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As I’ve mentioned before, Indian cuisine is one of my absolute favorites—I love the variety of spices and sauces. I also enjoy making a dish from South India: Indian crepes known as dosa or dosai. They are usually made from fermented lentil and rice batter and served with various fillings. My favorites are potato with green peas, lentils, or raw vegetables.
This time, I wanted to make a pink dosa. To be honest, it didn’t work out perfectly at first. I kept adjusting and learning from my mistakes until I achieved a bright, beautiful pink batter. I love experimenting in the kitchen, and it makes me so happy when my creations come to life. I truly hope you’ll enjoy this vibrant recipe as much as I do!
Ingredients
- Urad Dal (split black lentils) – This has a mild, nutty flavor and a creamy texture when cooked. It’s packed with protein, fiber, and essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, and calcium.
- Matar dal (split peas) – Matar dal is a nutrient-rich ingredient with a slightly sweet, earthy flavor and a hearty texture when cooked. It’s high in protein and fiber and provides essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins.
- Fenugreek seeds – These are small, golden-brown seeds with a bittersweet flavor and maple-like aroma. They enhance curries, spice blends, and pickles while providing fiber, protein, and nutrients like iron and magnesium. Known for supporting digestion and balancing blood sugar, they’re a flavorful and nutritious addition to plant-based cooking.
- Sona Masoori rice – An aromatic rice that’s perfect for dosa. It creates a smooth batter for crispy yet soft dosas and aids fermentation for a tangy flavor. Naturally gluten-free and easy to digest, it provides energy-rich carbohydrates while supporting a light and wholesome meal.
- Cooked beetroot – Adds a vibrant pink hue to dishes and enhances their nutritional value. Rich in essential nutrients like folate, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, and iron, beetroot supports overall health. Its natural sweetness subtly elevates flavor, making meals more appealing, especially to children. Incorporating beetroot creatively increases vegetable intake, promoting better health outcomes.
How to make RECIPE
- Wash and soak the rice in one bowl. In a separate bowl, wash and soak the urad dal, matar dal, and fenugreek seeds together. This method ensures each ingredient achieves the optimal texture for grinding and fermentation.
- Blend the urad dal, matar dal, and fenugreek seeds with water until smooth. Separately, blend the rice with water to a slightly coarse consistency. This method ensures each component achieves the ideal texture for fermentation and results in dosas with the desired crispness and flavor.
- Combine the dal batter with the rice batter, mix thoroughly, cover, and let it ferment in a warm place for at least 8 hours. In cooler climates, fermentation may require longer hours.
- Once the batter has fermented, add beetroot puree (prepared by blending cooked beetroot with water) and salt. Mix thoroughly until the batter achieves a uniform pink color.
- Cook the dosa by pouring a ladle of batter onto the pan, spreading it evenly, and cook on both sides until crisp.
- Pour a ladleful of batter onto a hot pan, spread it evenly, and cook until the edges lift and the underside is golden and crisp. Optionally, flip to cook the other side briefly.
- Fill your dosa with your favorite fillings. I love having it with a potato filling or lentil curry.
What makes this dosa recipe healthy?
- High Protein Content: Dosa is hight in protein, with 5 grams per serving, supporting muscle repair and growth, essential for plant-based diets.
- Good Source of Fiber: Contains 3 grams of dietary fiber, which promotes healthy digestion, prevents constipation, and keeps you feeling full for longer.
- Sustained Energy: The combination of Sona Masoori rice and lentils delivers complex carbohydrates and protein for long-lasting energy without blood sugar spikes.
- Supports Heart Health: Low in fat and sodium, while providing nutrients like potassium and antioxidants that help improve blood flow and reduce inflammation.
- Iron-Rich: With 6% of the daily recommended iron intake per serving, it helps boost oxygen transport in the body, improving energy levels.
- Low in Calories and Fat: At just 129 calories and 0.3 grams of fat per serving, it’s a nutrient-dense, low-fat option for maintaining a healthy weight.
- Anti-Inflammatory Benefits: Contains fenugreek seeds and beetroot, which provide anti-inflammatory properties, reducing oxidative stress and promoting overall wellness.
- Blood Sugar Regulation: Ingredients like fenugreek seeds and fiber help in managing blood sugar levels, making it a diabetic-friendly choice.
- Rich in Antioxidants: Beetroot adds antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that combat free radicals, reducing cellular damage.
- Nutrient Boost: Provides small but essential amounts of calcium, potassium, and Vitamin C to support bones, immunity, and overall health.
Substitutions and variations of this recipe
If urad dal is unavailable for dosa preparation, suitable substitutes include moong dal (green gram), chana dal (split chickpeas), red lentils (masoor dal). Each alternative offers a unique flavor and texture.
Matar dal can also be substituted with moong dal, chana dal, or red lentils.
Suitable substitutes for fenugreek can be toasted yellow mustard seeds, which offer a similar nutty flavor; celery seeds, providing a comparable bitterness; and fennel seeds, imparting a sweet, licorice-like taste.
Instead of Sona Masoori rice you can use idli rice, Ponni Rice or Basmati Rice.
Instead of cooked beetroot, you can use beetroot powder or dragon fruit powder to achieve a pink hue in your dosa batter; however, the results may vary in color intensity and flavor.
Equipment
- glass mixing bowl or ceramic bowl
Ingredients
Dosa Batter
- 100 g urad dal
- 30 g matar dal, split yellow pigeon pea
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 230 ml water, for blending
Rice
- 300 g sona masoori rice
- 150 ml water, for blending
Beet Puree
- 90 g beetroot , cooked
- 80 ml water, to blend beets into puree
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the urad dal, matar dal, and fenugreek seeds. Wash thoroughly a few times and soak in a bowl for 4 hours.
- Separately, wash the sona masoori rice and soak it in water for 4 hours.
- Drain the water from the dal mixture, add 230 ml of filtered water, and blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer the batter to a large glass mixing bowl (or ceramic bowl).
- Drain the rice, add 150 ml of clean water, and blend it into a slightly coarse batter.
- Pour the rice batter into the same glass bowl as the dal batter. Mix well, cover, and leave to ferment in a warm place for about 8 hours (or longer in colder conditions).
- Once fermented, add the beetroot puree (blend cooked beetroot with water) and salt to the batter. Mix thoroughly until the batter is evenly pink.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour a ladle of batter onto the pan, spread it evenly, and cook on both sides until crisp.
- Fill your dosa with your favorite fillings. I love having it with a potato filling or lentil curry.