• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Spicytamarind
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plan
  • Diets
    • Gluten-free
    • Eggless Cakes and Cookies
    • Grain-free
    • Refined Sugar-free Desserts
    • Festival Food
    • Vrat/Fasting Food
    • Vegan
  • Collection
    • Indian Pickle Recipes
    • Indian pizza recipes
    • Deepavali or Diwali recipes
    • Durga puja recipes
    • Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes and Festival Meal Plans
    • Holiday Season Baking
  • Ingredients
  • Basics
    • Spice blends
    • Homemade Rice Flour
    • Homemade Butter
    • How to make Ghee
    • How to make thick yogurt (curd or dahi) at home
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plan
  • Diets
  • Ingredients
  • Collection
  • Basics
  • Spice blends
×

Home » Breakfast & Brunch » Millet Dosa

Millet Dosa

Published: Jun 1, 2021 · by Shilpa · 4 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Millet dosa is a healthy breakfast dish made with millets. This crispy, gluten-free dosa (crepe) is diabetic-friendly and made without rice. I use foxtail millet and pearl millet along with skinned black gram to make the batter. The batter of this dosa is fermented, just like the regular dosa batter.

Millet dosa step-by-step recipe with photos.

Jump to:
  • About this recipe
  • Benefits of millets
  • Ingredients and substitutes
  • Step by step instructions
  • Useful tips
  • Storage tips
  • Bonus
  • Recipe card
  • Comments

About this recipe

Millet dosa is a healthy breakfast dish made with millets. This crispy, gluten-free healthy dosa (crepe) is diabetic-friendly and made without rice or poha. I use foxtail millet and pearl millet along with skinned black gram to make the batter. The batter of this dosa is fermented, just like the regular dosa batter.

I have earlier shared how to make finger millet dosa (ragi dosa) which is made with ragi flour and is unfermented. Here is my version of fermented millet dosa. Read on for ingredient substitutes, tips for making perfect millet dosa, and storage tips.

millet dosa

Benefits of millets

Millet is known to be one of the oldest cultivated grains that are loaded with nutrition and are rich in vitamins and minerals. There are several varieties of millets and are gaining popularity these days due to their health benefits and versatility. Millets are gluten-free so are suitable if you are allergic to gluten or following a gluten-free diet. They have a low glycemic index (GI) and hence, help in controlling blood sugar levels. Millets are rich in dietary fiber and help improve digestive health. They are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. Millets are a good source of plant-based protein that is suitable if you are a vegetarian or following a vegan diet.

In my recipe here, I have used foxtail millet and pearl millet. Foxtail millet is called kangni or kakum in Hindi, navane in Kannada, korra in Telugu, thinai in Tamil, and kang in Gujarati. Pearl millet is called bajra in Hindi, sajje in Kannada, sajjalu in Telugu, kambu in Tamil, and bajri in Gujarati.

Click here to read more about millets and their benefits.

Ingredients and substitutes

Millets: I use foxtail millet and pearl millet in this recipe. Barnyard millet, kodo millet, and little millets can also be used.

Skinned black gram: I use skinned black gram (urad dal). Whole unskinned black gram (sabut urad) can be used as well.

Fenugreek seeds: A small quantity of fenugreek seeds is used in dosa batter.

Step by step instructions

Wash and soak the millets and urad dal separately (step 1).

millet dosa step 1.

Grind them separately into a smooth batter and mix well. Let the batter sit for fermentation (step 2).

grind millet dosa batter.

Batter after fermentation (step 3).

fermnented millet dosa batter.

Add salt to the fermented batter and mix well (step 4).

Take a ladle full of batter and pour it into the center of the tawa. Using the ladle or a small bowl gently spread the batter in a circular motion (step 5).

Pour ghee or oil onto the dosa. Carefully fold the dosa once done (steps 6,7).

making millet dosa steps.

Crispy and delicious millets dosa

millet dosa

Useful tips

Soak the dal and millets in filtered water where possible. The chlorine in tap water inhibits the growth of bacteria. This is particularly important in cold regions and if you are making dosa for the first time.

Do not skip on fenugreek seeds (methi). This not only aids in the fermentation of the batter but also helps make the dosa crispy and golden.

Add little water when grinding the batter. If needed, add more water later to adjust the consistency. Keep in mind the batter should not be very runny and at the same time, it cannot be too thick. The batter consistency should be similar to the regular dosa batter or pancake batter.

Fermenting the millets dosa batter can highly depend on the season of the year due to the temperature. During summer, the batter ferments much quicker when compared to winter. The key to a perfectly fermented dosa batter is to find a warm and dark spot to place the batter.

