iron griddle (tawa) on medium-high heat. You can also use a non-stick dosa tawa, but cast iron is best for crispy dosa's.
Make sure the tawa is heated well before making dosa. You can sprinkle some water to and it should sizzle right away.
Put a few drops of oil on the tawa and spread with a paper towel all over the tawa. You can also use an onion cut in half and use the flat side to spread the oil. This helps to cool down the tawa and spread the batter in a thin layer. Lower the heat a little while spreading the batter, and change back to medium-high right after spreading the batter.
Take a ladle full of the batter and pour at the center of the tawa. Immediately start to spread the batter from the center out in a circular motion in one direction (I prefer clockwise). Try to spread as thin as possible.
Drizzle oil or ghee around the egdes of the dosa and also some at the center. Let it cook until the dosa becomes golden brown and starts to leave or come out from the edges.
You typically only need to cook one side of the dosa. If you have spread the dosa thick, then you might want to flip it and cook on the other side.
Use a flat spatula to remove the dosa from the edges. You can roll the dosa or fold at the center with the spatula. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.
Before making next dosa, wipe the tawa with a paper towel. Spread the oil again, then spread the dosa. Then increase heat to high.
Other Lentils: You can also add toor dal, or split green lentils or split Masoor Dal in this recipe. The addition of green lentils give a slight green color to the dosa. Tip: If you are new to making Dosa, then I highly recommend reading the whole post as I share lots of tips and tricks to get the perfect batter and how to spread the dosa.Spreading batter: It is important to have the tawa/griddle at the right temperature when spreading the batter. Otherwise the batter does not spread properly and sticks to the pan. Follow the tips in the recipe. Also, make sure your cast iron pan is seasoned well. Fermenting: I did not ferment this quinoa dosa batter. But if you like, you can ferment it by keeping in a warm dark place for 8-10 hours. Make sure to use non-iodized salt if you want to ferment the batter. Storing batter: You can store the batter in an airtight container for up to 3 days.