Millet Dosa

Millet dosa step-by-step recipe with photos.

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• 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.

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).

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

Batter after fermentation (step 3).

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).

Crispy and delicious millets 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.

Bonus

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

Recipe card

Click here to watch millet dosa web story.