Barley dosa/ Healthy Indian barley crepe
Have a pack of Barley and don’t know what to do with it? Make Barley dosa! You can make crispy dosas using only urad dal and barley, without the addition of any rice!
Dose also known as dosai, dosha, dosa is a quintessential breakfast dish in the south of India. I have grown up eating dosa for breakfast and as an after school snack. My brother and I would come back from school to a stack of dosas waiting for us. We would freshen up, sit down and feast on them, dipping them in sambar left over from the day’s lunch or a scoop of palya(stir fried veggies). We had a ‘very healthy’ appetite growing up, my brother and I, and the stack would soon disappear.
Dosa is usually made with rice as the grain. I love dosa made with rice. Let’s accept it, rice is tasty. It is also the staple grain in the Mangalore region, so all three meals of the day usually includes rice in some form.
While I love rice, I think including other grains in our diet is a smart idea. It’s a no-brainer actually. Eating a variety of food means a variety of nutrients. So lately, I have started preparing traditional doses from Mangaluru using various grains like millets, quinoa, barley.
Dose is a very versatile dish and rice can easily be substituted with other grains to enrich the variety of grains in our diet.
Nutrients in Barley dosa
Barley has a low glycemic index(GI) which means it is digested, absorbed slowly and causes a slower rise in blood glucose levels. It is also high in fiber. Barley also has 12g of protein in 100g as opposed to rice which has only close to 3g of protein. It is also a good source of potassium and magnesium.
This barley dosa recipe does not need any rice. I have made them using Barley and lentils(urad dal). Barley does have it’s own smell and flavor. I recommend spreading the dosa thin so that it turns out crispy and pairs well with your sides. Enjoy it with chutney, sambar or any dip of your choice!
What’s special about Barley dosa?
- Whole food plant based
- Vegan, vegetarian
- Helps in increasing the variety of grains in your diet.
- Fermented hence has the goodness of probiotics. Gut healthy food.
- Crispy, even without rice.
FAQ s
What is a dosa?
Dosa is a breakfast dish from s the southern states of India, prepared using a batter made by soaking and blending rice and lentils. They can be prepared thick like pancakes or thin like crepes.
What are the common ingredients in dosa?
A dosa can be made with 100% grains(usually not fermented), a mix of grains and lentils(usually fermented), a mix of grains and vegetables
Should you cover the dosa while cooking?
I do. I would say definitely cover the dosa that’s made with batter that has NOT been fermented, the texture turns out better upon closing. With a fermented batter, I haven’t seen a huge difference.
Why is my dosa is not crispy?
Crispy dosa depends on various factors including ingredients how well the batter has fermented. If it is well fermented but still not crispy, try adding a little semolina or the finest upma rava you have.
How to ferment dosa batter in cooler temperatures?
Turn on the oven to preheat. Set a timer for 1 ½ minutes. Once the timer goes off, turn off the oven and put your batter in.
Turn on the light of your oven to maintain a warm temperature.
You can also use your instant pot to ferment dosa batter. I do a PIP in Yogurt mode.
Make the batter one day ahead as it may need more than 8 hours to ferment in colder climates.
Barley dosa/Indian barley crepe
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Barley
- 1/2 cup Urad dal (split black lentil) uddina bele
- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds methi/menthe
- Ghee/oil for greasing the griddle and spreading on dosas
- salt to taste
- water as needed
Instructions
- Wash barley, urad dal and fenugreek. Soak them in water for at least 6 hours.
- Once it is well soaked, grind the ingredients into a smooth paste, adding just enough water to make a fluffy batter. The batter should not be thin.
- Remove, transfer the batter to a bigger bowl. The batter may rise during fermentation so give it a big enough bowl. If you are new to making dosas, place a plate under the bowl to collect any batter that may flow over.
- Now place the batter in a warm spot to ferment. The fermentation may take 8-16 hours depending on where you live.
- The batter is fermented when it smells slightly sour, ideally it should have risen as well.
- Add salt and water as needed. The batter should be pourable consistency, similar to a pancake batter/regular dosa batter.
- Heat a griddle/tava on medium-high heat and grease it with ghee or oil. Cast iron griddle is always ideal to make doses.
- When griddle heats up, pour a ladleful of batter right in the middle and spread it by moving your ladle in circular motion. Make a thin dosa.
- Cover and cook. After 30 seconds remove the lid, spread oil or ghee on the dosa and continue cooking until done and it feels crispy.
- As the dosa is spread thin, there is no need to flip the dosa and cook further. Using a thin spatula, gently peel the dosa off the griddle.
- After each dosa, grease the griddle/tava with ghee/oil.
Notes
- Spread the dosa thin, for the best taste.
- Barley dosa can be served with a chutney like this Mangalore style coconut chutney
- Maintain the temperature of griddle/tava. The tava should be very hot when you pour and spread the batter. The heat can then be reduced as needed.
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Thank you so much for stopping by! It really means a lot to me!
Healthy dosas.. Definitely going to try it out soon!
Awesome!
Excellent replacement for rice 👌 I love making this Karu kuru dose 😄
True!
Nice variation to the traditional dose!
Thank you!