Neer Dosa Recipe – a light, soft, lacey and delicious dosas from the Karnataka region. These are prepared mainly with soaked rice and fresh grated coconut. Also, no fermentation process required for neer dosa. They taste great with chutney, tomato chutney, sambar, veggies or fish curries. This recipe comes from my aunt who comes from the Mangalore region. I am thankful to her for this recipe.

I and my sis have grown up eating neer dosas. My mother makes them without coconut and serves mostly with red or green chutney. However, this recipe has an addition of fresh coconut which gives a different impact and flavor to the neer dosas. Love the way they look so lacey and pricey that I feel like calling them Designer Dosas 😉 instead of neer dosas.
The batter of this recipe is very thin and watery unlike normal dosa batter. If you are making for the first time then be wary you may not get it all right the first time. But as you keep making neer dosas you would master the art of making them.
Neer means water in Tulu language hence the name neer dosa. I know this as my aunt comes from the Shetty background and learned some tulu language from her 😉 Some popular recipes from Mangalore are prawns gassi, kori roti, sukha (dry) chicken and fish kondapuri.
As the batter is as thin as water but the outcome is fluffy, soft and lacey dosas. Preferably use a nonstick pan for neer dosas. If you use an iron skillet the dosas might stick to the pan. But also let me highlight in olden days neer dosas were made on normal pans so I leave the choice up to you.
The best part for these dosas are you don’t require to ferment them prior. You just grind and your batter is ready for making dosas. Along with chutney even prawns curry or chicken curry tastes fab. My personal favorite is neer dosas with left over prawns curry.
Let’s make Neer Dosa recipe step by step:
- Soak the rice with enough water covering them for 5-6 hrs or over-night.
2. Next day discard the water and grind the rice with fresh chopped or grated coconut.
3. Grind for 30 secs without water then add 1/2 cup water. Keep grinding in batches until you get a smooth mixture out of it. Ensure the batter is smooth. Please don’t add too much water else you won’t get a smooth batter.
4. If your grinder is heating up then switch off and grind again after some time. Remove the mixture in the desired vessel.
5. Add salt, about 1 cup of water and mix nicely. The mixture shouldn’t be thick and should slightly coat the back of your spoon. If its thicker then add a little water. Best would be to do a check before you make the actual dosas.
6. Heat your nonstick pan on high heat for a minute then pour little batter at the center of the pan.
7. The batter should spread on it’s own and should form lacey patterns with little holes in it.
8. If it doesn’t spread or has lacey effect that means there is something wrong with the batter. So check the batter consistency and also the pan is required to be very hot else you won’t get the lacey dosas.
9. Once your pour the batter just drizzle a few drops of oil around. Ensure you do not put too much batter else the dosas would turn out thick. If the holes in the dosas appear to be big just fill with few drops of batter.
10. Now cover the-the dosa with a lid and allow to cook on slow gas.
11. Once its cooked just make a semi circle then into a triangle with your hand or spatula.
12. Repeat the same with the rest of batter. If the batter is more then reserve for the next day.
Serve your neer dosas hot with chutney, sambar, curries or kurma.
You could make them in 1-2 hours in advance and store them tightly into a casserole.
If you are looking for more dosa or crepe recipes then do check cheese dosa, plain dosa, oats dosa, instant oats dosa, ragi dosa, moong dal chilla and oats uttapam.
Neer Dosa Recipe and the printable version below:
- 1 cup rice sonamasuri or boiled rice or surti kolam or parimal rice
- 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
- 2 - 2.5 cups water or as required
- salt as per taste
- Soak the rice with enough water covering them for 5-6 hrs or
over-night . - Next day discard the water and grind the rice with fresh chopped or grated coconut.
- Grind for 30 secs without water then add ½ cup water. Keep grinding in batches until you get a smooth mixture out of it. Ensure the batter is smooth.
- If your grinder is heating up then switch off and grind again after some time. Remove the mixture in the desired vessel.
- Add salt, about 1 cup of water and mix nicely. The mixture shouldn't be thick and should slightly coat the back of your spoon. If
its thicker then addlittle water. Best would be to do a check before you make the actualdosas . - Heat your
non stick pan on high heat for a minute then pour little batter at the center of the pan. The batter should spread onit's own and should formlacey patterns with little holes in it. If it doesn't spread or has lacey effect that means there is something wrong with the batter. So check the batter consistency and also the pan is required to be very hot else you won't get thelacey dosas. - Once your pour the batter just drizzle
few drops of oil around. Ensure you do not put too much batter else the dosas would turn out thick. If the holes in thedosas appear to be big just fill with few drops of batter. - Now cover
dosa with a lid and allow to cook on slow gas.the the - Once
its cooked just make a semi circle then into a triangle with your hand or spatula. - Repeat the same with the rest of batter. If the batter is more then reserve for the next day.
- Serve your neer dosas hot with chutney, sambar, curries or kurma.
2. Before pouring the batter ensure the pan is nicely heated. After pouring the batter reduce the flame. This is the trick for best neer dosas.
3. After making 2-3 dosas just take a thick paper napkin and keep wiping your pan.
4. Drizzle some oil after pouring the neer dosa batter.
5. Cover and cook this would fasten the process of making neer dosas.
6. While you pour the batter it has to spread on it's own and give you the lacey effect. If not then check the batter consistency or the temperature of your pan.
7. There is no need to ferment this batter.
8. You could double the quantity for more servings.
Praneeta Sawant says
As you’ve mentioned that you’ve an aunt from Mangalore, I’d request you to share the recipe of Kori Roti. Also, please share how Roti is made.
I had eaten it once and eagerly waiting to know how it is made.
Thanks in advance.
maria says
Sure praneeta would check with my aunt and post the recipe but give me some time as right now posting Diwali sweets.
indugetscooking says
I have been looking for a good neer dosa like forever. This looks so perfect. Definitely trying out. I am pinning this.
maria says
Surely try Indu and thankyou so much 🙂
Rita says
Love the fluffy neer dosa. We parsis have a similar “Sandhra” made from rice flour and coconut milk. Since these are rice based are they good for diabetics?
maria says
Thankyou so much Rita 🙂 love parsi food. It depends what kind of diabetes you have but if you have rice in moderation and exercise then it shouldn’t be bad for you. Hope this help’s you.