Benne Dosa literally translates to Butter Dosa is a special kind of dosa from Davanagere, Karnataka. It is crispy and golden on the outside and spongy and soft in the centre. The speciality of benne dosa lies in the batter which is made with rice, urad dal and puffed rice or poha and the cooking fat used is butter or ghee which adds taste and flavour to the dosa. Enjoy hot and crispy butter dosa with coconut chutney and extra butter for indulgence.
Benne Dosa (Butter Dosa Recipe)
The first time I had this dosa, it was love at first sight, or rather love at first bite. The dosa is crispy on the exterior and soft and spongy in the centre. I had it for the first time in Bangalore and fell in love with it. And the second time I had Malleswaram dosa which is a unique crispy dosa loaded with spicy podi and ghee which was even better.
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Me and my husband loved it so much which inspired me to try it at home. Past few months I have been experimenting with variety of ingredients and measurements. Finally settled with this recipe, the batter is easy to make, turns out perfect, and tastes great. I made both benne dosa and Malleswaram dosa. Both turned out great.
About Benne Dosa Recipe (Butter Dosa)
First of all what is benne dosa? Benne dosa literally means Butter dosa and it is originated from Karnataka. The texture of the dosa is what makes it special. It is crispy on the outside, soft and spongy in the centre.
As the name suggests benne dosa is cooked in butter or ghee which adds to the golden colour. Benne dosa is best served with coconut chutney, chilli garlic chutney, extra butter and tomato chutney.
The speciality of this dosa is in the special batter. Unlike regular idli dosa batter which uses just rice, urad dal and fenugreek. This benne dosa batter is made with idli rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, poha and chana dal. Here poha helps with the spongy texture while Chana dal adds to the even golden colour.
One of the most popular benne dosa is called as Davangere benne which is a crispy dosa stuffed with potato palya (bland potato filling) and served with coconut chutney. There are many variations of benne made all over Karnataka.
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Some recipe uses murmura (puffed rice), cooked rice or sago in the batter. But I find that poha is easy to source and also it gives perfect texture. But the secret to crispy and spongy Davanagere benne dosa is perfectly fermented batter. You have to let the batter ferment well for the perfect texture.
I usually leave the rice and dal to soak overnight and grind the batter in the morning. Let it ferment for the whole day and make dosa for dinner or next day breakfast. During summer season, the hot weather makes the fermenting process even faster.
Once batter is fermented, you have to check the consistency of the batter. If it is too thick, then the dosa will be thicker, denser and doesn't crisp up properly. So adjust with water to get smooth pourable consistency. Don't make it too thin as well, else you won't achieve the soft interior.
The cooking tawa also plays an important role Ensure you use cast iron dosa pan. Place it on high heat, sprinkle water on the hot dosa tawa. Wipe with paper towel or clean cloth to reduce and maintain the temperature. Don't apply oil on the tawa, the pan has to be dry and seasoned when you pour the batter.
Pour a ladleful of batter, swirl it to make slightly thicker dosa. Be generous with the ghee or butter you pour over the dosa. Let it cook on high heat for few minutes till you see golden colour. You don't need to flip the dosa for this. Once it gets even golden colour, fold and the dosa is ready to serve.
Ingredients
- Rice - for making benne dosa, you have to use idli rice for making the batter. It gives the perfect soft and crispy texture to dosa. Regular rice can be used, but the texture may vary.
- Urad Dal - use whole urad dal which has no skin. It helps with the soft texture and fermentation.
- Poha (Aval) - I used white poha for this recipe which helps with the spongy texture.
- Split Chana Dal - this ingredients helps achieve the even golden colour in the dosa.
- Fenugreek Seeds - adds flavour and helps with fermentation.
- Butter - white butter is used to cook dosa, you can use ghee for making dosa.
- Salt - salt is added to the dosa batter after grinding to make fermentation faster.
Step by Step Pictures
Soaking Rice and Dal
1)Take rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, poha and chana dal in a bowl.
2)Wash rice and dal, Rinse them 2 times. Strain the water.
3)Cover with water and allow them to soak for 6 to 8 Hours or overnight.
4)Next day strain the soaked rice and dal using a slotted spoon.
Grinding the batter
5) Add directly to a blender jar. Pour little water and grind to a slightly smooth mixture.
6)Make sure the batter is thick and not too runny.
7)Now pour the batter in a bowl. Repeat with remaining rice.
Fermenting benne dosa batter
8)Once all the batter is ground, add salt. It helps with the fermentation.
9) Mix the batter using your hands which helps with the fermentation. Now cover it with a plate. Set aside to ferment for 6 to 8 hours. During summer season the fermentation happens even faster.
10)After 6 to 8 Hours, The batter will be well fermented and almost more than double the volume.
11)I removed some batter to a separate bowl before adding water. Gently mix the batter using a ladle. If the batter looks too thick, you can add some water to make it slightly loose.
