Set dosa recipe – learn how to make set dosa with step by step photos. Dosa is a South Indian thin lentil crepe popular across the globe. There are so many kinds of dosas that are made regularly in most South Indian homes. To know more check this restaurant style masala dosa recipe and this collection of crispy dosa recipes too. Set dosa is a popular breakfast served in most fast food or tiffin centers in Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka.
A set of soft and thick spongy dosas are served together with coconut chutney and sagu. This is a basic set dosa recipe that can even be used to make dosas without oil on a nonstick tawa. These turn out to be soft, mouth melting and spongy with a delicate texture. These are different from the poha dosa called as atukala dosa in telugu.
To make good set dosa, proper fermentation of the batter is very important otherwise they don’t yield porous and spongy dosa. Urad dal, rice, fenugreek seeds and poha are the ingredients that are used to make the batter.Fermentation time varies or depends on the climatic conditions or season. Due to the cold weather, this time i had to ferment it for 18 hours to raise the batter well, but the batter did not turn sour.
Set dosa can be served to babies over 10 months, make sure you do not use sour batter if making for baby.
For more Dosa varieties,
Neer dosa
Oats dosa
Cheese dosa
Wheat dosa
Egg dosa
Set dosa recipe or sponge dosa recipe
Set dosa
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for set dosa
- 2 cups dosa rice or ponni rice
- 1 cup poha medium attukulu or avalakki
- ½ cup urad dal or skinned black gram
- 1 ½ tsp fenugreek seeds or menthulu or methi
- salt as needed non iodised
- oil or butter as needed
Instructions
Preparation for set dosa
- To make set dosa recipe, wash rice and soak in ample water for about 5 hours.
- wash and soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds in ample water for about 5 hours.
- Wash poha just before grinding the batter.
- Add urad dal, salt, fenugreek seeds and aval to a blender jar along with 1 cup water and blend till bubbly. if needed add more water to grind the batter smooth. Do not add too much water, batter should not be very runny.
- Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
- Add rice to the jar along with 1/4 cup water. Grind to a smooth batter.
- pour this to the urad dal batter. Mix everything well till well combined.
- Set aside in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours for the batter to ferment and rise well.
Making set dosa
- Heat a tawa, mix the batter gently.
- pour one ladle full of batter and dab it gently to spread the batter don not spread like a normal dosa. add oil across the edges.
- cover and cook for a while until it is cooked inside. you can flip and cook it for a minute on the inner side as well.
- To get a crispy set dosa, lower the flame and cook for a while.
- Sprinkle idli podi f you have or serve hot with chutney.
- repeat making more set dosa on the tawa.
Nutrition
Preparation for set dosa recipe
1. Wash and soak rice and urad dal with fenugreek seeds separately for about 5 hours. Wash poha or aval just before grinding.
2. Add soaked urad dal, fenugreek seeds, salt and washed aval to the blender jar.
3. Pour 1 cup of water and blend till smooth and bubbly. If needed add more water. i added 1/4 to 1/2 cup more water. Transfer it to a large bowl.
4. Add rice to the blender jar with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and blend to smooth.
5. Transfer this to the bowl containing urad dal batter. Mix everything well until combined. The batter should not be very thin or very thick else it may not ferment well.
6. Cover and set aside in a warm place till it ferments and raises well. Usually it takes around 8 to 12 hours depending on the temperature.
7. After fermentation, it almost doubled.
How to make set dosa recipe
8. Heat a tawa, Gently stir the batter for combining everything well. Test by sprinkling little water if the tawa is hot. A hot tawa sizzles, when water is sprinkled.Pour one ladle of batter on the tawa and gently dab it to spread slightly, do not spread like the regular dosa. The size of these dosas will be small. The flame of the stove should not be very high otherwise they turn brown at the bottom without cooking.If the tawa is not hot enough, you may not get a good spongy dosa. Sprinkle oil around the edges, you can skip it as well if you are on a oil free diet.
