Banana dosa | Banana pancake, gluten free
Banana dosa is a gluten free banana pancake prepared using rice and bananas. This naturally sweetened dosa is soft, airy and delicious! My 5 year old says it’s her favourite dosa! Sure is kid approved 🙂
Banana dosa is a traditional breakfast dish from my hometown of Mangaluru. This is what I always make when I have overripe bananas on hand, which is quite often 🙂
The batter is fermented which makes banana dosa super soft and airy. Dunk it in chutney or sambar and this dosa will absorb it like a sponge.
Does it taste like banana? To a certain extent yes, but I know many who do not like bananas, but like this dosa! So I recommend you definitely give this a try and let me know how you liked it! 🙂
All you need to make banana dosa is 2 ingredients, rice and bananas, well, also some salt and water. All the other ingredients in the recipe are optional. Here is a photo from when I made these banana pancakes using only rice and bananas. See how fluffy it is?!
What is a dosa?
Dosa is a South-Indian breakfast dish. Dosa can be thin like a crepe or thick like a pancake. They can be crispy or soft. There are many different kinds of dosas prepared using a variety of ingredients, commonly made using rice and split lentils.
This banana dosa is
- Vegan, when oil is used instead of ghee.
- Gluten-free
- Prepared using a naturally fermented batter.
- Naturally sweetened.
- Soft, fluffy and airy!
Ingredients needed
Rice
Any rice that isn’t very sticky will work. The following are tried and tested. Let me know if you have good results with any other variety of rice!
- In Mangaluru, a special variety of rice called dose akki/dosa rice is used.
- Idli rice.
- Sona masoorie rice.
- Regular long grain rice.
Banana
Any variety of banana will work. They should be ripe, over ripe is even better!
Fenugreek seeds/methi/menthe
Fenugreek seeds add flavour and help in fermentation. Optional.
Tapioca pearls/sabudana/sabakki
Addition of tapioca pearls helps in making the dosa extra airy. It is an optional ingredient.
Flattened rice/Poha/Avalakki
Another ingredient that helps in making the dosa extra soft and airy is flattened rice. Thin/thick poha can be used. Optional ingredient.
Can banana dosa be made without fermentation?
Banana dosa can be prepared without fermenting the batter. Dosas can be made soon after the batter is prepared. When made without fermenting the batter, the dosas will not turn out super airy, but they will still be very soft. If planning to make dosa without fermentation, 1/4 cup of fresh coconut can be added while preparing the batter.
Storing the fermented batter
Fermented dosa batter can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days . After 3-4 days it is still safe to use, but dosa starts losing it’s fluffiness and airiness.
How to serve
Serve these dosas with this coconut chutney. You can also serve it with Indian pickle, yogurt and honey/maple syrup on the side.
Also check out this cucumber dosa recipe that does not need any fermentation. So good!
Banana dosa | Banana pancake gluten free
Equipment
- Blender/Indian mixer grinder/wet grinder
Ingredients
- 200 grams rice 1 cup
- 2 big banana or 4-5 small ones, about 200-250 grams
- 25 grams tapioca pearl/sabudana/sabakki 2 tbsp, optional
- 8 grams flattened rice/poha/avalakki 2 tbsp, optional
- 5 grams fenugreek seeds/methi/menthe 1 tsp, optional
- ½ cup water add as needed
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp oil/ghee or as needed
Instructions
- Wash rice and drain.
- Add tapioca pearls, flattened rice, fenugreek seeds and give it another wash. Drain.
- Soak the above ingredients in plenty of water for 5 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, drain the water.
- Add the soaked ingredients into a blender along with chopped banana.
- Add ¼-½ cup water(or as needed) to grind the ingredients into a smooth batter. The batter should not be too watery, something similar to a thick cake batter/ regular dosa batter.NOTE: The rice should be smooth, no grits should remain.
- Transfer the batter into a container. Cover and let it rest in a warm place to ferment for 8-12 hours. NOTE: Tips to ferment batter in winter in 'notes' below.
- If not using immediately after fermentation, the batter can be refrigerated.
Preparing dosa
- Add salt to the fermented batter.
- Mix gently to incorporate the salt. Add water (only if needed) to make a batter that is pourable, not too thick, not too thin something similar to a cake batter/regular dosa batter. NOTE: Please check the video for a visual guide.
- Heat a cast iron griddle/frying pan on medium-high heat. NOTE: The pan should be hot and you should be able to see gentle fumes when you grease it. Adjust heat as needed to maintain the temperature.
- Grease the pan/griddle with oil/butter/ghee
- Pour a ladleful of the batter and spread it around slightly.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 30 seconds or until the top looks cooked and no whitish spots remain.
- Drizzle ¼-½ tsp of oil/ghee on top of the dosa.
- With a thin spatula, release the dosa from the pan.
- The dosa can be flipped to brown the top or you can choose to serve it without browning the top.
- Grease the cast iron griddle/pan lightly with oil/ghee before making the next dosa.
- Serve dosa with coconut chutney, honey, maple syrup or yogurt on the side.
Video
Notes
- I have used regular long grain rice, sona masoorie rice, idly rice, dosa rice with good results. I am unsure if this recipe will work well with a very sticky variety of rice.
- Flattened rice and tapioca pearls help in making the dosa extra fluffy and airy. They are optional. I have made this dosa plenty of times with only rice and bananas, please find the picture in post.
- As long as the batter is not too thick or too thin, it will work just fine.
- How fluffy and airy the dosa is, depends on the fermentation.
- After fermentation, it is normal for the top of the batter to look brownish, due to the oxidation of bananas.
- It is important to cook dosa covered, to avoid any whitish streaks that may otherwise remain.
- Use oil instead of ghee to make the dosas vegan.
- Preheat the oven for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Turn the oven off and place the batter in. You can choose to turn on the oven light.
- Ferment the batter in an instant pot, Yogurt mode on low.
- Add a spoonful of fermented idly/dosa batter from a previous batch.
- Add half-one teaspoon of sourdough starter/discard to boost fermentation.
Did you try this recipe?
Do leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you liked it! I would love to see the photos too! Tag me on social media!
Thank you so much for stopping by! It really means a lot to me!
First time fermenting banana dosa batter and I loved how it turned out!! It got this beautiful golden brown color. I had some difficulty removing dosa from pan probably because heat was high.
Overall keeper recipe when I have left over bananas. Thanks Shweta!!
Thank you for trying it out Pavana and for the feedback as well! You are right about the heat and more bananas can also make it stick. I hope it turns out fine next time! Thank you!
Definitely a kids favorite! My kiddos love this dosa 😋
Mine too! 🙂
Excellent Recipe. Looks delicious, would love to try it
Thank you Brenda! Do let me know how you liked it!