An even healthier alternative to a traditional south Indian dosa, this bean and oats dosa uses lima beans and oats. The dosas are crispy and delicious. Serve with coconut chutney.
Making dosas healthier or tastier is a bit like trying to gild a lily. Dosas are traditionally made with rice and lentils which are both terrifically healthy foods packed with fiber and protein, and you can just make a traditional dosa recipe healthier by making it with brown rice, as I usually do.
But sometimes the health nut in you just wants to push the limits.
Last week I soaked a cup of tiny white baby lima beans in water, planning to cook them into a curry some time during the week. But one day passed, then two, and I hadn't come up with the inspiration I needed to use them up.
Meanwhile, I'd started to crave dosas and as I drove home from work the other evening and made a mental note to soak rice and lentils overnight, I remembered those beans. Why not, I thought?
But I'd still have to soak the rice, and even soaked in my parboiled style the rice needs at least two hours' time. But oats, of course, need no soaking time, and I love their fresh, clean taste in just about anything. So why not dosas?
Bean and Oats Dosas it was for dinner, and delicious they were. I made them prettier and tastier by adding a handful of chopped coriander leaves, some curry leaves, and some green chillies, all of which gave them that lovely emerald hue. We polished them off my favorite way: with some coconut chutney(although Desi prefers sambar with his dosa. Well, sometimes I get to do things my way.)
Here's the recipe. Hope everyone's having a great weekend!
More dosa recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup baby lima beans (cover with about 3 inches with water and soak at least overnight)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 jalapeno peppers (chopped, use less for less heat)
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ½- inch knob ginger (chopped)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a blender or a dosa grinder and blend with enough water till you have a runny and smooth batter. The batter should be runnier than a pancake batter, but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Heat a cast-iron or non-stick griddle.
- Using a rounded ladle, pour about ¼ cup of the dosa batter in the center of the griddle. Quickly, using the rounded bottom of the ladle, start spreading the batter outward from the center in a spiralling design, until you have a dosa about 6-7 inches in diameter.
- You can pour a few drops of oil around the dosa's edge to make it crispier, or just spray with some non-stick cooking spray.
- When the underside is golden-brown, flip over and cook another minute or two.
- Serve hot with chutney.
Becky
This looked delicious so I made it last night! Only problem was, when I tried to flip them, they fell apart... I had to make them small and thicker, and didn't get that crispy thin texture I wanted... any suggestions?
Thanks! Otherwise flavor was great!
Vaishali
Maya, you could try black-eyed peas (chawli).
Fifi, Edamame could work, although I presume you are talking about the fresh/frozen edamame as opposed to dry soybeans? I wonder if the water content could be too high -- I'd recommend adding water very slowly, and testing out the recipe with a small amount of ingredients first.
Fifi
Vaishali, do you think I will be able to substitute edamame for the lima beans? I have some that need using up?
Maya
Hi Vaishali... your dosas look yum and super crispy. I'm itching to try them out. I live in Mumbai though, so can you recommend a local substitute for baby lima beans?
Vaishali
Priya, you are welcome to come home and have them any time 🙂
Pavani, Anthony, Thanks!
Mihika, I can understand-- I go through dosa phases too, although mine have never lasted a year :). Curd-rice is usually the last barrier between a vegetarian Indian and veganism-- I think you'll really like the vegan version. Lots of luck with your blog!
Sasha, the measure is for dry beans before soaking. And the beans do not need to be cooked, because they are quite tender after the soaking and they get cooked when you make the dosa.
Sasha
The dosas look yum! Thanks!
Two clarifications:
1. Did you measure the dry beans as one cup or was it after soaking?
2. Did you cook the beans before adding to the batter? (I presume not since they'll be cooked in the dosa anyway but I had to ask!)
Mihika
This looks delicious! My mum went through this phase a year or so ago where she made dosas EVERY SINGLE DAY. Haven't looked at once since.
This recipe may have just convinced me to 😉
This is my first comment on your blog, but I've been reading it for ages! I just started blogging myself 🙂
My next mission is to try that vegan curd-rice recipe you posted; I used to love curd-rice and pickle before I went vegan!
anthony stemke
A very interesting recipe. Thank You.
Pavani
Lima beans and oats is an interesting combination for dosas. They look crispy and delicious.
Priya
Thats soo crispy and great looking dosas, can have two more if u send me some crispy beauties..
Vaishali
Amritha, Ambika, Thanks!
Mahimaa, I make them really paper-thin because that's how Desi and I like dosas. That also helps make them crispy.
Harini-Jaya, Divya, Thanks!
divya
I am hungry now looking at your dish..looks yummy and crispy!
harini-jaya
Love this version..I tried mixed lentils, just oats dosa also..love these healthy version!
Mahimaa's kitchen
how did you get crispy dosa without adding rice? looks so good. would definitely like to try.
Ambika
Wow, that is such a super recipe!! Love the green hue on the dosas! Have a great weekend 🙂
Amritha Kalyani
the dosas looks crispy and healthy too. interesting recipe..