Today I’m sharing one of the easiest South Indian delicacies – Neer Dosa or lacy rice crepes. Making neer dosa is a part of life in South India, particularly in the Karnataka State, where I grew up. Simple, tasty and fun to make.

Like many kids in Mangalore, neer dosa was one of my favourite things growing up. The sound of the sizzling batter, the smell of freshly fried neer dosa and waiting to be woken up to eat the first dosa straight from the pan. One of those simple joys in life. Every time I make them now, it brings all those childhood memories rushing back.

My son loves them so much, he was ecstatic that I was posting the Neer Dosa recipe on my website!!!

Commonly referred to as Neer Dosa, it is a well-known rice crepe/bread in the South Indian cuisine. It is fried on a hot griddle/cast iron pan and looks like a soft, round large white lacy coaster, although it is usually served folded into quarters.

This type of flat rice bread is particularly popular in the Mangalorean and Konkan regions of India.

In Mangalore, my hometown in the State of Karnataka, in Tulu and Kannada language the word Neer = water and Dosa = pancakes. Panpolay/panpole is the Konkani (my mother tongue) term for this crepe type bread.

In Mangalore and Udupi, these rice crepes are a staple for everyday breakfast served with Red Coconut Chutney and Coconut and Lentil Chutney.

Among Mangalorean Catholics, panpolays are also a very popular bread for festive occasions, served with delicious Chicken Indad Curry, Mangalorean Pork Bafat, Mangalorean Pork Sorpotel and Mangalorean Christmas Special Pork Indad.

Panpolays/Neer Dosa are equally delicious with my most recent innovative pork dish – Jerk Spiced Coorg Pork.

They can be found in many restaurant menus in South India; however, why go to a restaurant when you can easily make them in your very own kitchen, at your very own time!!!

Traditionally, Panpolay/Neer Dosa is made from 3 very simple ingredients. Yes, that’s correct – soaked rice, salt and water. It can be made with various types of short- grain rice such as, idly rice, idli dosa rice or sona masoori rice. For health reasons, many people also use the long-grain Basmati rice.

These 3 ingredients are ground to a toothpaste like batter (very fine). The batter is then watered down into a very runny flowing batter that resembles milk. This unfermented batter is then fried on a hot, lightly greased cast iron pan (traditionally) or a non-stick frying pan, in the absence of a cast iron pan. The finished neer dosa will look lacy, not so much on the top but on the bottom.

Lo and behold, there are many variations these days, where the rice is ground with coconut or some versions use coconut milk in place of water to blend the rice.

The good news is, they all end up looking like white crepes and every version tastes delicious.

No. They are different. The difference is in the ingredients used and the way the batter is prepared.

Panpolays are made with unfermented watery batter of uncooked rice, whereas dosas/dosai, on the other hand, are made with a fermented batter of uncooked rice and lentils.

They also look different. Neer Dosa has a thin crepe type lacy appearance, while a normal set dosa/dose/Dosai looks dense and a crispy masala dosa does have a visibly crispy look.

In the months leading up to posting this recipe, I have done extensive experiments with commonly available types of short-grain rice – idli rice, idli dosa rice, sona masoori rice and raw rice.

Although Basmati rice is rarely used to make neer dosa, this long grain Basmati rice was also put to test, as this rice is popular among those with dietary restrictions. Whether you use long grain or short grain rice, it is good to note that moderation is always the key. If in doubt, consume in moderation!

I am based in Australia and most Indian grocers’ stock the above types of rice. Let me walk you through my results, very briefly, without boring you.

• Idli rice – Yields best results if you follow my recipe and use the same quantity of water to thin down the batter (650mL-675mL).

• idli/dosa rice – Also yields good results. The images above and below show panpolay made with idli rice and idli/dosa rice.

• Basmati rice – Yields good results but in my opinion, may require 50mL less water. During my umpteen experiments with umpteen types of rice, I observed this rice yields tasty and soft neer dosa, albeit with a diminished lacy look. If you are a stickler for a lacy look, I would recommend you use idli rice, idli/dosa rice or sona masoori rice.

• Sona masoori rice – Also yields good results with a lacy finish on the bottom.

• Raw rice – Although this rice is stocked with all Indian grocers, I found this rice is not the best rice for neer dosa. There have been times when my neer dosas have torn and lead to many a disappointment, yet at other occasions I was lucky. I would recommend, you keep the batter a little thicker, if you are using this rice as there are chances, a thinner batter could lead to splitting the neer dosa.

Panpolay | Neer Dosa showing the lacy side

When it comes to making panpolay / neer dosa, all it requires is some rice. It is the same type of rice that we use to make a batter for idli or fermented rice cakes. Unlike the other dosa, you don’t even need to ferment the batter. Seriously, is there a bread out there, that’s easier to prepare than this beauty?

