Instant Gluten Free Masala Dosa - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (2024)

Published: Nov 6, 2017 · Modified: Apr 26, 2022 by Vaishali · This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

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Total time: 15 minutes minutes

This Instant Gluten-Free Masala Dosa is the easiest recipe for a dosa novice to follow, and even if you're a seasoned dosa maker, it provides a great, quick alternative for a healthy breakfast or meal when you don't have a pot of fermented batter sitting around. Gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and vegan recipe.

Instant Gluten Free Masala Dosa - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (1)

This is one of our favorite weekend morning breakfasts or quick lunches. Desi loves it because a dosa is comfort food for any south Indian. Jay loves it because it's a crispy crepe encasing a delicious potato and peas stuffing. And I love it because it's all of the above, and one of the easiest and quickest meals in my repertoire.

Do I even need to say it's super healthy?

Instant Gluten Free Masala Dosa - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (2)

I already have a quick masala dosa recipe on the blog, based on a recipe by Jamie Oliver. While that's a really tasty dosa too, and certainly quick, it contains whole wheat, and I wanted to try a gluten-free version for sometimes.

The dosa recipe itself couldn't be simpler. All you need are three ingredients: chickpea flour or besan, rice flour (brown rice flour is great), and baking soda. And salt and water. You can go from scratch to dosas in less than 10 minutes.

The stuffing of potatoes and peas is a basic Indian curry recipe that can go into anything from a samosa to a potato vada, and the reason it's used so often is because it's mind blowingly tasty. It's also really easy to make. I boil the potatoes in the microwave which takes around 10 minutes, and after that it takes no more than five minutes to actually cook this curry using some simple spices.

When you have the time, it's always great to make and eat the coconutchutney because of the added probiotic health benefits it offers. But at a pinch, this instant dosa is nothing less than a lifesaver.

Instant Gluten Free Masala Dosa - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (3)

More dosa recipes:

South Indian Dosa
Banana Dosa
Cauliflower Makhani Dosa Crepes
Watermelon Rind Dosa
Brown Rice Dosa

Instant Gluten-Free Masala Dosa

5 from 15 votes

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Course: Breakfast/Brunch

Cuisine: Indian, nut-free, Soy-free

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 10 dosas

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Ingredients

For the dosa crepes:

▢ 1 cup chickpea flour or besan
▢ 1 cup brown rice or white rice flour
▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
▢ Salt to taste

For the potato curry stuffing:

▢ 1 teaspoon vegetable oil like coconut or peanut
▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
▢ 1 teaspoon grated ginger
▢ 1 small onion, minced
▢ 2 green chilies like serrano or jalapeno. Deseed for less heat. Minced.
▢ 1 sprig (about 10 leaves) curry leaves
▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
▢ 5 medium potatoes, any kind are fine, boiled and then peeled and cubed
▢ ½ cup frozen green peas
▢ Juice of 1 lemon
▢ Salt to taste

Instructions

Make the potato curry stuffing:

Heat the oil and add cumin seeds. When they start to darken, add the onion, ginger, green chilies and curry leaves. Saute a couple of minutes until the onion softens.
Add the turmeric and stir well. Add the potatoes and green peas and mix well. Saute for about five minutes, then squeeze in the lemon juice, add salt to taste, and turn off heat. Set aside.

Make the dosas:

Make the dosas right before serving. Place all ingredients for dosa in a bowl and add approximately 1 ½ cups of water or more if needed to make a batter that's like a crepe batter, ie. slightly runnier than a regular pancake batter.
Heat a nonstick or cast-iron griddle. When the griddle is screaming hot, use a ladle with a rounded bottom to pour about ⅓ cup of batter on the griddle. Using the bottom of the ladle, spread the batter in a spiral motion, moving outward. Do this quickly before the batter begins to set on the griddle. Spray the sides of the dosa with cooking spray or oil.
When the bottom turns light gold-brown, flip the dosa over. Cook another 30 seconds and remove to a plate. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the dosa and fold over before serving with a green chutney*.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Gluten-Free Masala Dosa

Serving Size

1 dosa with stuffing

Amount per Serving

Calories

201

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

About Vaishali

Hi! I'm Vaishali, a journalist turned food blogger. At Holy Cow Vegan I share easy, tasty recipes made with clean, wholesome ingredients that the entire family can enjoy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a comment:

