Today’s recipe is one of my favorite from the childhood days – Kara Dosa or the Adai dosa. This dosa is totally different from the usual dosa for all the different pulses used. Amma used to make this dosa once in a while and I used to love it for its color. Usually Adai is also like dosa except that its thicker like an Uthappam. The batter prepared for the Adai is similar to this Kara Dosa and that’s why this is also called as Adai Dosa.
Instead of making the dosa thicker, I make it crisp and thin for the regular week days when I am pressed for time and it turns out quite tasty. Apart from the rice, I use Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Moong Dal and Toor Dal in preparing the batter. The name Kara (spicy) Dosa comes from the fact that red chillies are added to this while the rice and pulses are soaking. It gives a good color to the batter and the prepared dosa. I keep the spiciness on the lower side and hence used only 4 red chillies but one can use colorful dried red chillies for the color.
The preparation of this dosa batter is quite simple. In fact, this again is one of the recipes where the batter does not have to ferment. Soak the rice along with the pulses for 4-6hrs. Grind into it a coarse batter. And use it immediately. The dosa still comes out good and tasty. The batter stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days. As I made this into thin, crisp dosas. I have not added onions. But if you want to use this for adai (thicker dosa) you can add finely chopped shallots or onions. I just add a pod or two of garlic while soaking along with the red chillies and I just love the hint of garlic and the flavour while dosa is in the making.
How to make Kara Dosa | Adai Dosa
📖 Recipe
Kara Dosa Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
Soak the rice varieties and the dal varieties along with peeled garlic pods and dried red chillies in enough water for 4-6 hours.
Drain the excess water (if too much) and add it to a blender in small batches.
Grind it along with jeera into a coarse batter without adding a lot of water.
Remove the prepared batter on to a bowl, add enough salt and mix well.
The batter should be of the neither too thick nor thin. Check below for consistency. Heat a cast iron dosa pan.
Take a ladle of the prepared batter and spread it on the dosa tawa into a thin circle. Sprinkle oil around the edges.
Keep the flame on medium and let the dosa cook until crisp.
Gently remove the dosa and flip it to cook the other side. This is optional.
Serve hot with coconut chutney or kadamba chutney.
Recipe Notes
Instead of using both raw rice and parboiled rice, only one variety of the rice can be used. The proportion is that the rice together should be a cup and the pulses together should form a cup. The red chillies and garlic give a flavour to the batter. If you don’t like garlic, that can be skipped. The batter stays good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you want to make a thicker version, you can also add finely chopped shallots to it.
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