Neer dosa recipe with helpful tips

Made with only rice, water and salt, Neer dosa(or dosay) is a super soft and lacey rice crepe from Mangaluru Udupi region of Karnataka.

Neer dosa literally translates to water dosa. While it sure is a funny name for a dosa, it is justified as water IS the first ingredient in neer dosa recipe. The rice batter is SO thin, there’s more water in it, than there is rice! It’s crazy though, how good something with only rice, salt and water can taste! Super soft and ever so slightly chewy with some crunchy bites in between, no wonder it is the most popular dosa in Mangalore.

Unlike regular dosas, neer dosa batter does not require any fermentation. It also remains soft for hours!

There is no one right way to prepare neer dose. Some like it super soft, some like it crispy, others like it soft along with some crispy bites. Some use coconut in the batter while others don’t. Be sure to read the tips and troubleshooting sections below if you are new to making this dosa.

Memories from childhood are still fresh, grandma sitting next to her wood burning stove, us kids sitting cross legged nearby waiting for piping hot dosas to land on our plate. They would go down pretty quick paired with freshly grated coconut mixed with jaggery.

Ingredients

Rice

The variety of rice definitely matters here. Sona masoorie rice, dosa rice, regular long grain rice, basmati rice work well in neer dosa.

Water

Amount of water is crucial in neer dosa recipe. The right amount of water will make the dosa super soft!

Many shy away from preparing neer dosa thinking it is hard to prepare. It is definitely not hard but it does need some practice. The following tips and troubleshooting techniques will definitely help you feel more confident.

Helpful Tips

• Blend rice into a smooth paste, no grits should remain when you feel the batter between your thumb and index fingers.
• Water! Amount of water in the batter is very important. The batter should be very thin, like milk. The recipe card mentions the amount of water needed, but depending on variety/batch of rice, water needed may vary by 1/4th cup. So be sure to read the Troubleshooting section below.
• Use a cast iron griddle/tava for the best results. The griddle should receive heat on it’s sides too, so 8-9 inch griddles work the best.
• Pan should be hot and lightly fuming before pouring the batter, when batter touches hot tava it creates a lacey soft texture with many holes.
• Remember to cover the dosa with a lid when cooking.
• Depending on the variety of rice and even the batch of rice, texture of the dosa can differ.
• These dosas can stick to each other. Fold dosa so that the side with oil/ghee faces out to prevent sticking.

IMPORTANCE OF NEERU(WATER) IN THIS RECIPE

• Too little water will make the dosa crack and not as soft as it can be.
• Too much water will make the dosa mushy and stick to the griddle.

Troubleshooting

Why does neer dosa crack? Why white streaks/spots remain on the dosa even after cooking?

This can happen due to the following reasons.
1. Griddle/tava is not hot enough.
2. Batter needs some more water.
3. Dosa wasn’t cooked covered.
4. Batter wasn’t ground smooth enough.

Why is my neer dosa sticking to the tava?

This can happen due to the following reasons.
1. Griddle/tava is not hot enough.
2. Too much water in the batter, rice flour can be added to the batter to fix it.
3. Cast iron tava/griddle is not well seasoned.
4. Griddle is too hot and bottom of dosa is burning quickly.

Serving suggestions

Serve neer dose hot with coconut chutney, especially this kempu(red) chutney. Neer dosa will remain soft even after the dosa cools down. Here are some curries that pair well with it.

Young jackfruit curry – Gujje ghasi

Malabar spinach curry – basale sambar

Ivy gourd curry – huli menasina kodilu

Freshly grated coconut mixed with jaggery is also a popular combination with neer dosa. Another sweet side that’s sometimes served with this dosay is rasayana(mangoes/bananas in freshly squeezed coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery). Check out these other dosa recipes on the blog!

I love neer dosa so much that I can eat it plain, smeared with ghee or coconut oil on top! The texture and aroma of this dosa is unmatched! I hope you find this recipe and the tips and troubleshooting guide useful! If you have any further questions or doubts, feel free to drop a comment!

Neer dosa recipe

Shwetha

The popular soft lacey dosa from Mangalore Udupi region!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Soak Time 4 hours hrs

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Havyaka, Indian, mangalore

Servings 10 dosas

Equipment

• Cast Iron tava/griddle and a lid for the griddle.
• Powerful blender/Indian mixer grinder/Indian wet grinder
• Measuring cups. 1 cup – 240ml

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup rice sona masoorie, long grain, basmati
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 cups water to be used divided
• ¼ cup water reserve
• 3 tsp coconut oil or ghee(not vegan)

Instructions

 

• Wash rice a few times, changing water in between.
• Soak rice in plenty of water for at-least 4 hours or overnight.
• Drain water and add soaked rice into a blender jar along with ½ cup of water.

  NOTE: Optionally, ¼ cup fresh grated coconut can also be added.
• Blend rice into a very smooth non-gritty batter. When you take some batter in between thumb and index fingers, the batter should be smooth.
• Take the batter out into a bigger container. Add salt and 1½ cups of water. Mix well. The batter will be very watery.

  NOTE: Reserve the ¼ cup of water mentioned in the recipe, use only if needed after making first dosa.

Make 1-2 trial dosas to adjust the heat and batter consistency

• Heat a cast iron tava/griddle on medium heat. Make sure the sides are getting heated too. 8-9 inch griddles work best for neer dosa.
• When griddle is hot and you can see gentle fumes rising, grease the griddle with oil/ghee. Splash the batter around the griddle. Cover the pan with a lid.
• After 30 seconds, remove the lid. If white streaks remain on the dosa or if dosa looks brittle/broken you may need to add 1/4 cup more water. It may also be due to griddle not being hot enough

Make rest of the neer dosa

• Grease the pan with oil/ghee before making each dosa.
• Mix the batter well, before each dosa, as the rice tends to settle at the bottom.
• Splash a ladleful(about 1/2 cup) of batter all around the griddle OR pour and quickly swirl the griddle to make the batter spread all around the griddle.

  NOTE: Please refer the video below for a visual guide.
  
• Cover the dosa with a lid and cook for 30 seconds.
• Spread coconut oil/ghee on top of the dosa.
• With a thin spatula, release dosa from the griddle and transfer to a plate.

  Tip: After transfering to a plate, fold the dosa so that the side with oil/ghee faces out. This will help prevent dosas from sticking to each other.
  
• Serve dosa warm with coconut chutney.

Video

Notes

• If new to making neer dosa, please check the tips and troubleshooting sections! 
• Sona masoorie rice, long grain rice, basmati work well for neer dosa. Jasmine rice and sushi rice may not work well.
• Key to perfect neer dosa is the right amount of water in the batter. The amount of water mentioned in the recipe has been tested for sona masoorie, long grain rice and basmati rice. Depending on variety/batch of rice, the water needed may differ by 1/4 cup.
• Store leftover batter in the refrigerator for up to a week. Rice settles to the bottom when stored, so remove from refrigerator half an hour before making the dosas to make re-mixing easy. 
• Leftover dosa can be reheated on the tava. 

Keyword neer dosa