set dosa sponge dosa

Set Dosa Recipe (Sponge Dosa)

By Swasthi on March 5, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Set Dosa also known as Sponge Dosa is a thick, soft and fluffy Dosa variety made with rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and poha. Since these dosas are served in a set of 3, they are called as Set Dosa. This breakfast meal is served with Coconut chutney and Potato Masala or Sagu. These Set Dosa are also sometimes topped with butter. In this post I share how to make restaurant style Set Dosa that literally melts in your mouth.

set dosa

For the uninitiated, dosa is a kind of lentil crepe from South Indian cuisine and there are so many kinds made across the region. Masala Dosa, Rava Dosa and Neer Dosa are some of the staples.

About Set Dosa

This Set Dosa is another variation and is mostly seen on the Karnataka restaurant menus. Crispy thick base, soft spongy & fluffy top with a porous texture is what makes these Set Dosa so much different from the regular crisp thin dosas.

The recipe to make these is very unique and different from the other variations of dosa. Less urad dal, more rice and more poha is what gives these the unique texture.

Some methi seeds are also used to give the batter a rise and fluffy texture to the set dosa.

To make good set dosa, proper fermentation of the batter is very important else it won’t yield porous and spongy dosa.

Fermentation time varies & depends on the climatic conditions or season. You need to follow the same method to ferment the batter as we do for Idli & dosa batter.

In restaurants you will also find variations of set dosa. Pudi dosa & pudi masala dosa are 2 such well known variations. Pudi is the Kannada word for podi.

Podi dosa are made with the same set dosa batter but served in single quantity and not as a set of 3. These dosas are topped with spiced lentil powder, like you see in the pictures.

Pudi masala dosa is served with a topping of podi and potato masala. This variation is quite spicy and delicious too.

Set dosa can be eaten with any Chutney of choice or even topped with Peanut podi.

They can be eaten for a meal anytime of the day and they also go well in the school & office lunch boxes. They can also be served to babies over 10 months, make sure you do not use sour batter if making for baby.

For more Dosa varieties,
Neer dosa
Oats dosa
Cheese dosa
Wheat dosa
Egg dosa

plain sponge dosa

How to make Set Dosa (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Rinse well and soak 2 cups rice (raw or parboiled) in one bowl. Next rinse and soak ½ cup urad dal with 1½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds in another bowl, both for about 5 hours. Rinse poha 2 to 3 times & soak for 10 mins, just before grinding the lentils.

soaking ingredients for 5 hours to make set dosa recipe

2. Add soaked urad dal, fenugreek seeds, ½ teaspoon non-iodized salt and rinsed poha to the blender jar. If you live in a very hot climate, you may add salt later after fermenting.

blending ingredients with water for set dosa recipe

3. Pour 1 cup of water and blend till smooth and bubbly. If needed add more water. I add ¼ to ½ cup more water. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl which you will also use for fermenting the batter. So use a large one.

addition of water to make batter for set dosa recipe

4. Add rice to the blender jar with ¼ to ½ cup water and blend to smooth texture.

addition of rice for blending to make set dosa recipe

5. Transfer this to the bowl containing urad dal batter. Mix everything well until combined. The batter should not be very thin or very thick else it may not ferment well.

mix dal and rice for batter for set dosa recipe step 6

6. Cover and set aside in a warm place till it ferments and rises well. Usually it takes around 8 to 12 hours depending on the temperature. If you live in a cold country, turn on the oven light and place this in your oven over night.

ferment batter for 8 hours to make set dosa recipe

7. After fermentation, it almost doubles. But make sure your batter does not turn sour. Taste test and adjust salt as needed.

doubled quantity of batter to make set dosa recipe step 8

Make Set Dosas

8. Heat a tawa, Gently stir the batter for combining everything well. Test by sprinkling little water if the tawa is hot. A hot tawa sizzles, when water is sprinkled. Pour one ladle of batter on the tawa and gently dab it to spread slightly, do not spread like the regular dosa. The size of these dosas will be small. The stove flame should not be very high else they turn brown at the bottom without cooking. If the tawa is not hot enough, you may not get a good spongy dosa. Sprinkle oil around the edges, you can skip it as well if you are on a oil free diet.

pour the mixture on hot tawa for set dosa recipe attukula dosa

9. Set dosa is not cooked on the inner side, the batter is very airy that cooking it from the bottom, cooks on the inner side as well. However I prefer to cover and cook for a little while and then without the lid. I cook further to make them crispy from the outer side. This is optional. If you are particular about cooking it on the other side, you can flip it and cook on the other side as well.

cooking on a low flame for making set dosa recipe atukula dosa

10. To finish off I like to sprinkle idli podi or pappu podi or flax seed podi. This is optional.

sprinkling oil for making atukula dosa

Serve set dosa hot with your favorite chutney. We had it with beetroot chutney.

set dosa recipe

Pro Tips

Oil-free dosa: This batter cooks up very well to dosa even without any oil or fats. Covering the dosas will help them cook well & retain softness. This is highly recommended if you skip the oil or fats.

Rice: Though I have made this recipe with only parboiled rice (idli rice) in the past with very good results. Lately I have felt only raw rice or a combination of raw rice and parboiled rice works best.

Poha: Use thick poha for this recipe as it works better in rising the batter. If using thin poha, you will need more than mentioned in the recipe.

