Rava Dosa or Suji Ka Dosa is a quick, tasty, and crispy South Indian breakfast or dinner dish. This Rava dosa is traditionally prepared with ingredients like Rava, rice, and plain flour, onion, few Indian spices which make a perfect batter for this recipe. Also called Sooji dosa does not require soaking, grinding, and fermentation processes like the traditional rice, urad dal dosa that makes this dish so quick and instant. This crispy Rava dosa is a perfect vegan-friendly dish and tastes great with side dishes like tomato chutney, coconut chutney, veg kurma, and similar dishes.
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What is Rava Dosa?
Rava dosa is a tasty and quick instant breakfast dish authentic to South India. Rava is nothing but the cream of wheat, which is called Semolina in English and sooji/suji in Hindi. The term rava is more common in Southern states of India, while suji/sooji is popular in Northern India.
Rava dosa is usually prepared with medium rava, rice flour, maida(all-purpose flour), onions, a few Indian spices, and herbs. The ingredients are then mixed well with water or buttermilk to make a thin batter. Finally, the batter is poured on a hot iron/non-stick griddle which is then perfectly roasted in low heat to achieve a crispier Rava/ suji dosa.
This is a Rava dosa that does not require the traditional soaking, grinding, and fermentation processes that we usually do for the rice flour dosa. Besides, it makes our job so simple and the best part is it takes only 30 minutes to make this delicious dosa.
Rava dosa is one of the easy breakfast or dinner dishes popular in most South Indian restaurants and households. And they typically serve this dosa with spicy tomato chutney, potato saagu, coconut chutney, and dishes alike.
Ingredients
The ingredients for making this rava/sooji dosa are simple and they should be easily available in Indian grocery stores. All we need is Rava, rice, and all-purpose flour, onion, peppercorn, cumin seeds, ginger, green chili, curry leaves, salt, sugar, and water for this rava dosa. The recipe I have shared in this post is Rava dosa without using curd which makes this dish vegan friendly. But you could also prepare this dosa with curd which delivers a slightly sour taste and flavor to this dish.
How to make Rava Dosa Batter?
The process of making the Rava dosa batter is one of the important steps to achieve a crispy dosa. To make the batter, we should make sure to have the right ratio of Rava and flours. And the batter should be in flowing consistency.
First, we have to take 1 cup of Rava and ¾ cup of maida and rice flour each. Then add onions and other seasonings that are mentioned in the recipe card below. After that, we have to mix everything with 4 cups of water. And then allow them to rest for 15 minutes with the lid closed.
After the time, open the lid and add one more cup of water into the batter and mix them well. Usually, the Rava and flours absorb the water which makes the batter turn thick. So it is important to add the water to maintain the flowing consistency of the batter to achieve a crispier dosa every time. Now the batter should be ready for you to make delicious crispy Rava dosa.
How to make Rava Dosa?
The recipe I have shared here is a typical South Indian onion Rava dosa and the quantity yields 9 dosa. In this section let us see, how to make/prepare this Rava dosa with easy step-by-step instructions.
First, I have allowed the iron Tawa to heat in a high flame. Once the dosa pan is hot enough, I sprinkled some water and rubbed it with an onion slice. This helps the dosa to come without sticking. Now I poured the Rava dosa batter(prepared using the steps mentioned above) from the outer edges and then filled the gaps in between. This results in a porous net-like restaurant-style dosa.
Following that, I drizzled 1 tsp of oil and immediately switched the heat to a low medium flame. And I allowed the Rava dosa batter to roast until golden brown. Then I removed the Rava dosa from the pan and repeated the same process for the remaining batter.
Finally, I served this crispy Rava dosa with spicy tomato chutney and coconut chutney. Even though I have used a cast iron pan for making this dosa, you could also make it in a heavy bottom non-stick Tawa. But personally, I would suggest cast iron dosa pan to enjoy a crispier and flaky Rava dosa at home.
