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    Home » Dosa Varieties » Aval Dosai | Soft and Spongy Poha Dosa

    Aval Dosai | Soft and Spongy Poha Dosa

    Posted on January 3, 2022 · Last Updated on January 5, 2022 · By Srividhya G · 12 Comments

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    collage of aval dosa for pinterest

    My soft and spongy aval dosai/poha dosa recipe without any yogurt or buttermilk! Check out the easy-to-make and naturally vegan aval dosa recipe with detailed step-wise pictures. 

    poha dosa served in black plate with onion chutney on the side and in the side there is gray fabric

    Dosa, or as we say in Dosai in Tamil, the savory rice and lentil crepes/thin pancakes is pretty famous across the world these days. Most Indian restaurants have idli and dosa on their menu these days, and they usually serve it with chutney and sambar.

    Jump to:
    • So what’s aval?
    • Ingredients required
    • Dietary specifications & yield
    • How to make aval dosa
    • Recipe notes
    • Explore other dosa recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    To prepare the dosa, we need the batter. You can prepare instant batters like I did for my wheat dosa or soak the ingredients and make it from scratch. The basic dosa batter calls for rice and urad dal(dehusked whole black gram), and with that batter, you can prepare a variety of dosa with different toppings. Alternatively, you can alter the ingredients and make different dosa like this aval dosa.

    While we love both idli and dosa, we always pick dosa given an option. If you follow me on IG, you all will know how I experiment with idli/dosa batter. My followers have tried those, and I have received positive feedbacks also. But somehow, I never got a chance to post them on the blog. So this year, I have decided to share a few dosa varieties, both instant and non-instant, and I am starting with the first one – soft and spongy aval dosa.  

    close up shot of poha dosa served with chutney

    So what’s aval?

    Aval in Tamil / poha in Hindi. We call aval or poha flattened rice or beaten rice in English. Rice is parboiled, and it is beaten or flattened thin, and it is dried. We have different poha varieties like thin or thick, based on how thin or thick it is beaten.

    What’s so special about this aval dosa?

    • We all know that aval dosa is soft and spongy, but most of the recipes call for yogurt or buttermilk, but I don’t use them both, making this recipe naturally vegan.
    • While this is not an instant dosa variety, you can make the dosa as soon as you grind the batter. Fermentation is not necessary. 
    close up shot of three aval dosa placed in black plate

    Ingredients required

    We need idli rice, whole white urad dal, poha/aval, fenugreek seeds, toor dal. And of course, we need water, salt, and oil to prepare the dosa. Some key points to note about the ingredient,

    •  I follow the 1:1 ratio of idli rice to poha/aval. 
    • You can use red or white poha for this dosa. And I always use the thick variety of poha for this recipe. 
    • Fenugreek seeds and toor dal add a nice flavor, so don’t skip them.

    Dietary specifications & yield

    This aval dosa is naturally vegan (unless you use ghee for making dosa), gluten-free, and nut-free, making it suitable for all. 

    The below measure yields approx 15 to 16 dosa.

    Prepare the batter ahead and make them when needed. Relish the aval dosa hot with chutney or sambar. I have never made these dosas ahead and stored them for a long time. 

    How to make aval dosa

    Rinsing and soaking

    • Take the idli rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, and toor dal in a bowl.
    toor dal, fenugreek seeds, idli rice and urad dal in a bowl
    • Wash them together atleast 4 to 5 times until the water runs clear. Now add sufficient water and soak for atleast 5 to 6 hours.
    soaking the ingredients for the dosa
    • Take the poha in a separate bowl and rinse it thoroughly. Now add sufficient water soak poha for one hour. 
    soaking the poha

    Grinding the ingredients

    collage of grinding the dosa batter in the mixer jar
    • (Pic 1 ) Drain the water from the rice, dal mixture. In the blender (I used my Blendtec), add ¼ cup of water to the bottom. Then, add the drained rice, dal mixture. 
    • (Pic 2) Grind it into a smooth batter by adding water as required. I added ¼ cup + 2 tbsp of water for this batch and used my smoothie setting to grind the batter. I ground it only for 40 seconds.
    • (Pic 3) Now add the drained poha. I did not transfer my rice mixture. I added the poha on top of it. 
    • (Pic 4) Grind into a smooth batter by adding water as required. You might need little extra water for this batch. I added ½ cup + 2 tbsp of water, and you have to mix it in between using a silicone spatula. If not, the batter gets stuck in between the blades. Overall we need 1.5 to 2 cups of water to grind. I used 1.5 cups of water. 