Maggie
July 03, 2023 at 9:35 pm

These dosas were so simple and delicious! Thank you so much for the great recipe. I’m going to add it to my regular rotation. <3
Reply
Lori
May 21, 2020 at 5:25 pm
In your recipe, you did not mention greasing the pan. If I use a cast iron pan (not necessarily griddle) or a steel pan, I assume I need to put oil on it before adding batter, the way one would do to sauté vegetables or to make American pancakes?
Reply
- Vaishali
  May 21, 2020 at 7:08 pm
  No, never grease the pan BEFORE you make a dosa because it will make spreading the dosa out much harder--the oil will make it difficult. The only time you should add oil is after you've got the dosa on the griddle, then drizzle some along the edges.
  Reply
rebekah
September 04, 2019 at 11:55 am
Can these dosas be made ahead of time and frozen with wax paper in-between? I am looking to do batch cooking for the week and thought this might be fun to have on hand.
Reply
- Maddi Pham
  November 01, 2021 at 10:29 pm
  
  No Rebekah we don't freeze Dosas, you can refrigerate the dough though
  Reply
Sonia
December 04, 2018 at 6:20 pm
Hi there, can you substitute the brown rice flour with another flour because I can't have any type of rice.
Reply
Vikki Cook
October 23, 2018 at 5:49 am
Can you keep the dosa crepes in tupperware or something for a few days after you've made them? It would only be me eating them and I only eat small portions at a time!
Reply
- Vaishali
  October 23, 2018 at 10:22 am
  Hi Vikki, you can keep the batter in the refrigerator and make a couple of dosas when you want to eat them. I would rather not recommend storing dosas after you make them because the texture will change as they get cold.
  Reply
- Roxair Kenee
  March 08, 2023 at 6:58 am
  Oh my
  Gosh I am
  So excited to try! I have a rice allergy tho.. what would
  You suggest to sub for rice flour 🥰
  Reply
Megan
April 21, 2018 at 2:05 am
Sorry, I'm a purist. No besan in my dosa flour! (Or baking soda). It does look like a decent alternative for people without the old fashioned Iyer cement mixer (or tons of time) in their kitchen!
Reply
Vidya
April 19, 2018 at 2:46 pm
Hi Vaishali
I was not able to spread the dosas like regular Dosa but only pour them like Rava Dosa. Not sure why. They tasted good though.
Reply
Krithika
November 10, 2017 at 4:49 pm
This will make a nice change from rava dosas: which is what I make when I don't have patience to wait for fermentation. Quick question, can I store leftover batter in the fridge? I'm not sure if it has to be used immediately because of the soda.
Reply
- Vaishali
  November 10, 2017 at 4:51 pm
  Yes, this is best used rightaway. Although I have kept it for a few hours in the refrigerator, but the dosas made rightaway taste better.
  Reply
Gabriel Cobielles
November 06, 2017 at 4:25 pm

Dear Vaishali,
Woderful!!! for some time I've been waiting for this easy-to-make dosa recipe. Very useful for people like me (I live in Mexico) who don't have access to many indian ingredients like black gram and other special legumes, and much less know how to ferment.
By the way. would you happen to have an easy-to-make idli recipe too?
Congrats and thanks for sharing!
Gabriel
43y/o mexican from Guanajuato
Reply
- Vaishali
  November 10, 2017 at 4:53 pm
  Hi Gabriel, hope you try it! And I do have a quick idli recipe on my blog here: https://holycowvegan.net/rava-idli-recipe/
  Reply
  - Gabriel Cobielles
    November 14, 2017 at 7:58 pm
    
    Thank you so much Vaishali! The dosas came out perfectly! Looked just like those in your pictures! For Christmas I'm going to give myself an idli cooker as a gift. I will try to make them with the batter in your instant gluten free dosa recipe. I will set them to ferment 24 hours in advance and see what happens. Wish me luck!
    Thank for sharing your idli recipe link, Although they are made of wheat, it may be of some help. I want to try them with rice first because that's the way I tried them when I visited Tamil Nadu a few year back, and I loved them!
Ambika
November 06, 2017 at 11:47 am

Wow these look great! As I am unable to digest chickpeas I use either mung or masoor for mine. I also add a little quinoa for a power pop! Give it a try!
Reply
- Vaishali
  November 10, 2017 at 4:52 pm
  Ambika, I love quinoa in dosas too!
  Reply
Supriya
November 06, 2017 at 11:13 am
Looooove this idea! What a time-saver! Can’t wait to try it out. I’m always looking for easy, savory breakfast recipes for the weekend.
Reply
- Vaishali
  November 10, 2017 at 4:51 pm
  Thanks, Supriya, hope you try!
  Reply
  - SONIA
    December 04, 2018 at 4:04 pm
    Hi there,
    I wanted to know if I can replace the brown rice with another flour because I can't have any rice.
    Thanks!
  - Vaishali
    December 04, 2018 at 6:11 pm
    Hi Sonia, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour if you want to be gluten-free, otherwise use whole wheat or regular all purpose flour. Same quantity.