Variations
Rava dosa is an easy and quick meal that has a lot of variation. Even though the traditional Rava dosa is prepared with onions, Indian spices, and herbs, it can also be made simply plain. You can skip the onions and spices if it's not handy or you really don't want to use them either. And it does have a slight change in the taste that we usually get from those spices and herbs.
Apart from the plain sooji dosa, you could also make masala Rava dosa in which we add potato masala before folding the dosa. In another variation, we can use ragi instead of rice flour. This ragi Rava dosa is one of the healthiest variations especially when you are planning for weight loss meals.
Similarly, we can also replace Maida with wheat flour to make a gothuma(wheat) rava dosa. There are also other variations of the Rava dosa recipe with can be prepared with tomato and oats. These variations are super simple to make and of course, they are healthy light meals to start your day. And it is definitely worth trying these dosas at home to enjoy a healthy and tasty meal. After all, we all deserve such traditional foods without compromising the taste and flavor.
Tips
The key to achieving the best restaurant like crispy Rava dosa is to prepare the batter in the right consistency. Always make sure the Rava dosa batter ingredients are accurate and the batter has to be in thin flowing consistency. Usually, the batter turns thick after resting time, so check and mix water if required to maintain consistency.
Another important fact is that the batter should be poured on piping hot Tawa/griddle. And the dosa should be cooked in low heat until it turns golden brown color. Since we cook the onion Rava dosa in low heat it is not required to cook on the other side. But you can flip and cook if you see your dosa is still moist on top and the bottom has browned already.
After removing the dosa, make sure the pan is hot enough to make your next one. Mix the batter every time and then pour it. If the batter is turned thick, feel free to add some water and continue the rest of the process. More importantly, seasoning the iron griddle/Tawa gives a perfect non-sticky dosa every time without any hassle. And make sure to use a separate pan for making dosa.
Let us see the seasoning of iron Tawa in detail in the section below.
Seasoning Iron Dosa Pan/Cast Iron Skillet
One of the important aspects of getting a perfect crispy Rava dosa is to use the right pan/griddle. Usually, most people use non-stick tawa for making dosa which does not need much preparation ahead. But for Cast iron tawa it is not the case and it needs some pampering. And those care are worth making your cast iron pan stay good for longer.
Always heat the cast iron pan in high heat and drizzle some oil and wipe it with a kitchen cloth or tissue paper. Then switch the heat to low and heat until it leaves to smoke. You can rub the pan with onion slices after wiping the oil and then cool it down completely. You could also season the griddle ahead of the day before if you are planning Rava dosa for the next day.
If your cast iron pan is new, repeat the above process 2 to 3 times until you see the thin glossy layer on the Tawa. Seasoning the Tawa with oil eventually makes your iron pan non -sticky and as a result, you can enjoy a crispy Rava /suji dosa every time.
Cleaning the iron dosa Tawa is also more important to maintain its life for years. Always make sure not to use any harsh soap detergent to clean the pan. Do not wash hot iron Tawa in water immediately which will spoil and reduce its lifetime. Wash the Tawa with water and salt once it becomes cool. You could also choose to use mild soap along with salt.
After washing, wipe the iron Tawa with a dry kitchen cloth and heat it on the stove to make it drier. And then spread 1 tsp of oil all over the pan and switch off the heat. These steps will make your cast iron pan non-sticky and it helps to retain its freshness for years.
Storage Suggestion
This Rava dosa recipe delivers its freshness when made immediately but you can store the leftover batter in the refrigerator for a day. And feel free to add water before making the next batch since the ingredients in the Rava dosa batter absorb all the water while it is resting.
This Rava dosa recipe is one of the keeper dishes which delivers a crispy and dosa. And I believe you will try and enjoy this dish with your family and loved ones.
Serving Suggestion
This crispy Rava dosa tastes great with Tomato Chutney and coconut chutney. But it also tastes great with Vegetable Kurma, Sambar, potato masala, and other similar veg curries.
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Breakfast Recipes.
Looking for different breakfast recipes to cook for your busy mornings? Then you could also check this collection of Indian Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes to enjoy with your family and loved ones.