    Fermenting the batter

    • Now transfer the ground batter into a bowl. Use ¼ cup of water to rinse the blender and add it to the batter. Add salt and mix well. 
    ground dosa batter
    • You can make the dosa right away, but I usually let it ferment for 5 to 8 hours. We love the sour fermented taste, so I let the batter sit. A slight fermentation like below is more than sufficient. 
    fermented aval dosa batter

    Preparing the dosa

    • Mix the batter well, and it should be in pouring consistency. If needed, add ¼ cup of water. I did add a little water.
    mixed dosa batter
    • (Pic 1)Heat a well seasoned cast-iron pan, and when it is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low. Take a spoon/ladle full of batter and pour it on the pan. Slightly spread it and do not make it too thin or spread as we do for regular dosa. Spread some oil around the edges; ½ tsp should be sufficient. 
    • (Pic 2) Cover it with the lid and let the aval dosa cook in the steam. It usually takes about 50 to 60 seconds. Timing is approx, make sure the top side completely cooked.
    • (Pic 3)Here is the cooked dosa. As you can see, the color of the dosa is changed, and you can loosen the edges and remove the dosa from the pan – no need to flip and cook. 
    • (Pic 4) As I mentioned before, flipping and cooking the dosa on both sides is optional. But no harm in doing that. Just to show the bottom of the dosa, I have flipped it here. Just cook for 15 to 20 seconds and remove from the pan. 
    collage of aval dosa making process
    • Similarly, make the dosa with the remaining batter and serve hot with chutney or sambar. 

    Recipe notes

    • I have always tried this dosa with toor dal. Toor dal adds nice texture and flavor. But you can experiment without it.
    • Fermentation is optional, and flipping and cooking the dosa on the other is also optional. 
    • Aval dosa batter is for soft and spongy dosas. Cooking the dosa in steam yields soft dosa, and don’t skip that. Do not overspread the dosa. 
    poha dosa served in black plate with onion chutney on the side and in the side there is gray fabric

    Explore other dosa recipes

    • Azhagar Kovil Dosai
    • Vallarai Keerai Dosai | Indian Pennywort Dosa
    • Carrot Coin Dosai
    • Vendiya Dosai | Methi Dosa

    PS:  If you try this aval dosa, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.

    📖 Recipe

    aval dosa served in black plate with onion chutney
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Aval Dosai | Soft and Spongy Poha Dosa

    My soft and spongy aval dosai/poha dosa recipe without any yogurt or buttermilk! Easy-to-make and naturally vegan aval dosa recipe!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Soaking + fermentation time10 hrs
    Total Time10 hrs 25 mins
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Servings: 5 (yields 15 to 16 dosa)
    Calories: 260kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

    • 1 cup idli rice
    • ¼ cup urad dal
    • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 2 tbsp toor dal
    • 1 cup poha/aval thick variety.
    • 1.5 cups water to grind plus more for rinsing and soaking
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 3 tbsp oil for making the dosa. ½ tsp for each dosa

    Instructions

    Rinsing and soaking

    • Take the idli rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, and toor dal in a bowl.
    • Wash them together atleast 4 to 5 times until the water runs clear. Now add sufficient water and soak for atleast 5 to 6 hours.
    • Take the poha in a separate bowl and rinse it thoroughly. Now add sufficient water soak poha for one hour.