9. Set dosa is not cooked on the inner side, the batter is very airy that cooking it from the bottom, cooks on the inner side as well. However I prefer to cover and cook for a little while and then without the lid, i cook further to make them crispy from the outer side.This is optional. If you are particular about cooking it on the other side, you can flip it and cook on the other side as well.
10. To finish off i like to sprinkle idli podi or pappu podi or flax seed podi. This is optional.
11. Serve set dosa hot with your favorite chutney. We had it with beetroot chutney.
Monika says
Hey Swasthi,
I had tested set dosa during my trip to Bangalore almost ten years back while was working. But here in Mumbai very less people are known to it. But it turned out so yummy that my husband and kids just loved it. What can be made with leftover better as I read that it is not advisable to serve to kids once it taste sour ? Can I try Idli or dosa adding Ragi flour ?
Thank you so much.
swasthi says
Hey Monika
I am very sorry for not replying. I am on a holiday to India so unable to reply to comments. Thanks for trying. With the left over batter you can add some rice flour and make bonda. Yes you can also add ragi four and rice flour in equal quantites and make dosa. Not sure if idli will come out well. Hope this helps
Rashmi says
It was really tastyyyy.. yammyyyyyyyyyy
Deepika says
is it necessary to use only Dosa rice, I do have idli rice can I use that ?
swasthi says
Yes deepika you can use it.
Idli and dosa rice are same
Deepika says
Thanks for your quick reply.. I tried to make it and let it ferment for hours outside on the kitchen top.. but it dint double in size…only a little bit.. 🙁 I was scared of keeping it outside for any longer as it was already 15 hours or more… can i still use it for my toddlers. ? I am reading through all the recipes for my 15 months old twins, one doesnt eat well so thinking of trying this for her…
swasthi says
Hi Deepika
Yes you can still give it to her. The reason for not rising could be the temperature. When the temperatures are down it takes about 18 hours even if i keep it in a warm shelf.
maria.K says
excellent recipe! came out well . One request – please
have a recipe index for faster access and a quick look/scan because,
going through page after page is time consuming and a real pain – thanku
once again .
Hope you do the needful.
swasthi says
Hi Maria
Thanks for trying. Yes I will surely do it. Thanks for the suggestion
Rekha J says
Hi Swathi ,
What to do for fermentation in cold countries ? Can I add some Yeast to it ? If so , what is the quantity ?
Regards/Rekha
swasthi says
Hi Rekha
You can try adding non-iodised salt while grinding. It may take little longer to ferment but it works. You can also try using the water in which dal has been soaked for grinding. If none of these work, then you try using yeast. I have not tried with in anytime
Prachi says
Hi Swasti,
Followed ur recipe for set dosa yesterday. It was so spongy n soft. And was yummy with tomato chatani. Thank u so much for this recipe
swasthi says
Welcome Prachi
Glad to know they came out good. Thanks for sharing the outcome
Prachi says
Hello Swasti,
Can I use idly rava instead of Rice in this recipe ? Please reply
swasthi says
Hi Prachi
Don’t think idly rava works in this recipe. You can try with a small quantity.
Prachi says
Ok thanks. And do u have app for ur site?
swasthi says
welcome. No we dont have an app
Chris J says
Who besides South Indians and such have a WET GRAIN GRINDER?
Useful recipes only for Indians, not for others, alas. Will still keep looking for folks with alternative notions on how to grind grains wet but so far, nobody in the Indian food world seems to realize that people outside of their country might be reading for these recipes.
swasthi says
Hi Chris
To make these dosa, one don’t need to have a wet grinder. Any powerful blender will be able to blend the grains to batter. YOu can go ahead and try the recipe in small quantity. (halve the recipe) Hope this helps
savitha says
wow! the picture makes my mouth water! how did you manage to click awesome pics like these?
swasthi says
Thanks Savitha
Mrinal says
Hi swasthi
This dosa was perfect.
