Pineapple Dosa/Dosai
Soft, golden, and porous Pineapple Dosa with a delightful balance of sweet and tart. A tropical cousin of the set dosa/dosay, perfect for breakfast with friends, brunch with family with a good cuppa or as an after-school snack!
Pineapple dosa/dose is a soft golden porous pancake/bread made from a fermented batter of rice, canned pineapple, yeast and coconut. With a delightful balance of sweet and tart, it’s best enjoyed on its own or with a generous drizzle of pineapple sauce for that exotic taste of the tropics. I love it for breakfast, as a snack or anytime I’m in the mood for an indulgent fruity tang.
Across India there are a myriad of dosa variants known for their shape, size, texture and consistency. Without a doubt, I am a fan of the golden-brown tunnel shaped crispy masala dosa with a spice potato filling. A dosa or a crepe with the perfect crispiness and thickness such as served in Diana, Udupi, is one of my fondest memories of growing up in Udupi. How time flies??
While the heady whiff of the butter dosa (benne dose) wafts over Udupi, my hometown, the city at the heart of Karnataka with a place on the culinary map, the little chef in me is paving the way to transport that nostalgia into my kitchen in Sydney to gratify my palate but with a twist.
Although I love the taste and the crispy texture of the masala dosas, I have been dying to create a sweet savoury dosa/thick pancake featuring one of my most favourite tropical fruits – the exotic pineapple.
This post is about creating a tropical tasting dosa with tinned pineapple and it is sure to please both the sweet tooths and savoury dosa lovers.
What is a pineapple dosa?
Unlike the other dosa variants, pineapple dosa/dose is a thick pancake and is a sweet cousin of the savoury set dose. FYI the name set dose refers to a serving style, in which 3 dosas are served in a set/batch along with accompaniments such as chutneys or sambhar.
Pineapple dosa gets its unique savoury sweet tangy taste by soaking, blending and fermenting idli/idli dosa rice, pineapple, yeast and a little shredded/fresh coconut, then frying the batter into a thick, medium size pancake. Texturally, pineapple dosa is soft, porous and light. It is small in size and resembles a set dosa.
While traditionally South Indian dosas are served with savoury sides and fillings, dosas are also served with sweet fillings. My Pineapple Dosa is a fine example of a sweet dosa which is given a delectable tropical touch by the addition of canned pineapple.
Hope my special pineapple dosa recipe has inspired you to dig out that can of pineapples from the pantry and let your creative juices flow to celebrate the fusion of sweet and tart in one fruity South Indian style dosa!
My pineapple dosa/dose is sweet, moist and packed full of pineapple flavour. It is beautiful served still warm on its own or with an oozing pineapple sauce and a few shavings of freshly grated coconut (I used frozen and defrosted grated coconut) to enhance the tropical flavours of this pineapple dosa.
frequently asked questions
why use canned pineapple
Canned pineapple is easy to source, and you can whip this delicious fruity tropical dosa any time of the year.
how long should i ferment the batter
The batter ferments in 2-3 hours if you have used yeast that is well within its due date. The fermented batter looks airy and increases in volume only slightly. If the batter is not airy, ferment it for a little longer say, another hour.
can I make batter ahead of time
The batter can be prepared and fermented a day in advance. Cover the fermented batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to use, bring to room temperature by leaving on your benchtop for 1 hour and stir the batter well to loosen. As there is pineapple in the batter, it is recommended that you use any leftover batter within 24 hours.
Oops, I messed up my first dosa!
Like masala dosas your first set dosa/dose may not come out perfect.
Don’t worry if your first pineapple dosa fails because it usually fails for a reason. It is possible that the griddle may not be hot enough when the batter is poured.
It may be that there is excess oil in your pan.
To prevent that from happening, I would recommend you heat the lightly greased griddle for a couple of minutes or until a drop of water sizzles on contact. The dosa will be beautiful and golden when the griddle is of right temperature and the pan is very lightly greased.
what’s the best way to reheat dosas!
To reheat, cover the dosa with plastic wrap and microwave for 40 to 50 seconds or until just warm. Overheating the dosa can render it becoming stiff.
ingredients for the Pineapple Dosa/Dosai batter
If you set aside the pantry essentials, this mouthwatering pineapple dosa is made with such few ingredients and yet with shockingly good results.
