Neer Dosa Mangalorean Recipe

Being from Mangalore (Karnataka), my mother often makes it for breakfast or dinner. It is a staple food in many homes across Karnataka and neighboring states with slightly different names. You can call it Indian crêpe prepared with a batter made with rice, salt, and water.

Neer Dosa is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dinner. Serve these thin dosa with any curry or coconut chutney. It goes very well with non-veg chicken curries like Mangalorean chicken ghee roast, Mangalorean prawn ghee roast, or Mangalorean chicken sukka.

About this Neer Dosa recipe

In Kannada/Tulu language, "neer" means water. Neer dosa means "water dosa". For making the dosa batter, too much "neer" or water is added. The consistency of neer dosa batter is thin or watery. Thus it gets its name neer dosa.

Neer dosa batter is made with only soaked rice, salt, and water. Grind them by adding water to a fine paste. This is an Instant dosa recipe and no fermentation is required. You can make them instantly within 15 minutes.

In this Mangalorean neer dosa recipe, the addition of grated coconut to dosa batter makes it soft and enhances the taste of neer dosa. Once the dosa batter is ready, you can start making the neer dosa instantly. No need to ferment the dosa batter.

To get this Neer dosa perfect, you need some practice. Once you try making one or two dosa,  you will get to know the right technique. However, in this recipe post, I have added all the tips to make perfect neer dosa.

Ingredients to make Neer Dosa

This is the easiest dosa recipe. I call it a 3-ingredient dosa recipe. All you need is raw rice (soaked in water for at least 2 hours), salt, and grated coconut.

1. Rice - Raw rice is used to make this recipe. You can get it as Idli or Dosa rice.
2. Coconut - The addition of freshly grated coconut enhances the taste and flavor of Neer dose. It also makes the dosa soft. Traditionally, neer dosa is made without coconut. However, coconut makes a huge difference in the taste and texture of this dosa. You try this dosa recipe and let me know what you think about it.
3. Salt

Tips to make Perfect Mangalorean Neer Dosa

1. The Neer dosa batter should be fine

• Soak the rice for at least 2 hours. If the rice is soaked well then it is easy to grind it fine. If making this neer dosa for breakfast then you can soak the rice overnight.
• Grind the rice batter to a fine paste. Dosa batter should not be coarse otherwise the dosa will not be soft. Better to check the consistency with your thumb and index finger. If you get any coarse-grain then grind it to a smooth paste.
• While grinding the rice do not add more water otherwise, you will not be able to grind rice to a fine paste.

2. The Dosa pan should be hot enough

• A hot dosa pan helps create tiny holes in the dosa as you spread the batter.
• To check whether the pan is hot or not sprinkle some drops of water on the pan, if it starts to sizzle then the pan is ready.
• If the dosa pan is very hot, the dosa batter sticks to the pan. If your pan is already hot, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface, then wipe it clean with a kitchen towel before adding the dosa batter.
• Grease the pan well before adding batter to the pan.

3. Right quantity of water

• Adding the right quantity of water to the dosa batter is important. If you add less water then the dosa will be dry and cracks will form in it. The batter must have buttermilk consistency. Then only the dosa will be soft.
• Also, while adding water, do not tempt to add more water to the batter. It will stick to the pan.
• The only trick to knowing the right quantity of water is to make one dosa and see if you need more water. If it cracks then add some water, stir it well and start making neer dosa.

4. Stir the dosa batter well

• Once you made the first dosa then stir the batter well before making the next dosa. The rice and coconut paste settle down at the bottom. So stir the batter well.

5. Cooking Neer dosa

• Let the dosa cook on one side. Once you see the edges of the dosa coming up and leaving the pan then only it is cooked.
• No need to flip it and cook it on the other side. Remove and keep it on a plate to cool down a little bit. Now fold the dosa and set it aside. Do not fold the dosa when it is hot otherwise, they will stick to each other. I found this trick easy as the dosa will not be sticky. Do the same with the next dosa 🙂

How to make Neer Dosa (with stepwise pictures)

Preparing the neer dosa batter

1. Wash and soak rice for at least 2 hours. Drain the water from the soaked rice.
2. Grind rice and grated coconut (add ½ cup water) to a fine paste.
3. Adjust the consistency of the neer dosa batter by adding 1 ½ to 2 cups of water.
4. Add salt to the batter and mix.

Making Mangalorean Neer Dosa Recipe

1. Heat a dosa pan over medium-high and apply oil to grease it well.
2. Once the pan is hot enough, pour 1 big ladle of dosa batter on it. Start from the outer surface, and pour the batter in a circular motion.
3. Rotate the pan to spread the dosa batter. You can check out the video for this step. Cover and cook for a minute.
4. Remove the lid and cook it for 15 seconds. The edge of the neer dosa will start to leave the pan and it is time to take it out.
5. No need to cook the dosa on the other side too. Remove and keep it on a plate to cool down a little bit. Now fold the dosa and set it aside. Do not fold the dosa when it is hot otherwise, they will stick to each other.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store it?

• Storing the dosa batter - You can store the neer dosa batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It stays good for 5 days.
• Storing the prepared dosa - The dosa remains soft even after 5-6 hours of making it. You can store the prepared dosa in an airtight container at room temperature for 6-8 hours. Store it in the refrigerator within 2 hours of preparing the dosa. Stays good for 2-3 days.

What to serve with Neer Dosa?

• You can serve the dosa with coconut chutney or sambar.
• It tastes best with spicy non-vegetarian curries like Chicken Sukka, Chicken Ghee Roast, Prawn Sukka, or Prawn Ghee Roast.

More Mangalorean Recipes to Try

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