South Indian Mysore Masala Dosa Recipe: 5 Secret Tips)
This South Indian breakfast favorite, Mysore Masala Dosa, is a crispy vegan, gluten free dosa with spicy red chutney and potato filling.
RUKAIYA KADIWAL 
This South Indian dish is a well known crispy pancake, distinct from a plain masala dosa because it includes a fiery red chutney layered inside along with the usual potato stuffing. As a popular south indian breakfast option, it is naturally vegan and gluten free, making it suitable for a wide range of diets. The batter's texture, soft and slightly porous rather than uniformly crisp, comes from blending in cooked rice or poha, a technique associated with authentic Mysore style dosa preparation as opposed to versions found in cities like Mumbai or Delhi.
Why This South Indian Dosa Stands Out
Two origin stories are commonly told about this south indian classic: one credits a Mysore eatery said to have served it for decades using a family recipe, and another attributes it to palace cooks repurposing festival leftovers for the Maharaja of Mysore. Whether enjoyed as a weekend breakfast or a festive treat, this dosa remains one of the most loved vegan, gluten free dishes to come out of south indian kitchens.
The author mentions having tasted this south indian dosa in both Mysore and Bengaluru and notes that those versions are noticeably different from the ones served outside South India. She also shares that she has successfully made the batter using a half and half mix of idli rice and sona masoori rice.
Suggestions
For a complete south indian breakfast spread, the author recommends pairing the dish with sambar, mint coconut chutney, any leftover red chutney, and sometimes a garlic chutney as well.
Expert Tips
Use sona masoori or another short to medium grain rice for the batter, and avoid long grained varieties. For a flavor closer to what's served in south indian restaurants, fry the dosa in butter instead of oil, and a bit of butter can also be stirred into the potato filling. If homemade batter isn't an option, a well fermented store bought batter works too, with salt adjusted to taste. Grated cheese or paneer can be added to the potato stuffing as a variation. Any leftover red chutney pairs well with everyday meals like dal rice or roti sabzi, or with other south indian items like paper dosa, idli, or uttapam.
For more authentic south indian breakfast ideas straight from the source, check out Vegrecipesofindia's collection of Indian breakfast recipes.
If you enjoyed this vegan, gluten free south indian dosa, you'll also love our Misal Pav recipe, another spicy and hearty breakfast favorite from the Indian kitchen.
Ingredients
- ▢2 cups regular rice
- ▢½ cup urad dal (skinned and split black gram)
- ▢½ cup cooked rice or poha (flattened rice)
- ▢¼ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
- ▢rock salt (edible and food grade) or sea salt as required
- ▢water as required for grinding the batter
- ▢2 large potatoes – boiled
- ▢¾ cup chopped onions
- ▢1 inch ginger (adrak) – chopped
- ▢1 or 2 garlic (lahsun) – optional
- ▢12 to 15 curry leaves
- ▢1 green chili – chopped
- ▢½ or ⅔ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ▢1 pinch red chili powder
- ▢1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ▢½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ▢¼ or ½ cup water
- ▢1 or 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- ▢1 tablespoon oil
- ▢2 tablespoons roasted chana dal (roasted bengal gram)
- ▢4 to 5 garlic – small to medium-sized
- ▢2 to 4 dry red chilies – soaked in hot or warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. adjust depending on the type of chillies. for a more spicy taste add 3 to 4 dry red chilies.
- ▢1 teaspoon seedlees tamarind
- ▢2 tablespoons desiccated coconut – unsweetened
- ▢¼ cup onion – roughly chopped
- ▢salt as required
- ▢3 tablespoons water – to blend or grind, add as needed
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 277kcal
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Protein: 8g
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
- Sodium: 489mg
- Potassium: 284mg
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 2g
- Vitamin A: 85IU
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.1mg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.05mg
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 15mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.3mg
- Vitamin C: 35mg
- Vitamin E: 1mg
- Vitamin K: 2µg
- Calcium: 46mg
- Vitamin B9 (Folate): 155µg
- Iron: 2mg
- Magnesium: 27mg
- Phosphorus: 91mg
- Zinc: 1mg
Directions
How to Make Mysore Masala Dosa Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare the Batter
Pick and rinse the rice and urad dal in water for 3-4 times. Soak the rice, urad dal and methi seeds in a large bowl in enough water for 4-5 hours. In a wet grinder, grind the rice, urad dal, methi seeds and cooked rice or poha with enough water. Grind till you get a fluffy and smooth consistency of the batter. Take the dosa batter in a large bowl and mix salt. Cover the bowl loosely and let the batter ferment for 7-9 hours.
Step 2: Make the Potato Palya (Filling)
First boil the potatoes in a steamer or pressure cooker, till they are fully cooked. Peel and either just crumble them with your hands or chop them. Heat oil in a pan or kadai. First fry the mustard seeds till they splutter. Now add the chopped onions and saute till they become soft. Add the ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and saute for some 20-30 seconds. Now add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and asafoetida. Stir for 2-3 seconds and add the potatoes. Stir and add water plus salt. Cover and simmer the potatoes till the water dries up. Lastly add the lemon juice and stir well. Add coriander leaves and mix well with the potatoes. Keep the potato palya aside.
Step 3: Make the Red Chutney
Take all the ingredients in a small blender or chutney grinder. Add very little water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Step 4: Assemble and Cook the Dosa
On a tava or a flat frying pan spread 1 or 2 tsp oil. If using non stick pan, then don't spread oil. You won't be able to spread the dosa batter then. Take a medium sized ladle or a big spoon and with circular motions spread the dosa from the center towards the edges on the pan. Sprinkle some drops of oil from the top. Cover the dosa with a lid. Let the base get browned and the top side get cooked completely. Spread 1 or 2 tsp of the red chili chutney on top of the dosa. Place 2-3 tbsp of the potato stir fry on top of the mysore dosa and spread lightly. Fold and serve the mysore masala dosa hot with coconut chutney and sambar.
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