South Indian · Breakfast
Set dosa (soft, spongy Karnataka dosa)
Set dosa is a small, thick and spongy dosa, golden underneath and full of tiny holes on top. It gets its name from being served in a set of 2 or 3 on a plate. Poha in the batter makes it extra soft, so it soaks up chutney and vegetable sagu beautifully.
- Prep20 min
- Cook40 min
- Waiting15 h
- Servings6
- Total16 h · Per serving≈370 kcal
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to tick it off as you cook.
Method
Waiting: Soaking and fermenting (15 h)
- Rinse the rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds together and soak them in plenty of water for 4–5 hours.
- About 15 minutes before grinding, rinse the poha and soak it in 1/2 cup water until soft.
- Drain the rice mixture and grind it with the soaked poha and its water to a smooth, thick batter, adding more water little by little. It should be like thick idli batter.
- Stir in the salt, cover and leave in a warm place for 8–10 hours or overnight, until the batter has risen and smells pleasantly sour.
- Stir the batter gently. Heat a tawa over medium heat and grease it lightly. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it just slightly into a thick round, about 12–15 cm across.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee around the edge, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes until the top is full of holes and set and the bottom is golden.
- Lift the dosa off without flipping, or flip it for 10–15 seconds if you prefer. Repeat with the rest of the batter and serve in sets of 2 or 3.
About this dish
Set dosa is a much-loved tiffin item in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru and Mysuru, where darshinis and old-style hotels serve it all morning. In Kannada it is called set dose. It is softer and thicker than a crisp dosa and is usually cooked without flipping, though some cooks flip it for a few seconds. It is typically served with coconut chutney and a mild mixed vegetable sagu.
The batter uses more rice and less urad dal than regular dosa batter, with fenugreek seeds for aroma and fermentation, and soaked poha or cooked rice for softness. Thanks to the poha, the batter ferments well even in cooler weather. The same batter also makes good uttapam and paddu (kuzhi paniyaram) if you have any left over.
Tips
- Do not spread the batter thin; set dosa should be about as thick as a pancake.
- Keep the heat at medium so the dosa cooks through before the bottom gets too dark.
- If the batter has not risen, add a pinch of baking soda just before cooking.
Serve with
Serve warm in sets of 3 with coconut chutney and vegetable sagu or sambar.
Goes well with: Coconut Chutney, Sambar, Onion Uttapam
