Mysore Masala Dosa is one of the most famous South Indian breakfast preparations and is well-loved for its crispy golden colour, spicy red chutney, and potato filling. Different from an ordinary masala dosa, this Mysore dosa preparation is characterised by the addition of a flavorful layer of red chutney within the dosa itself to get an amazing blend of spiciness, tangy flavour, and crunch.
It is served with coconut chutney and hot sambar and is an ideal breakfast or brunch food. The exciting thing about this dish is that you can make this restaurant-style dosa yourself using just simple ingredients.
Recipe Overview
Preparation Time: 9 hours (soaking + fermenting)
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Total Time: About 9 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients Required
1. For the dosa batter
2 cups white rice (regular)
1/2 cup urad dal (split + skinned black gram)
1/2 cup cooked rice / poha
1/4 tsp methi seeds
Salt as per taste requirements
Water as needed
2. For the spicy red chutney
2 tbsp roasted chana dal
4–5 garlic pods
2–4 dried red chillies
1 tsp seedless tamarind paste
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
¼ cup roughly cut onion pieces
Salt to taste
3 tbsp water, or as required
3. Potato Masala Filling Ingredients
2 big potatoes, boiled
¾ cup chopped onions
1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
12–15 curry leaves
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of red chilli powder
A pinch of asafoetida (hing powder)
½ tsp lemon juice
1–2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
¼–½ cup water
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Recipe – Procedure
Step 1: Preparing Dosas Batter
Rinse the rice and urad dal well in plenty of water.
Soak the rice, urad dal and methi seeds in adequate water for about 4–5 hours.
Strain out the water and keep all the ingredients in the mixer grinder.
Mix everything together to make a smooth and fluffy batter by adding boiled rice or poha.
Pour the batter into the bowl and add salt.
Cover and leave it for fermentation in a warm place for about 7-9 hours.
The batter needs to be soft and fluffy, and its volume needs to grow.
Fermentation is crucial for soft and tasty dosas.
Step 2: Make the red chutney
Soak the dried red chillies in warm water for 20-30 minutes.
Put the roasted chana dal, garlic, soaked chillies, tamarind, coconut and chopped onion in a blender together.
Put salt and a bit of water in there too.
Make a thick, smooth paste out of everything there.
Then pour the chutney into the bowl and leave it.
Tip: You can use the necessary amount of red chillies depending on how spicy you want the chutney to be.
Step 3: Prepare the potato masala
- Boil the potatoes till they are very soft.
- Peel the potatoes and roughly mash them, but keep a few pieces small for texture.
- Heat the oil in a pan and put in the mustard seeds.
- Once they start spluttering, add chopped onions and sauté till soft.
- Add the ginger, green chilli, and curry leaves and cook for a few seconds.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida.
- Add the boiled potatoes, salt and water.
- Cook and mix everything together till the mixture starts to thicken.
- Finally, add lemon juice and coriander leaves.
- Your tasty potato masala filling is now ready.
- Step 4: Preparing the Mysore Masala Dosa
- Preheat the flat dosa tawa.
- Pour a spoonful of the fermented batter in the centre of the tawa.
- Spread the batter slowly in circular movements to make a thin round dosa.
- Sprinkle a little oil on the edges.
- Cover the dosa with a lid and cook till the dosa is cooked and turns golden brown from underneath.
- Now put 1-2 tsp of the red chutney on the dosa.
- Now put 2-3 tbsp of potato masala in the middle of the dosa.
- Your homemade Mysore Masala Dosa is ready to serve!
How to Prepare Restaurant-Style Mysore Masala Dosa?
Proper fermentation of the batter: It results in a soft and porous dosa.
Use appropriate rice variety: Short- and medium-grained regular rice is suitable for dosa batter.
Maintain proper heat: Maintaining the appropriate heat level prevents the batter from cooking too fast while spreading on the tawa.
Prepare thick red chutney: A thick consistency makes the chutney distribute evenly within the dosa.
Add butter for extra taste: The use of butter while making dosa enhances its taste like in restaurants.
Use a moderate quantity of filling: Moderation in the quantity of potato masala makes it easy to fold and maintain crispness.
What Should Accompany Mysore Masala Dosa?
Mysore Masala Dosa goes well when served with traditional South Indian side dishes.
Here are some common options:
Coconut chutney: The creamy and mild taste complements the spicy taste of red chutney.
Sambar: It is a tasty and tangy dish made from lentils and vegetables.
Red chutney: Additional red chutney is perfect for those who love a strong taste of garlic and chillies.
Butter: A small amount of butter serves well with the crispy Mysore Masala Dosa.
My Personal Favourite
My favourite part of Mysore Masala Dosa is the combination of spicy red chutney and soft potato masala in a crispy dosa. This dish differs from a traditional masala dosa in its unique taste due to the presence of the red chutney.
I especially like to combine it with coconut chutney and sambar. In my opinion, such a combination of spicy filling and mild coconut chutney adds much pleasure to this dish.
Conclusion
In general, Mysore Masala Dosa with red chutney is an exquisite South Indian speciality, consisting of crispy dosa, spicy chutney and tasty potato filling. Despite the fact that the preparation of the batter involves certain advance planning due to the soaking and fermentation, this dish is not complicated to cook at all after all the ingredients have been prepared.
Regardless of whether you are making it for breakfast or any other occasion, this home-made dish will definitely add pleasure to your life.
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