I use foxtail millet and pearl millet in my recipe. Barnyard millet, Kodo millet, and little millet can also be used. You may also replace skinned urad dal with black urad dal but note that this will give a distinctive taste and darker colour to the dosa.

It is very important to lightly grease the tawa and then sprinkle water over it before each dosa. Don’t skip this step.

Serve millets dosa with any chutney and sambar of your choice.

Storage tips

It is best not to store the cooked dosa. Make fresh dosa just before serving. The dosa batter, however, can be stored. Portion out the amount of batter you will use immediately and place the rest of the batter in an air-tight container.

This batter stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you are storing the dosa batter in the refrigerator, make sure you bring it to room temperature before making the dosa. Also, give it a very good mix as the batter tends to separate and water content comes on top.

I have stored the batter both before adding salt and after adding salt. I have not seen much difference in the batter or taste of dosa. It can be stored either way.

millet dosa

Bonus

This dish is:
- gluten-free
- diabetic friendly
- very healthy and nutritious
- made without rice or poha

millet dosa

Recipe card

Millet Dosa

Millet dosa is a healthy breakfast dish made with millets. This crispy, gluten-free dosa (crepe) is diabetic-friendly and made without rice. I use foxtail millet and pearl millet along with skinned black gram to make the batter. The batter of this dosa is fermented, just like the regular dosa batter.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Indian, Karnataka
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Fermentation TIme 10 hrs
Total Time 11 hrs

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ cup foxtail millet (kangni)
  • 1½ cup pearl millet (bajra)
  • ¾ cup skinned black gram (urad dal)
  • ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

Making millet dosa batter

  • Place foxtail millet, pearl millet, and urad dal in separate bowls. Wash them thoroughly and drain the water
  • Add fresh water and soak them for 5-6 hours
  • Drain the water from both the millets and urad dal
  • Grind the urad dal by adding little water. Grind until it is smooth
  • Transfer to a large bowl
  • Next, grind the millets separately by adding little water as needed
  • Transfer it to the bowl along with urad dal. Mix the batter well
  • Let it sit for fermentation overnight
  • The batter is ready to be used once it is well fermented

Making millet dosa

  • Add salt to the batter and mix well
  • Take a ladle full of batter and pour it in the center of the tawa. Using the ladle or a small bowl gently spread the batter in a circular motion
  • Pour a teaspoon of oil or ghee onto the dosa
  • Cook on medium flame until brown
  • Fold the dosa as desired and remove it from tawa
  • Sprinkle some water and clean the tawa before making the next dosa
  • Repeat with rest of the batter
  • Serve hot with chutney and sambar
Nutrition Facts
Millet Dosa
Amount Per Serving
Calories 141 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 55mg2%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 1IU0%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @spicytamarind or tag #spicytamarind!

Click here to watch millet dosa web story.

« Easy Goat Curry
Kashmiri Dum Aloo »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Syamala R

    June 18, 2021 at 12:41 am

    5 stars
    Very well explained.the preparation is very healthy.the presentation with clear photo is commendable2

    Reply
    • Shilpa

      June 18, 2021 at 10:51 am

      Thank you for your kind words Syamala. Do try my other recipes too 🙂
      Regards,
      Shilpa

      Reply
  2. Jacqui

    December 20, 2021 at 6:49 am

    5 stars
    Such an incredible recipe. I enjoy all these delicious foods you share from you culture!

    Reply
  3. nancy

    December 20, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    5 stars
    looks really tasty and healthy

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Namaste. My name is Shilpa. Born and brought up in the colourful, beautiful country India, I now reside in Melbourne with my family Read More…

Malabar spinach chutney step-by-step recipe with photos. About this recipe Malabar spinach chutney is an easy and delicious chutney made with Basella alba (basale soppu). Also called 'basale soppu' chutney in Kannada, it is very popular in coastal regions of Karnataka. This delicious chutney can be served with a South Indian breakfast. It can also...

Read More

Ragi bread step-by-step recipe with photos. About this recipe Ragi bread is a healthy and delicious bread made with finger millet flour and bread flour. This millet bread slices well and is perfect for sandwiches or toast. The ragi flour not only adds a unique flavour but also adds a lovely colour to the bread....

Read More

Sprouted ragi flour step-by-step recipe with video and photos. About this recipe Ragi is a gluten-free grain that is associated with several health benefits. Finger millet has gained immense popularity over the last few years and is widely used. I use it regularly not just in traditional dishes, but also for making cookies, bread, etc....

Read More

Footer

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • About
  • Contact

COPYRIGHT © 2022 SPICYTAMARIND.COM.AU