Cooking Benne Dosa
12)Now heat a cast iron dosa pan on high heat. Once the pan is hot, sprinkle some water over the tawa. It will sizzle, so stay back.
13) and wipe it well with a paper towel. I prefer using a clean cloth. This helps reduce and maintain the temperature.
14)Now the pan is seasoned. Don't apply oil on the tawa, the pan has to be dry and seasoned when you pour the batter.
15)Also make sure you have your ghee or butter ready. Here I am using buffalo ghee, I like to melt it slightly before adding in the dosa.
15)Now take the batter and pour in the center of the pan. Give pressure and make it into a slightly thick round. Don't spread it too thin. Benne dosa has to be slightly thicker. Also giving pressure helps the batter stick really well to the dosa pan, which helps with the even golden colour.
16)Drizzle butter or ghee all over the dosa and cook until golden brown on the base. By this time the top will be cooked.
17)Fold the dosa in half. Gently remove the dosa using spatula.
18)Serve hot with chutney and extra butter.
Expert Tips
- Use idli rice for making the batter. Other rice won't work best.
- Don't need to grind the batter extra smooth. Little grits from the rice is fine.
- Make sure the batter is at the right consistency. It shouldn't be too thick or too thin. If batter is too thick then it won't spread evenly on the tawa. If it is thin then you don't get the iconic soft interior on the dosa. So add water and adjust the consistency.
- Use cast iron pan to make the dosa. Nonstick pan won't work.
- Make the dosa thicker, and not too thin. Use generous amount of ghee or butter.
Serving and Storage
Benne dosa tastes best when served hot with coconut chutney, idli podi or sambar. Leftover dosa batter can be stored in fridge and used throughout the week. Remove the batter from fridge atleast 30 minutes before cooking.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between dosa and Benne dosa?
The speciality of this dosa is in the special batter. Unlike regular idli dosa batter which uses just rice, urad dal and fenugreek. This benne dosa batter is made with idli rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, poha and chana dal. Benne dosa is cooked in butter instead of oil.
Q: Can I use any other rice?
In my personal opinion idli rice works perfectly for this benne dosa.
Q: Can I skip poha and chana dal?
No, you cannot skip poha and chana dal. Poha helps achieve the spongy texture in dosa. Chana dal helps with the colour.
Q: Can I cook benne dosa is nonstick tawa?
Nonstick tawa can be used to cook benne dosa. But you will be missing the iconic golden colour.
Q: How long can I store benne dosa batter?
Benne dosa batter can be stored in fridge for a week.
Q: Can I use a wet grinder to grind the batter?
Yes of-course you can use wet grinder if you are making bigger batch. But a blender works perfect if you are making a small batch.
Troubleshooting
Why your benne dosa is not even in colour like restaurant?
The cooking tawa also plays an important role Ensure you use cast iron dosa pan. Place it on high heat, sprinkle water on the hot dosa tawa. Wipe with paper towel or clean cloth to reduce and maintain the temperature. Don't apply oil on the tawa, the pan has to be dry and seasoned when you pour the batter. This way the dosa batter sticks evenly to the dosa pan and colours beautifully.
📖 Get Recipe
Benne Dosa Recipe (Butter Dosa Recipe | Benne Dosa Batter)
Equipment
Ingredients
To Soak Together and Grind (for Batter)
- 3 cups Idli Rice
- 1 cup Whole white urad dal
- ¼ cup Poha flattened rice
- ¼ cup Split Chana Dal
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- Water to soak and grind batter
To mix in batter
- 2 teaspoon Salt
To cook Dosa
- 1 cup Ghee or Butter as needed
Instructions
- Take rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, poha and chana dal in a bowl. Rinse them 2 times. Cover with water and allow them to soak for 6 to 8 Hours or overnight.
- Next day strain the soaked rice and dal using a slotted spoon and add directly to a blender jar. Pour little water and grind to a slightly smooth mixture. Make sure the batter is thick and not too runny.
- Now pour the batter in a bowl. Repeat with remaining rice. Once all the batter is ground, add salt and mix well into the batter using your hands which helps with the fermentation.
- Now cover it with a plate. Set aside to ferment for 6 to 8 hours.
- After 6 to 8 Hours, The batter will be well fermented and almost more than double the volume. Gently mix the batter using a ladle. If the batter looks too thick, you can add some water to make it slightly loose.
- Now heat a cast iron dosa pan on high heat. Once the pan is hot, sprinkle some water over the tawa and wipe it well with a clean cloth. This helps season the tawa.
- Now take the batter and pour in the center of the pan. Give pressure and make it into a slightly thick round. Don't spread it too thin. Benne dosa has to be slightly thicker. Also giving pressure helps the batter stick really well to the dosa pan, which helps with the even golden colour.
- Drizzle butter or ghee all over the dosa and cook until golden brown on the base. By this time the top will be cooked. Fold the dosa in half, Gently remove the dosa using spatula and serve hot with chutney.
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