The bonus is, you do not even need fresh pineapple for this recipe as you probably have a can of pineapples sitting right there in your pantry already!!
Here’s what goes into making the Pineapple Dosa/Dose:
- Idli Rice/Idli Dosa Rice (Mutambo in Konkani) – Best rice to make soft dosas and other south Indian rice breads. Wash rice under cold running water a couple of times. Drain, cover the rice completely with tap water and soak uncovered for roughly 4 hours at room temperature. Blend as per recipe. Find at: All Indian grocery stores in small or large packets.
- Canned/tinned pineapple pieces in juice/syrup – There are many varieties of canned pineapple. I have tried both pineapple chunks in juice and syrup, but I think the dosa tastes best, more complex with pineapple chunks in syrup.
- Dry yeast – when added to the batter, it kicks off the fermentation process. It also contributes to the overall flavour, aroma and porous texture of this dosa. I use Tandaco dry yeast that comes in 5 x 7g sachets. Following the recipe instructions is crucial for producing soft, porous dosas. To avoid disappointment, do not store opened sachet.
- Shredded coconut/fresh coconut – Pairs well with pineapple. Adds a refreshing layer of flavour, richness and unique taste.
- Sugar – Adds a hint of sweetness. Alternative: You may add a tablespoon of palm sugar to the batter, in which case, the dosa will be darker in colour. You will still need to use white sugar as per recipe to make the yeast solution.
- Salt – Just to balance the sweetness.
- Oil – For greasing the griddle to fry the dosas. I use a neutral flavoured oil such as, vegetable oil. Don’t ever use olive oil, as it will be too strong in taste. You may use coconut oil if you have it handy. Lightly grease the griddle/non-stick frying pan before making each dosa. If there is excess oil in the griddle, wipe off excess with paper towel. Wiping excess oil also helps dosa to get golden without burning.
Possible add-ons. You can add extra flavour into your batter with a teaspoon of pineapple flavouring, if you have it handy in your pantry.
Pineapple Dosa/Dosai making Video
how to make Pineapple dosa!
The process of making pineapple dosas involves soaking and blending rice with pineapple, coconut, pineapple syrup/juice and a little water. This batter is then fermented with a mixture of yeast and sugar until the batter is frothy and risen slightly. Fermenting the batter improves the texture and creates those characteristic holes in the dosa – just like my mum’s.
The batter needs about 2 to 3 hours to ferment but once the batter has fermented, they are very quick to make. The batter is then poured on to a hot griddle (tawa or tava) and cooked until lightly golden, then flipped over and cooked on the other side until golden.
The addition of pineapple and coconut is a tasty, sweet variation of the traditional set dosa/dosay. You are going to really love this mildly sweet and mildly tart dosa!!
Here’s my easy Step-by-Step tutorial for the Pineapple Dosa/Dosai that you can whip up any time of the year using a can of pineapple chunks that you may already have in your pantry.
The full instructions to make this Pineapple Dosa are in the recipe card below, but here are some helpful tips to go along with the process photos.
Here’s what we are trying to achieve at each step:
wash and soak the rice
Begin by washing the rice in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water a couple of times. Cover the rice completely with water and soak for 4 hours or overnight.
Make the yeast solution
Sprinkle yeast over the water. Add sugar and stir until all the granules are dissolved. Set aside for 30 minutes while you blend the other ingredients.
blend pineapple, rice, coconut and salt
First, blend the drained pineapple in a blender or similar appliance to a smooth paste. Drain the soaked rice completely and add to the blender. Add coconut, the reserved pineapple juice/syrup and salt. Add about 100mL water gradually and blend to a smooth batter. I blended for 4 minutes at 1 min. intervals.
ferment batter
Pour batter to a deep saucepan. Add the frothy yeast mixture and using your hand, beat for 2 minutes. Beating helps to combine the yeast mixture with the batter and also helps with the fermentation. Taste and season with salt and sugar, if required. Tie loosely with a muslin cloth and ferment in a warm place (I would say 25°C – 27°C is the most ideal temperature).
