Sunday Breakfast Series: Episode 1 — Rava Dosa

Welcome to Sunday Breakfast.A new series that explores the joy of slow, soulful mornings —when the coffee’s rich, the music’s soft,and the kitchen feels like home.

These are the breakfasts I save for unhurried days — recipes that carry stories, aromas that stir memories, and flavors meant to be savored. Comforting, nostalgic, and never too fussy. Just one special breakfast at a time.

This Sunday, we begin — and I’m starting with a dish that makes Sunday feel like Sunday: the ever-magical rava dosa.

The Sizzle That Takes You Back

The first sizzle really does take you back.

It’s that sharp crackle as the batter hits the hot pan — sudden, loud, familiar. Then comes the lift of scent: finely chopped onions caramelizing into the lacy edges, cumin seeds warming up, the brightness of cilantro and green chilies waking everything up.

If you’ve made rava dosa before, you already know this sound and smell by heart. If you haven’t — welcome. You’re in for a treat that’s as much about memory as it is about flavor.

This isn’t your everyday dosa. It’s quick, but it feels like something you waited for. It skips the fermentation process, which makes it the perfect choice when you want that dosa feeling without the prep. And that golden lace at the edges? It's everything.

Here’s the recipe exactly as I make it:

RAVA DOSA BATTER:

• ¾ cup course fine rava (semolina, I use the Bob’s Red Mill version)

• ½ cup rice flour

• ¼ cup all-purpose

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp hing

• ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro

• 1 medium red onion, finely diced

• ½ - 1 tsp salt or to taste

• 4 Thai chilis, finely chopped

• ½ cup kefir

• 3–3½ cups water

To prepare the batter, start by mixing together the rava, rice flour, salt, all-purpose flour, hing, and cumin seeds. Add in the kefir and slowly whisk until the dry ingredients are fully combined and lump-free. Mix in half of the water and allow the mixture to sit, covered, for a minimum of 30 minutes. After resting, add the remaining water and mix well. Fold in the onions, cilantro, and Thai chilies, giving everything a good stir.

Remember: this batter is very different from traditional fermented dosa batter. It should have the consistency of thin buttermilk and will look very watery.

To make the dosas, use a ladle and pour the batter onto a heated non-stick pan. Always start pouring from the outside in, and never pour over any area where batter has already landed. This is how you get that iconic lacey texture.

Drizzle about ¼–½ tsp of oil around the perimeter of the dosa, and a few drops across the surface.

Let it cook for about 2 minutes on a medium flame, until the edges and bottom begin to turn golden and crispy.

Use a spatula to gently loosen the dosa around the edges. If you’re using a good non-stick pan, this part should be easy. Once it’s free, flip the dosa and let it crisp slightly on the other side for another minute. Flip it back, fold over, and serve.

Best served with cilantro coconut chutney and potato onion sabji.

P.S. Rava dosas in my house are never served with sambar — just chutney and sabji.

More recipes are coming, each with their own story, their own rhythm, and that quiet Sunday morning energy. Thanks for being here for the very first one.