Moong Dal Dosa Recipe

Moong Dal Dosa is a savory crepe made with moong dal (split petite yellow lentils). It’s gluten-free, easy to make and makes a filling breakfast or lunch. Stuff it with paneer or tofu (for vegan version) and you have got a complete protein packed meal!

Dosas of all kinds have a special place in my heart. They are filling, easy to make and taste so good. Give me some chutney on the side with my dosa and I can eat it pretty much every day of the week.

While traditional dosas made with rice and lentils like this masala dosa are my favorite, I also love some quick dosa fixes like this rava dosa and this moong dal dosa that I am sharing with you today.

This Moong dal dosa is super easy to make, you only need to soak the dal for some time then grind and make dosa. Can’t get easier, can it?

Ingredients

1. Moong dal: for this recipe, I have used yellow moong dal dhuli (split petite yellow lentils). It’s the most common variety of moong dal that I always have in my kitchen and is also easy to digest.
2. Seasonings: to flavor the dosa, cumin seeds, chilies and ginger is used in the batter. You can also add finely chopped cilantro, hing (asafoetida), or even chopped onions, cilantro to the batter.
3. Rice flour: adding a tablespoon of rice flour makes the dosas crispy, you may skip this is you want.
4. You can fill these moong dal dosa with a filling like spiced paneer filling (recipe below) or serve them plain.

Tips to Make Crispy Moong Dal Dosa

If you want to make crispy moong dal dosa then follow these tips:

1. Add rice flour: I just add a bit of rice flour to the batter and that helps in making these dosa crispy. You can skip it if you want but adding does make a difference.
2. Use an iron pan/tawa: this is the most important thing that you need to do for crispy dosas. Use a cast iron pan/tawa. A non-stick pan will never give the same result. Maintaining a cast iron pan definitely takes time and patience but the result is always worth it. I never make my dosas on non-stick pans.
3. Serve filling on the side: if you are filling this moong dal dosa with paneer or potatoes, serve the filling on the side. Placing the stuffing inside does make the dosa softer.
4. Serve immediately: of course, you have to serve these dosa immediately. They lose crispiness and become soft as they cool down so best is to enjoy them hot off the pan.

Instructions 

Make the dosa

1. Rinse and soak moong dal in around 3 to 4 cups of water for 2 to 3 hours. If you can’t wait for that long, soak in warm water for 30 minutes.
2. Once soaked for 3 hours, drain the dal using a colander and rinse it well.
3. Transfer the dal to a blender along with cumin seeds, ginger, green chilies, salt and rice flour. Add water and blend to a smooth paste. I added around 1/2 cup water here.
4. Transfer batter to a bowl. You can add some water here if you want to adjust the consistency. The batter should be pouring consistency (like a regular dosa batter), don’t make it thin. Heat a iron tawa/pan on medium-high (you may use a non-stick pan but iron pan works best for dosa).
5. To check if pan is hot enough, sprinkle some water on the pan, the water should sizzle away and evaporate immediately. Cut an onion, insert a fork in it and then dip the onion in some oil. Use than onion to rub the pan with oil (this makes the iron tawa non-sicky). Then start making the dosa.
6. Take a ladle full of batter and pour it in the center of the pan. Start spreading the batter by moving your ladle in circular motion in one direction. Start from the inside and move your ladle out in a circular motion (move the ladle in clockwise direction). Keep moving the ladle in circular motion and spreading the batter until the batter is well spread. Try to spread it as thin as possible.
7. Drizzle oil all around the dosa and also few drops in the center. Let the dosa cook for few minutes until the bottom starts appearing golden brown.
8. If you are adding a filling to the dosa (like paneer or potato), you can add it at this point. I like to serve it on the side most times. Once the bottom starts appearing brown, scrape the sides using a spatula and release the dosa from the pan.Flip and press and cook the other side also for a minute.
9. Fold the dosa and remove from the pan. Make all dosa similarly. I got 6 dosas from this batter, each measuring around 6-inches in diameter. You can serve this as with a tomato chutney or peanut chutney or fill with paneer filling to make it more wholesome!

Paneer Filling (Optional)

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the sliced onion, ginger, curry leaves and green chili.
2. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions soften. Then add the paneer (I cut it into very small cubes), along with turmeric, salt. Give a good stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add 1/4 cup water and at this point if you want you can mash some of the paneer pieces using a potato masher. Cook 1 more minute, add in chopped cilantro and the filling is ready. Stuff the dosa with this filling if you like!