Thanks a ton dear.
swasthi says
welcome Mrinal
fatima says
Tnxxx itz help good to prepare
Naiza says
Hi swasthi,
My baby is 1 year 1 month old.Can u please share me tips for stopping breastfeeding at night.
Jhansi says
Hi swathi, can i use sonamasoori rice which i use to make normal dosa.
swasthi says
Yes Jhansi
You can use
Sweetu says
Great really it means a lot for a mom
Sara;adevi Marimuthu says
Hiii Swasthi, Thank you so much. I have tried your sambar sadham recipe. Taste so good. Reminded my grandma’s cooking. Wishing you have a blessed years ahead.
swasthi says
Welcome Saraladevi
So glad to know you liked the sambar sadam, Its one of our favorite at home. Thanks a ton for the wishes and for the feedback too.
🙂
Melya says
Hi Swasthi,
I am in Indonesia and it is not easy to get Urad Daal. What can I use as substitute?
Or if I don’t use it at all, would that be fine?
Regards,
Melya
swasthi says
Hi melya,
Sorry for the delay. Set dosa is made using urad dal and there is no substitute. But you can try with any other lentil. Green gram may work well. There are similar recipes on the blog called pesarattu or instant pesarratu, you can try them if you like. Hope this helps
usha says
Hi swasthi your receipes simple and very good I have tried many receipes your crispy dosa superb thank u so much ?
Sharada says
Thanks a ton.. My little one loved this dosa.. My in-laws liked it.. So soft. Thanks once again.
swasthi says
Welcome Sharada
Glad to know you all liked it.
Thanks for the feedback
bindu says
Hi,
I have tried many recipes…but this was byfar the best recipe. It reminded me of all the darshini dishes in Bangalore. Thanks amillion for sharing.
swasthi says
Welcome Bindu
Lakhmi says
Looks yumm
Madhavi says
Hi swasthi! Tried set dosa. It was a hit. Gave some batter to my friends to try and they tried and loved it and asked me for the recipe. 🙂 thanks again. Going to try more recipes and shall add my comments and experiences
swasthi says
Welcome Madhavi!
Iam glad you all liked it.
Thanks for your time to comment back here
Noelle clarke says
Hi, what exactly is dosa rice?
Is it idli rice or is it ponni boiled rice or ponni raw rice, or would standard long grained rice work
Dying to try this recipe, would appreciate the clarification
swasthi says
Hi Noelle,
dosa rice is nothing but the idli rice. This recipe works even with ponni boiled and raw rice as well. long grain rice usually works to make plain dosa, but i haven’t tried this set dosa recipe with long grain rice.
Hope this helps. love to hear how it turned out.
Connie says
thanks for a great recipe. here in toronto it took a good 36 hours for the batter to ferment but was worth the wait. thanks once again
swasthi says
Welcome Connie. Thanks for the feedback.
🙂
shalini says
Hi Swasthi,
At restaurant, they use to prepare dosa without oil & trf the dosa in a serving plate & then upon hot dosa they put a dollops of white butter & serve it.
swasthi says
Hello Shalini,
Its been years i visited a udupi restaurant in Bangalore, so i don’t remember. That sounds great, serving with fresh butter. yum this tempts me to try.But iam sure this works good with homemade butter.Thanks for sharing this.
🙂
shalini says
YUM !!! YUM !!!! YUMMY !!!!! SPONGY & VERY TASTY DOSA.
Today morning I had it on my breakfast served with white butter (benne). At restaurant in Udupi (Mangalore), set dosa served with white butter is called “Benne Dosa”.
Next time I’m going to serve this with “Gatti Chutney” (thick coconut chutney).
swasthi says
Hello Shalini,
I have made benne dosa with the crisp dosa batter, never with the set dosa batter.Thanks for sharing this tip. i will try this next time. Butter would indeed be great.Thanks for sharing this tip.
🙂
veena says
so soft and spongy dosa…