    Grinding the ingredients

    • (Pic 1 ) Drain the water from the rice, dal mixture. In the blender (I used my Blendtec), add ¼ cup of water to the bottom. Then, add the drained rice, dal mixture.
    • (Pic 2) Grind it into a smooth batter by adding water as required. I added ¼ cup + 2 tbsp of water for this batch and used my smoothie setting to grind the batter. I ground it only for 40 seconds.
    • (Pic 3) Now add the drained poha. I did not transfer my rice mixture. I added the poha on top of it.
    • (Pic 4) Grind into a smooth batter by adding water as required. You might need little extra water for this batch. I added ½ cup + 2 tbsp of water, and you have to mix it in between using a silicone spatula. If not, the batter gets stuck in between the blades. Overall we need 1.5 to 2 cups of water to grind. I used 1.5 cups of water.

    Fermenting the batter

    • Now transfer the ground batter into a bowl. Use ¼ cup of water to rinse the blender and add it to the batter. Add salt and mix well.
    • You can make the dosa right away, but I usually let it ferment for 5 to 8 hours. We love the sour fermented taste, so I let the batter sit. A slight fermentation like below is more than sufficient.

    Preparing the dosa

    • Mix the batter well, and it should be in pouring consistency. If needed, add ¼ cup of water. I did add a little water.
    • (Pic 1)Heat a well seasoned cast-iron pan, and when it is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low. Take a spoon/ladle full of batter and pour it on the pan. Slightly spread it and do not make it too thin or spread as we do for regular dosa. Spread some oil around the edges; ½ tsp should be sufficient.
    • (Pic 2) Cover it with the lid and let the aval dosa cook in the steam. It usually takes about 50 to 60 seconds. Timing is approx, make sure the top side completely cooked.
    • (Pic 3)Here is the cooked dosa. As you can see, the color of the dosa is changed, and you can loosen the edges and remove the dosa from the pan – no need to flip and cook.
    • (Pic 4) As I mentioned before, flipping and cooking the dosa on both sides is optional. But no harm in doing that. Just to show the bottom of the dosa, I have flipped it here. Just cook for 15 to 20 seconds and remove from the pan.
    • Similarly, make the dosa with the remaining batter and serve hot with chutney or sambar.

    Notes

    • I have always tried this dosa with toor dal. Toor dal adds nice texture and flavor. But you can experiment without it.
    • Fermentation is optional, and flipping and cooking the dosa on the other is also optional. 
    • Aval dosa batter is for soft and spongy dosas. Cooking the dosa in steam yields soft dosa, and don’t skip that. Do not overspread the dosa. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 472mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel
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    Filed Under: Breakfast / Tiffins, Dosa Varieties

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hamsini Ravi says

      April 08, 2022 at 9:30 am

      To double the batter volume can I just increase each ingredient by 2x?

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 11, 2022 at 3:57 pm

        Yes, that works. Thanks

        Reply
    2. Suma Gandlur says

      February 03, 2022 at 10:44 am

      Looking forward to your dosa series. These soft and spongy dosas are a favorited at our home as well. I have always ground the batter with just rice, poha and yogurt. Will bookmark this to try later.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        February 03, 2022 at 6:41 pm

        Thanks Suma. I am trying to avoid dairy products so this procedure works for me.

        Reply
    3. Harini Rupanagudi says

      January 24, 2022 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      Same pinch Srividya. I have also started the Dosa series. And I have also started with aval dosa but slightly different ingredients and size. Looking forward to the series.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 26, 2022 at 3:24 pm

        Oh wow that’s awesome. Thanks Harini.

        Reply
    4. Narmadha says

      January 18, 2022 at 10:40 am

      5 stars
      Aval dosa looks so soft and spongy. I also love making dosa with a fermented batter than making it immediately. Looking forward to your interesting dosa recipes

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 26, 2022 at 3:45 pm

        Thanks so much

        Reply
    5. Radha says

      January 13, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      Love dosas and this is a great one! I make it ina different way but would love to try this recipe too!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 16, 2022 at 11:26 am

        Thanks Radha.

        Reply
    6. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      January 04, 2022 at 10:36 am

      5 stars
      I love that we can make this dosa instantly as well as fermented. We all prefer dosai to idli and looking forward to your different dosa batter recipes

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        January 05, 2022 at 11:40 am

        Thanks Sandhya. :-)

        Reply

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