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Tamilnadu · Breakfast

Kollu Dosai (கொள்ளு தோசை)

Traditional 43. Kollu Dosai recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 cup horse gram (kollu), soaked 10–12 hours
• 1 cup raw rice, soaked 4 hours
• 3 dried red chilies
• 1-inch ginger
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil — 1 tsp per dosa
• Horse gram MUST be soaked for the full 10–12 hours — under-soaked horse gram cannot be ground smoothly and creates a gritty batter
• The batter will ferment more slowly — patient fermentation (10+ hours) gives a better tang

👩‍🍳 How to make Kollu Dosai

1. Rinse horse gram thoroughly — it tends to have more dust and husk debris.
2. Soak in 3 cups cold water for 10–12 hours (overnight).
3. Unlike other lentils, horse gram is very hard and needs extended soaking.
4. After soaking, the gram will have slightly expanded but remains firm.
5. Separately, soak raw rice in 2 cups water for 4 hours.
6. Drain both soaked ingredients.
7. Grind horse gram first in the blender with a small amount of water — horse gram is tougher than other dals and needs longer grinding.
8. Add ¼ cup water, blend on high for 2 minutes.
9. Add soaked rice, dried red chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, and asafoetida.
10. Blend together for 2–3 minutes until a relatively smooth batter is achieved — some horse gram texture remaining is normal and desirable.
11. Add 1 tsp salt.
12. Transfer to a container and ferment at room temperature for 8 hours.
13. Horse gram batter ferments more slowly than urad dal batter — the fermented batter should have a slight rise and a mildly sour aroma.
14. The color will be a warm rusty-brown.
15. Heat cast-iron or non-stick tawa on medium-high heat.
16. The kollu dosai needs a moderately hot but not searing tawa.
17. Grease with ½ tsp oil.
18. Pour a ladle of batter onto the tawa.
19. Spread in circular motion to a medium-thin dosa (about 20 cm).
20. Kollu dosa batter is thicker than regular dosa and spreads slightly less easily — use gentle pressure.
21. The batter will be visibly reddish-brown.
22. Drizzle ½ tsp oil around edges.
23. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes until the edges are crispy and lifting, bottom is deep golden-brown.
24. Flip carefully.
25. Cook second side for 1.5 minutes.
26. The kollu dosa is thicker and chewier than regular dosa — this is correct.
27. Serve immediately with coconut chutney, raw onion rings, and fresh green chili.
28. The chewiness of horse gram pairs well with the freshness of raw onion.

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