Check out more recipes with Rava below:
Rava Dosa Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this onion Rava dosa recipe that I hope it will you to make this dish from scratch. You could also find this recipe in story format for a quick reference of this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Rava Dosa (Suji Ka Dosa)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rava
- ¾ cup Rice Flour
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Onion, chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Peppercorn
- 1 tsp Ginger, chopped
- 3 Green Chili, chopped
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 5 cups Water
- Oil, to drizzle
Instructions
To Prepare Rava Dosa Batter
- In a bowl add Rava, rice flour, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, onion, curry leaves, green chili, ginger peppercorn, cumin seeds and mix everything well
- Now add 4 cups of water and whisk well until there are no lumps
- Close the bowl with the lid and allow it to rest for 15 minutes
- Open the lid and now the batter should be turned to slightly thick
- Now add the remaining 1 cup of water and mix well. Rava dosa batter should be in a flowing consistency which is the key to achieve a crispier dosa. And now the batter is ready for us to prepare dosa
To Prepare Rava Dosa
- First, heat the iron dosa pan in high heat, rub with an onion slice and carefully pour the Rava dosa batter from outside of the pan, and gradually fill in the gaps in the middle
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the dosa turns crisp and brown
- Remove the Rava dosa from the pan and now it is ready for us to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this delicious and crispy Rava dosa with tomato or coconut chutney
Video
Notes
- One of the main keys to making a perfect Rava/suji dosa is making the batter in the right consistency. So make sure to prepare the batter in a flowing consistency which results in a crisper Rava dosa
- Usually, Rava and other flours settle down to the bottom, and it is important to mix the batter every time you pour the Rava dosa
- The pan/ iron dosa tawa should be in high heat while pouring the Rava dosa batter, and it should be switched to medium heat until the dosa turns crisp and brown
- Always pour the Rava dosa batter from the outer edges and then fill in the gaps in between. This gives a nice crisp net-like porous dosa
- Cast iron skillet/iron dosa tawa gives a nice crisper restaurant-style Rava dosa but it can also be prepared with a thick bottom non-stick pan
- This Instant onion rava dosa tastes great with tomato onion chutney, coconut chutney, veg kurma, potato saagu, and similar dishes
Nutrition
FAQ
Rava dosa is a traditional and popular South Indian crepe made of semolina, maida, rice flour, onion, Indian spices, and herbs. It is usually served for breakfast, dinner with tomato chutney, coconut chutney, and similar other dishes.
There are many criteria to achieve a crispy Rava dosa. First, the ingredients for Rava dosa should be accurate in proportion and the batter should be in a free-flowing consistency. Always pour the batter in piping hot Tawa and immediately switch to low heat to roast until it turns golden brown. Usually, iron dosa gives a nice crispy dosa, however, you can also use nonstick Tawa which delivers similar results.
Preparing the Rava dosa in a well-seasoned cast-iron tawa or heavy bottom non-stick pan is the key to achieving non-sticky dosa. You could also rub the pan with an onion slice and add oil to season the Tawa which results in a good crispy dosa. Please refer to the above section where I have explained how to season the iron Tawa/ cast iron griddle in detail which will help you to achieve a non-sticky dosa.
The Rava/ sooji dosa breaks if the batter is too thin and the other ingredients like maida, rice flour are inaccurate. So it is important to make the Rava dosa batter to the right consistency to avoid breaking dosa.
Even though in traditional Rava dosa people use maida as one of the ingredients, you could also make without it by just replacing it with wheat flour. This also results in similar delicious Rava dosa.
Onion Rava dosa tastes great with tomato, coconut, mint, and onion chutney. and it also tastes delicious with veg kurma and potato sagu.
I really hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
Kiran Rupani
I love rava Dosa and I am going to try it first thing in the morning.
God bless you!
Sangeetha Vel
Thank you! We would love to hear your feedback 🙂
Desicart
Very nice recipe. We have to try. So easy and delicious.
Sangeetha Vel
Thanks for your feedback!