Salt: Adding salt before fermentation does not work for every one and in every season. I prefer to add salt before fermentation because this works best for me. Also use non-iodized salt. Iodized salt curtails the fermentation process and hinders the batter from rising.

set dosa recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Set Dosa Recipe (Sponge Dosa)

These soft, fluffy & thick lentil dosas are served in a set of 3, with coconut chutney, sagu or potato masala. Serve them anytime for a meal.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
fermentation8 hours
Total Time8 hours 40 minutes
Servings20 set dosas
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 cups raw rice or parboiled rice (like idli rice or sona masuri or any rice)
  • 1 cup poha (thick or medium attukulu or avalakki)
  • ½ cup urad dal (skinned black gram)
  • teaspoons fenugreek seeds (menthulu or methi)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (more to adjust)
  • oil or butter as needed


Instructions

  • Soaking : To make set dosa recipe, firstly add rice to a large bowl and wash very well a few times. Then soak in ample amount of water for about 5 hours. Add urad dal and fenugreek seeds to another bowl and rinse them a few times. Then soak in ample amount of water for about 5 hours. Wash poha just before grinding the batter.
  • Making batter: Drain the water from from both the bowls. Add urad dal, salt, fenugreek seeds and poha to a blender jar along with 1 cup water. Blend them till bubbly. If needed add more water to grind the batter smooth & frothy. Do not add too much water, batter should not be very runny.
  • Transfer the batter to a large batter bowl. Add rice to the jar along with 1/4 cup water. Grind to a smooth batter. Pour this to the urad dal batter. Mix everything well till well combined.
  • Fermenting : Set aside in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours for the batter to ferment and rise well.

How to make Set Dosa

  • Add few drops of oil to a tawa. Using a tissue or cut onion spread the oil very well. Heat the tawa. Mix the batter gently. Taste test and add more salt if required.
  • Pour one ladle full of batter and dab it gently to spread the batter do not spread like a normal dosa. Add oil across the edges.
  • Cover and cook for a while until it is cooked inside. You can flip and cook it for a minute on the inner side as well.
  • To get a crispy set dosa, lower the flame and cook for a while. Sprinkle idli podi if you have it or serve hot with chutney. Repeat making more set dosa on the tawa.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Set Dosa Recipe (Sponge Dosa)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 98 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Sodium 59mg3%
Potassium 23mg1%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Set Dosa Recipe (Sponge Dosa)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Hi Swasthi,
I stay in Mumbai which has a very warm/ hot climate all year through so wanted to know if it’s ok to leave the batter to ferment for 8 to 12 hours..or should I keep in the fridge for a short while.

Hi Swasthi, just a feedback, you may have to check the time lines for the set dosa as it’s saying minutes instead of hours.

It could be misleading to New cooks.
Thanks for your recipes…I have followed quite a few of them and they’ve turned out very good.

5 stars
Thanks Swasthi….appreciate it.

U said combination of raw and boiled rice works best for this dosa please suggest both of their ratios

5 stars
We love these set dosa. I prefer making these than the regular dosas. I have a large griddle on which I make 3 small set dosas in one go. So fast to make. How do you store the leftovers and for how long? Mine turns out too sour the next day. Please advice.

ಕನ್ನಡದ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನು ಪದಾರ್ಥ ಉಪಯೋಗ ಉತ್ತಮ. ಮಸೂರ ಎಂದರೆ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಭಾಷೆಯ ಲೆನ್ಸ್ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Will these keep good till noon in the lunch box

5 stars
Thank you Swasthi. I tried Set dosa recipe & they turned out good. can I use red poha?

5 stars
Awesome set dosas! Tasted amazing with your curry leaves podi and coconut chutney. Thank you.

Does this work on a non stick ?the consistency of batter is to be medium or thick?

Hi swathi, anything to substitute aval? Thank you

Hi Swasthi, my set dosa is not that soft. Plz tell me how I can make it soft ?

Hi swasthi
How to feed dosa for 7 month old baby. How a baby can eat dosa’s and all dear?

5 stars
Thanks a lot dr

Hi Swathi…the poha did not grind well…will it be problem ?

Thank you so much for your advise Swasthi.

Dear Swasthi,
I had kept the batter for more than 24 hours on the kitchen stove area but it did not rise/ferment.
I put it in the fridge as I could smell the sourness.
How do I get rid of this sourness now ?

Thank you so much in advance for your advice.
Lakshmi

Can this same batter be used for idli also?

5 stars
Hey Swasthi,
I had tested set dosa during my trip to Bangalore almost ten years back while was working. But here in Mumbai very less people are known to it. But it turned out so yummy that my husband and kids just loved it. What can be made with leftover better as I read that it is not advisable to serve to kids once it taste sour ? Can I try Idli or dosa adding Ragi flour ?

Thank you so much.

5 stars
It was really tastyyyy.. yammyyyyyyyyyy

5 stars
is it necessary to use only Dosa rice, I do have idli rice can I use that ?

Thanks for your quick reply.. I tried to make it and let it ferment for hours outside on the kitchen top.. but it dint double in size…only a little bit.. 🙁 I was scared of keeping it outside for any longer as it was already 15 hours or more… can i still use it for my toddlers. ? I am reading through all the recipes for my 15 months old twins, one doesnt eat well so thinking of trying this for her…

5 stars
excellent recipe! came out well . One request – please
have a recipe index for faster access and a quick look/scan because,
going through page after page is time consuming and a real pain – thanku
once again .
Hope you do the needful.

Hi,
I don’t have idly or ponni rice. I have only done masoori. Can I try with it? If so what is the ratio?
Thank u.

5 stars
Hi Swathi ,

What to do for fermentation in cold countries ? Can I add some Yeast to it ? If so , what is the quantity ?

Regards/Rekha