Neer dosa with coconut chutney and kaai bella! Ooh, yum! No one can eat just one. I remember plates with huge stacks of dosa, laid one on top of the other, from my childhood. Siblings and cousins would have competitions. “I ate 8, how about you?” Those were the days!
Neer dosa is one of the more popular recipes from coastal Karnataka. It is usually served with yummy coconut chutney, In my school days, when we got bored of chutney, my mother would make a neer dosa roll with kaai bella, or coconut jaggery stuffing. The warm rolls would melt in the mouth! We kids loved it!
‘Neer’ means water. Neer dosa got its name from the watery rice batter, much thinner than the regular dosa batter. The batter is not fermented. It is ready to cook after grinding.
White neer dosa you find in shops are made from white rice and coconut. We have used the traditional red rice and unpolished brown rice alone, and no coconut. It is better to eat coconut raw in the form of chutney or with jaggery as kaai bella, without cooking. It is most nutritious this way.
Remember to make a lot of batter! No one can eat just one! 😀
- 1 cup Unpolished rice Red or Brown Rice (or equal amounts of both!)
- 3 1/2 cups Water
- Soak rice overnight, or at least for 5 hours.
- Grind rice into a very fine paste or smooth batter using a little water.
- Pour batter into a vessel. Add water to make a thin batter. Make sure that it isn't too runny. 3-4 cups of water would be ideal for 1 cup of rice. Add 3 cups and try making a dosa with it. If it is too thick, add a little more water.
- On a hot pan (either iron or mud tava is good) without any oil, throw the batter in a controlled splash from one end to the other. One can also make two to three smaller "splashes" to cover the pan. (If you pour batter from sides, edge of the dosa will be crispy but centres will be thick)
- Cover the pan with a lid when the dosa is being cooked to keep it moist. The sides will begin to curl up when it ready to be removed. There is no need to cook on both sides.
- Remove the dosa from the pan. Serve warm with coconut chutney or kaai bella (grated coconut with jaggery)
- Neer dosa batter consistency is very important, it shouldn't be too watery or too thick. Use the right amount of water for a thin dosa with tiny holes, without any breaks. If it is too thick, add some water and adjust the consistency.
- Neer dosa can be served with joni bella or liquid jaggery. It tastes good with vegetable curries or sambar as well.
- Regular ones are soft. You can also cook till crisp. Some like it this way!
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