Crispy podi dosa made with homemade spicy idli podi and sesame oil — a quick, flavorful South Indian breakfast you’ll love!
Though I’m from North India, my passion for South Indian food runs deep. The vibrant flavors, the crispy dosas, and the spicy chutneys have always fascinated me.
Making podi dosa with my idli podi masala is my way of bringing that love into my kitchen daily. I have used my homemade dosa batter recipe to make dosas.
Dunk it into creamy coconut chutney, tomato onion chutney, or steaming hot sambar, and you’ll have the perfect, comforting start to your day.
Find More South Indian Recipes : Tomato Upma, Quinoa Upma, Green Moong Dal Uttapam, Ragi Roti, Raw Banana Poiyal.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact ratio of ingredients.
- Dosa Batter- I make my dosa batter using rice and urad dal. You may procure it from the store as well. There are a lot of good brands: Rishta, ID Fresh etc.
- Podi masala- I have used my homemade idli podi masala.
- Sesame oil
- Curry Leaves
How To Make Podi Masala
Step 1. Gather all the ingredients
If you are using homemade or store-bought dosa batter prepared in advance, be sure to keep it on the kitchen counter so it reaches room temperature. This helps you make the best dosa.
Step 2. Heat Iron Tawa
Heat your iron tawa or griddle on medium heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water; if they sizzle and evaporate quickly, the tawa is ready. Pour a ladle full of batter onto the hot tawa and spread it thin in a circular motion to form a dosa.
Step 3. Sprinkle Podi Masala
Drizzle oil to make the edges crips. Sprinkle Podi masala over the dosa while it's cooking. Let the dosa cook on medium heat until the edges lift easily and it turns golden brown and crispy. If your dosa is thin, you need not flip it to cook from the other side. I prefer cooking it from both sides.
Tip
The tawa might become sticky if podi masala is stuck to it. Use raw onion and splashes of water to clean it.
Step 4. Serve it
The Podi Dosa is ready. Fold the dosa into a half or roll it. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.
Expert Tips
- Use a well-seasoned iron tawa to avoid sticking and get a crispy texture.
- Don’t spread batter on an overheated tawa—cool it slightly with water if needed before pouring the batter.
- Mix the dosa batter gently. You may add salt and black pepper to dosa batter.
- Sprinkle podi while dosa is still soft, so it sticks well and blends with the surface.
- Add a few drops of oil on top of the podi
- Keep heat medium throughout—too high heat may burn the dosa or podi.
Recipe FAQs
Podi Dosa is a crispy dosa- savory Indian crepe or rice pancake topped with a spicy lentil-based powder called idli podi. It’s cooked with sesame oil or ghee for extra flavor and crunch.
Podi Dosa has a spicy powder called idli podi or Milagai Podi or Gun powder sprinkled on top religiously while cooking, which is not in plain dosa.
Podi is made by dry roasting lentils like urad dal and chana dal with red chilies, sesame seeds, and spices. The mixture is ground into a coarse powder and stored for later use.
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Podi Dosa Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Iron Tawa any flat pan
- 1 Large Bowl for mixing dosa better
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups dosa batter
- 2 tablespoon idli podi masala you can adjust as per taste
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon black pepper adjust
- 3-4 twigs curry leaves
Instructions
- If you are using homemade or store-bought dosa batter prepared in advance, be sure to keep it on the kitchen counter so it reaches room temperature. This helps you make the best dosa.
- Heat your iron tawa or griddle on medium heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water; if they sizzle and evaporate quickly, the tawa is ready. Pour a ladle full of batter onto the hot tawa and spread it thin in a circular motion to form a dosa.
- Drizzle oil to make the edges crips. Sprinkle Podi masala over the dosa while it's cooking. Let the dosa cook on medium heat until the edges lift easily and it turns golden brown and crispy. If your dosa is thin, you need not flip it to cook from the other side. I prefer cooking it from both sides.
- The Podi Dosa is ready. Fold the dosa into a half or roll it. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.
Notes
- Use a well-seasoned iron tawa to avoid sticking and get a crispy texture.
- Don’t spread batter on an overheated tawa—cool it slightly with water if needed before pouring the batter.
- Mix the dosa batter gently. You may add salt and black pepper to dosa batter. Sprinkle podi while dosa is still soft, so it sticks well and blends with the surface. Add a few drops of oil on top of the podi
- Keep heat medium throughout—too high heat may burn the dosa or podi.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 dosa | |
| Servings: 5 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 120 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 5.8g | 7% |
| Saturated Fat 0.8g | 4% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 157mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 15.1g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.6g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 0.1g | |
| Protein 5g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 21mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 6% |
| Potassium 29mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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