Rava dosa or Indian Crepe from South India

Rava dosa or Indian Crepe from South India

D for Dosa-BlogchtterA2Z2023. Rava dosa is the Indian crepe of South India, and it is a cousin of the popular Dosa. In the south, we call it, Ravvattu. It is easier to make than the regular dosa and is available at restaurants only in the evening. My love affair with Rava dosa goes back to my childhood. I have vivid memories of going out on Sunday evenings with my uncle, siblings, and cousins. All the others would invariably order masala dosa or plain dosa while I would stick to Rava dosa. Even now, given a choice, I would opt for only Rava dosa or Indian Crepe from South India, but then I need to seek company to go to a restaurant in the evening and have it.

No worries, as I have mastered it at home and I can now relish it at any time of the day. For example, I had it for breakfast and even for dinner a while ago. One look at that golden griddle-roasted delicacy will have you drooling. Hot, crispy at the edges, with a soft centre, slightly piquant and delicious all by its beautiful self. I just couldn’t resist this scrumptious, delicious, ambrosial, mouth-watering, soft, delectable and appetizing Ravva Dosa. (I ran out of adjectives!)

What is Rava Dosa made of?

Semolina or Rava, rice flour and a little regular flour. The other Dosas date back to ancient times, but they concocted Ravva dosa only during the Second World War. There was rationing of rice and not easily available in southern India. It was during this time that many recipes that traditionally used rice were changing by adding semolina to replace the rice. Items like uttapams and Rava idlis were also made with semolina, and many restaurants even now carry these alternatives on their menu.

We make a batter of semolina, rice flour and water along with cumin seeds, salt, diced onions, grated carrot, cashew nuts, chopped cilantro and green chillies. The mixed ingredients are then poured thinly onto a heated, lightly oiled griddle using a ladle in a circular motion. We drizzle. oil or ghee around the dosa and let it cook for about two minutes, after which it is ready to be served with chutney or sambar.

Recipe for Rava dosa or Indian Crepe from South India

INGREDIENTS

½ cup unroasted rava/sooji/semolina)

½ cup rice flour

2 tbsp flour/maida

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

Roasted cashew nuts (optional)

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 cups buttermilk or as required

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Roasted ca

Salt to taste

Oil or ghee for roasting the dosa

METHOD:

Mix the rava, rice flour, all-purpose flour, green chillies, cumin seeds, onion, coriander leaves, and salt in a bowl.

Buttermilk – whisk 3 to 4 tbsp of yoghurt in 2 cups of water

Add the buttermilk and make a thin batter with no lumps. The batter should not be thick or of medium consistency, it has to be watery. Keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat the griddle or non-stick pan. Smear a little oil with an onion half or a napkin all over the griddle.

Dunk a ladle into the batter and pour the batter from the edges of the griddle towards the centre. It is ok if the dosa is not a perfect round as the batter is very thin. It should form a mesh with holes all over it.

Drizzle 1 tsp of oil into all the holes in the dosa and around the edges.

Once the edges begin to rise and the dosa becomes golden and crisp, fold and remove the dosa onto a plate.

This Rava dosa is best served with coconut chutney and sambar, but you can serve it with any chutney of your choice and I never need sambar to go with it. Serve Rava dosa or Indian Crepe of South India immediately or else it gets soggy.

The recipe for  Coconut Chutney is here.

The Rava and the flours settle at the bottom after some time. So keep stirring the batter every time you make the dosa. In case the batter becomes thick after making a few dosas, then add some water and stir again.

The humble yet versatile dosa has made its way into the haloed Oxford dictionary but then such an amazingly satisfying and healthy meal that satiates the tummy deserves a mention in the world culinary vocabulary.