This Neer Dosa recipe produces a thin and fluffy breakfast, lacy and light. Also called neer dose, these incredibly soft and delectable Indian crepes are created with only three simple ingredients: rice, water, and salt. Additionally, they are naturally gluten-free and vegan, making them the ideal brunch menu item.
What Is Neer Dosa?
Neer dosa is a famous dosa variety from Karnataka, India. “Neer” means “water” in Tulu, and hence this meal is referred to as “water dosa.” They are called so because the batter is relatively thin and watery, in contrast to the often used thick dosa batter.
These lacy dosas match well with coconut chutney for a delectable breakfast, or they may be put in your tiffin box as a tasty addition to your packed lunch. Due to their lightness, you may easily consume 5 to 6 of them in one sitting, so plan accordingly while preparing the batter.
Neer dosas are simple to cook since they do not need fermentation. Simply soak the rice for around 4 to 5 hours and then crush it. If you want to have the neer dosa immediately, you must soak the rice overnight.
Rice flour needs to soak in water for 30 minutes before creating the batter. If you’re in a hurry, you may simply substitute rice flour to shorten the soaking time. Once the batter is prepared, you may begin making the crepes and serve them immediately.
Apart from coconut chutney, neer dosa goes well with vegetable sagu, vegetable kurma, or potato kurma. This dosa is often served with coconut milk or milk sweetened with jaggery for children.
Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Neer Dosa
These simple, lacy rice crepes are surprisingly simple to prepare.
A thin batter is necessary for obtaining the ideal neer dosa.
The batter should have a watery, thin, and flowing consistency. The batter should be light and airy. If the batter has a pouring consistency, the sought small holes, and lacy look of neer dosage will be achieved. If the batter is quite thick to pour easily, add more water to thin it down.
A thick batter will result in fractures in the neer dosa; ensure that the batter is pourable and thin.
If the batter gets too thin, the dosas will collapse and shatter during the lifting process. In this scenario, add some rice flour to the batter to slightly thicken it.
Cooking these delicate crepes to perfection
As with pancakes, you must thoroughly heat the skillet or tawa before pouring the batter. Stir the batter vigorously with the ladle before creating each neer dosage since it has a tendency to settle over time.
If using a cast iron tawa or skillet, it should be well-seasoned. The batter of dosa will adhere to the pan without properly seasoning the cast iron skillet. Additionally, you might use a nonstick pan.
Variations of Neer Dosa
Coconut is optional, but it imparts a delightful taste and texture. While grinding the batter, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh shredded coconut. Additionally, you may add 1–2 teaspoons of unsweetened desiccated coconut.
Neer dose may be made using Indian rice types such as sona masuri, surti kolam, ponni, or partial rice. Additionally, basmati rice will work.
Ingredients For Neer Dosa
- 200 grams – 1 cup rice (sona masuri, parmal rice, surti kolam)
- water as needed for soaking rice
- ¼ to ⅓ cup water to mix or blend
- 1.5 to 2 cups water to be included later
- salt as needed
- oil as needed
Making Neer Dosa
Prepare a Rice Batter
1. Soak 1 cup of rice in enough water to cover it for 4 to 5 hours overnight. Soak overnight and grind or mix the next day.
2. Drain the soaked rice and put it in a strong blender or mixer-grinder along with the grains.
3. Add enough water to crush the rice – about ¼ to ⅓ cups. If you include excessively much water, the rice will not ground well.
4. Grind or mix the batter until smooth, and then pour it into a separate basin or pan. The batter should be free of coarse rice particles. If the mixer-grinder gets too hot, wait a few minutes before grinding again.
5. Add more water until the mixture has a thin, flowing, watery consistency similar to milk. The amount of water to add is determined by the quality and kind of rice; adjust appropriately. You may now add between 1.5 and 2 cups of water. I substituted 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.
6. Season with salt to taste and combine well.
Prepare Neer Dosa
7. Drizzle 12 teaspoon oil with a high smoke point into a cast iron skillet, tawa, or nonstick pan.
TIP: Before adding the oil to a cast-iron skillet, drop a little water in the pan to check the temperature. The pan is ready to produce dosas when the water droplets sizzle and disappear. This approach should not be used on a nonstick pan since adding water to a heated nonstick pan can harm the coating.
8. Using a spoon, a tiny piece of cotton dish towel, or a split onion, spread the oil evenly.
9. Using a ladle, stir the batter in the basin.
10. Then, just like you would with Rava dosa, pour the batter from the outside to the inside of the pan. Additionally, you may distribute the batter by tilting and turning the pan.
Distribute the batter using the back of the ladle instead of the spoon as we do with conventional dosa.
11. Using more dosa batter, fill up any significant holes.
12. Cover the pan with a cover and cook the neer dosa till done. Do not brown it.
13. The dosa is finished when the batter has firmed up and seems to be fried. Additionally, the pan’s edges or sides will split from the pan.
Never flip these rice crepes. Only the base must be thoroughly cooked.
If desired, sprinkle some oil over the top of the neer dosa.
14. On the tawa or skillet, fold the formed neer dosa into a triangle.
15. Then transfer the dosa to a platter. Make the remaining neer dosas in the same manner and arrange them individually – without touching – on a platter.
Once cold, store in a casserole or an airtight container/Dabba.
16. Garnish neer dosa with coconut chutney, potato sagu, or vegetable kurma. Neer dosas will retain their delicate texture even after cooling, so you may also serve them later.
Because they retain their softness, they are an excellent alternative for packing in a tiffin-box or lunch-box.
Suggestions for Storage
After the dosas are cooked, avoid stacking them while they are still hot, as they will stay together. Stack them only when they have cooled completely. Alternatively, you may sandwich them between parchment sheets.
The batter can stay in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. We do not suggest keeping it for more than two days since the batter may develop sour or rancid. It must be stored in an airtight container.
If the batter has thickened somewhat after chilling, add a dash of water to slightly thin the consistency.
Suggestions for Serving
Compared to traditional dosas cooked with urad dal, these neer dosas are very light. Therefore, if serving as a main course, I recommend pairing this with a hearty gravy. Paneer ghee roast, vegetable sagu, korma, stew, and tiffin sambar all complement this neer dosa very nicely.
Additionally, these dosas pair well with spicy chutneys such as tomato chutney, onion tomato chutney, veggie chutney, and coconut chutney. It’s an excellent breakfast choice.
Because neer dosa retains its soft texture even after cooling, you may carry it in a lunch box as well.
FAQs About Neer Dosa
The neer dosage will fracture or shatter if the batter gets too thin or thick. The batter progressively thickens when used to make the first few dosas. As a result, you’ll need to add a dash of water to thin it down somewhat. On the other hand, if you prepare a very thin batter, the neer dosa would break as well.
The batter’s consistency should have been between medium and thick. Simply add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it up, fully whisk the batter, and retry.
If the tawa grows too hot, obtaining the lacy look becomes more difficult. If you use a cast iron tawa, splashing some water on the surface reduces the temperature.
Never flip these rice crepes. Even after cooling, neer dosas would retain their delicate texture.
Neer dosa should be served warm with coconut chutney, potato sagu, or vegetable kurma. Neer dosas will retain their delicate texture even after cooling, so you may
Conclusion
Neer Dosa is one of the most popular and loved dishes pan-India. We hope you enjoy making this dish with our comprehensive recipe. For more information about popular recipes, keep reading Seema.