Instant Gluten Free Masala Dosa - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is dosa wheat free? ›

Naturally Gluten-Free Main Dishes That Satisfy Every Palate

One of my favorite dishes is, of course, dosa: a delectable crepe made with fermented rice and black gram flours. The taste of dosa has been valued for ages (literally)—the first mention of this dish in Sanskrit texts occurred thousands of years ago.

See Details ›

Is dosa dairy free? ›

The dosa are gluten-free and dairy-free, with a sturdy yet soft texture that's great for holding a hearty homemade potato filling. To make the batter, lentils and rice are soaked for several hours and then blended together. This makes a creamy and smooth batter.

Tell Me More ›

What is Indian dosa made of? ›

A dosa is South Indian, fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils. Masala Dosa, specifically, is when you stuff it with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices.

Are dosas vegan? ›

They are usually vegan, unless they're made with ghee, large, and can be served plain or with a warm filling of rice, potatoes, lentils, curry leaves, and fenugreek, in which case they are called masala dosas.

Explore More ›

Is dosa healthier than roti? ›

Dosa is good for health when compared to chapati as it contains wheat which takes more time for digestion than dosa. In taking chapati would result in affecting our health in a slow process. So dosa is recommendable.

Tell Me More ›

Does masala dosa contain gluten? ›

So normal dosa batter contains no gluten. Making batter using the following grains won't have gluten. Add one of the millet and half portion of rice and half portion of urad dal and soak it for 4 to 6 hrs. Then grind it a fine batter and leave it for 8 hours.

Is paneer gluten and dairy-free? ›

Making this a favorite cheese among those who have lactose intolerance and sensitivities. Like other dairy cheeses, Paneer is also gluten-free, adding to the list of healthy foods approved for those with gluten allergies.

Show Me More ›

What is dosa called in America? ›

Paper Crepe for Paper Dosa, Smashed Potato Crepe for Masala Dosa, but Naked Crepe? Turns out it is Plain Dosa. An Indian restaurant in the US, Indian Crepe Co. is causing some buzz on Twitter after people noticed on social media the Western names it has given to south Indian dishes like dosa and idli.

See Details ›

What is dosa called in English? ›

Meaning of dosa in English

a type of thin pancake made with crushed lentils and rice, originally from southern India: Dosas are served hot, often with chutney and sambar. My favourite dish is dosa, a big Indian pancake, with all sorts of fillings such as paneer or potato.

Read On ›

Is dosa junk food or not? ›

However, dosa is a healthy breakfast option for people who need a keep a check on their fat intake. A high amount of saturated fat increases the risk of heart diseases and a number of other health problems. Dosas are low on saturated fat, which makes them a healthy and safe breakfast option.

Read The Full Story ›

Is masala dosa usually vegan? ›

Masala Dosa

Think about this South Indian gem, and you'll know just how vegan it is. The dosa dough is made of fermented rice and lentils, and the stuffing prepared with potatoes. No animal products go into the making of this dish, and that's why every vegan can have it.

Read On ›

What Indian dish is vegan? ›

Staple North Indian vegan dishes include flatbreads or rotis either roasted on the pan or fried into puffy pooris made from wheat flour served with a side of a legume-based gravy made with chickpeas, kidney beans, black gram, or pigeon peas and a dry vegetable dish like pan-fried spiced potatoes (aloo) or okra (bhindi) ...

Find Out More ›

Are Hindu people vegan? ›

Hinduism. Hinduism has a wide variety of practices and beliefs that have changed over time. Only some sects of Hindus observe vegetarianism, an estimated 33% of all Hindus are vegetarians.

Discover More ›

Is dosa made of rice or wheat? ›

A dosa is a thin, savoury crepe in South Indian cuisine made from a fermented batter of ground white gram and rice. Dosas are served hot, often with chutney and sambar (a lentil-based vegetable stew).

Know More ›

Are any Indian breads wheat free? ›

Bajra Roti or Makki ki Roti, an Indian bread celiacs can eat

While traditional roti is made with wheat, we saw millet growing along the long drives in Rajasthan, a staple food I tend to forget about when I am home. Pre-made bajra (the word for millet) rotis are not advised as often wheat is mixed in the batter.

View Details ›

Is dosa made of flour? ›

Common Dosa Ingredients

Usually, a mixture of rice flour and black gram flour with a little bit of salt makes up the base of the dosa batter. The real variety of dosa comes in different flavors. This might mean a different type of batter or a different type of filling.

Discover More ›

What food has no wheat in it list? ›

Wheat-free alternatives

Grains: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, maize/polenta, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum. Flours: barley, bean, buckwheat, carob, coconut, corn, gram, ground nut (e.g. peanut, almond), lentil, millet, oat, pea, potato, rice, soya, teff, tapioca.