An optional ingredient – a little coconut is added for taste and a nutty flavour, although it is not traditional to add coconut. Adding sugar is also not traditional and sugar is also an optional ingredient, but I add it particularly when serving panpolay for breakfast. Salt of course seasons the batter.

Here’s what you need to make the Panpolay | Neer Dosa:

• Rice – I have used aged Basmati for my most recent trial because people with diabetes prefer to use basmati rice and enjoy these neer dosas, in moderation of course! Alternate: Idli rice, idli dosa rice or sona masoori rice. Basmati rice yields soft and tasty panpolay however, we do not get the signature lacy pattern as in other types of rice. Idli rice and idli dosa rice yields crepe like neer dosa and so does sona masoori rice. Recipe Note: Don’t be alarmed if the surface of the dosa does not have the same pattern as the bottom, as the pattern is only on the bottom.

• Coconut – Traditionally, no coconut is added, however, fresh coconut is abundant in South India, where I grew, and a little coconut adds softness, taste and a delicate coconut flavour. You may use freshly grated, frozen freshly grated (defrosted of course) or shredded coconut, if that’s all you have.

• Salt – Unless you are omitting salt for health reasons, salt seasons and flavours the batter. Add 1-2 tsp. depending on personal taste.

• Sugar (optional) – Again, not traditional but I believe, a little sugar adds taste. Feel free to omit, if you are not a fan.

• Water – The liquid to blend the rice and thin the batter. When blending, use minimal quantity of tepid water to rotate the blades comfortably (I add approx.160mL per batch). Substitute: Ice cold water – helps the batter from heating up during blending. Once, both batches of rice are ground to a toothpaste like consistency, transfer the batter to a deep bowl and water it down to a runny milk consistency batter.
  • So, how much water to thin the batter? Read below for a run down on quantity of water to thin down neer dosa batter.

Neer Dosa is made with a very thin batter. In this recipe I have used 2 cups of rice. Many online recipes call for a ratio of 1: 2 (1= rice & 2=water). Unfortunately, my attempts to use this ratio have failed. At least, this ratio does not work for any commonly available types of rice in Sydney – idli rice, idli dosa rice, Sona masoori rice or raw rice.

In all my trials, I have used 650mL – 700mL water to water down the batter of 2 cups of rice. In other words, the total quantity of water required to blend the rice and thin down the batter is approximately 1 litre. Anymore, and you may end up with torn dosas and whole heap of heartaches.

So, here’s the breakdown of how I use the water – I blend rice in two batches, in my small Preethi mixie, with 160mL water for each batch of rice. Once the two batches are ground, I thin down the batter with 650mL – 700mL. The neer dosas made using the water mentioned here, from all above rice types come out soft, tasty, albeit slightly thicker and not so porous looking on the top, as you see in some videos online.

If you are in doubt, add 650mL water first, then test by frying one neer dosa. If you are happy that the dosa is not cracked or torn and has a lacy appearance on the bottom, you are set to go.

If you are not happy, add water in small increments (say 50mL) and thin the batter further. Test again, by frying another neer dosa.

The tricky part is getting the batter consistency and the pan temperature right. Frying these neer dosa is a skill which you will master quite quickly. Don’t be put off, if the first couple of times you don’t get it right.

Struggling to do flat and round dosas? Then you are in the right place because Neer Dosas are a beginner’s friend. Neer Dosas are lacy yet rustic looking, and you will find hope for your culinary skills with neer dosas, as they do not need a concrete shape when they are done!!!

I have been trialling this recipe for 2 years using a flat cast iron pan and flat non-stick frying pan. My cast iron pan is more than 3 decades old, is well seasoned however, it is not non-stick. Over these years it has developed a smooth, polymerized oil surface that prevents dosas from sticking. This pan is a dedicated pan for making neer dosa and set dosa and I mean this for a good reason because dosas do not turn out good if you use this pan for other purposes.

• Flat cast iron pan – If you have a cast iron pan, then, with the quantity of water I have mentioned and proper temperature control, this pan works very well. The neer dosas do not turn out white as the base gets slightly caramelised due to the pan reaching a higher temperature during cooking. The neer dosas turn out soft, with a lacy base and tasty.

• Non-stick flat frying pan – If you do not have a cast iron pan, then feel free to use a flat non-stick pan. You can get away with using 50mL more water than what is called for in the recipe. A non-stick pan is more forgiving and quicker to fry neer dosa. The resulting neer dosas are pure white with lovely lacy pattern on the bottom.

In all my trials over the last 2 years, the neer dosas have a lacy pattern only on the bottom and the tops have a slightly porous look. I’m yet to master the art of getting them papery thin and lacy on the top! One day for sure!!

I have often wondered why I cannot get my neer dosas to look like some neer dosas I have seen online and it is my belief that, in India, certain types of rice are solely used only to make neer dosas and thus achieve these results.