Servings
Font
Back
0 from 132 votes

Savory Moong Dal Rice Crepes (Dosa or Cheela)

A simple, inspired take on classic Indian dosas and cheelas — a savory dal and rice crepe that’s perfect for stuffing with sautéed vegetables, especially potatoes! Serve with green chutney for even more flavor. The perfect side, snack, or vehicle for scooping saucy dishes!

Prep Time
6 hrs 10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
6 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 12 (Dosas)
Calories: 125 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian , Vegan

Ingredients

DOSA / CHEELA
  • 1 cup moong dal or red lentils* (not green mung beans)
  • 1 cup dry short grain brown rice*
  • 1 ½ - 2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp peeled ginger
  • 1 ½ - 2 Tbsp curry powder (or store-bought)
  • 1-2 tsp maple syrup (optional to balance flavors)
  • 2 cups warm water (or just enough to cover the mixture)
  • 1 ½ Tbsp avocado oil for cooking (if not vegan, sub ghee)
FOR SERVING optional
  • Green Chutney Sauce
  • Aloo Sabzi (curried pan-fried potatoes)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak moong dal and rice separately by adding to separate mixing bowls and covering with cool water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
  2. Once soaked, drain and rinse well, then transfer both rice and moong dal to a high-speed blender with salt, peeled ginger, curry powder, maple syrup, and only enough water to JUST cover the rice and lentils — you can add more as needed, but you can’t take away.
  3. Blend on high for 1 minute or until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. The batter should be thin and pourable like a crepe batter — not watery, but not visibly thick or difficult to pour. Add more water as needed to achieve the right consistency.
  4. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt to taste, ginger for punchy ginger flavor, curry powder for more prominent curry taste, or maple syrup for subtle sweetness or to balance the flavors.
  5. Optional: For a fermented version, allow batter to sit at room temperature overnight (or at least 6 hours). Some bubbles should appear and the batter should become lighter/fluffier in texture, which indicates fermentation.
  6. Heat one (or several) cast iron or non-stick skillets over medium heat (we used our 10- and 12-inch cast irons). Once hot, add a little oil (or ghee if not vegan) and swirl to coat (it’s best not to have large pools of oil on the pan, so wipe with a paper towel if there’s too much).
  7. Pour roughly 1/4 cup of the batter at a time into the hot pan(s) and use a spoon or the bottom of a ladle (our preferred utensil) to swirl the batter outward until the crepe is roughly 10 inches wide. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the edges start to lift away from the pan and the underside is slightly golden brown. Then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from pan. Repeat until all of the batter is used up — about 12 crepes as the recipe is written.
  8. Serve immediately alongside other Indian-inspired dishes. We especially loved them folded over and filled with potato (aloo) sabzi and green chutney.
  9. Store leftover batter covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or store cooked dosas/cheelas covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 1 month (add parchment paper in between so they don't stick together). Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.

Notes

  • *We didn’t test with long grain brown rice or white rice, but we think it would work. We also suspect millet and quinoa would work well here.*If grain-free, omit rice and double quantity of moong dal or red lentils. The flavor will be more pungent / less balanced, but texturally it’s very similar.*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amounts of curry powder and maple syrup.*Recipe loosely adapted from Swasthi’s Recipes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1crepe Calories 125 (6%) Carbohydrates 22.6g (8%) Protein 5.1g (10%) Fat 2.6g (4%) Saturated Fat 0.2g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.24g Monounsaturated Fat 1.24g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 394mg (16%) Potassium 18mg (1%) Fiber 2.2g (9%) Sugar 1.1g (2%) Vitamin A 45IU (1%) Vitamin C 1.23mg (1%) Calcium 24.65mg (2%) Iron 1.62mg (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12(Dosas)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 125

% Daily Value*

Serving 1crepe
Calories 125 6%
Carbohydrates 22.6g 8%
Protein 5.1g 10%
Fat 2.6g 4%
Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.24g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 1.24g 6%
Trans Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 394mg 16%
Potassium 18mg 0%
Fiber 2.2g 9%
Sugar 1.1g 2%
Vitamin A 45IU 1%
Vitamin C 1.23mg 1%
Calcium 24.65mg 2%
Iron 1.62mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.