Sesame Free Vegan Masala Dosa
Masala dosa is one of those dishes that feels almost magical — a paper-thin, lacey crepe wrapped around a warmly spiced potato filling, served alongside a bright, cooling coconut chutney. The batter starts with just rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, and salt, soaked and then fermented until it develops that signature faint tang that makes the finished dosa so complex and satisfying. The potato masala gets its depth from mustard seeds popping in hot oil, fresh curry leaves, green chiles, ginger, and turmeric — nothing exotic or hard to source, just layered aromatics doing serious work. Because every component is built from whole, straightforward ingredients, there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden sesame oil or tahini-based sauces that can sneak into restaurant versions of this dish. The coconut chutney comes together in a blender and gets finished with a quick tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, adding a smoky, nutty note without any sesame in sight. Getting the dosa itself right is a little bit of a technique — spreading the batter in a quick spiral to achieve that thin, crisp round — but once you nail the motion, it becomes genuinely fun to cook. This is the kind of recipe that rewards patience during the fermentation step and pays you back with a meal that tastes like it came from a really great South Indian restaurant.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the dosa batter
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- ½ cup urad dal (split black lentils)
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp salt
For the potato masala
- 1 ½ lb yukon gold potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower), divided
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 10 fresh curry leaves
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 green chiles (such as serrano or thai), thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
For cooking
- 2–3 tbsp neutral oil, for cooking the dosas
For the coconut chutney
- 1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut (or unsweetened desiccated coconut)
- 1 green chile, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 5 fresh curry leaves
- 1 dried red chile
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice and urad dal separately under cold water until the water runs clear. Combine them in a large bowl with the fenugreek seeds and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Soak for 6–8 hours or overnight at room temperature.
- 2
Drain the soaked rice and dal. Working in two batches if needed, blend the rice with just enough fresh cold water (start with 1/2 cup per batch) until the batter is smooth but with a very slight graininess — it should pour like thick cream. Blend the dal and fenugreek separately until completely smooth and airy, adding water a tablespoon at a time. Combine both in the large bowl, stir in the salt, and mix well. Cover and let the batter ferment at room temperature for 8 hours, until it has risen slightly and smells faintly tangy. (In a cold kitchen, place the covered bowl in an oven with just the light on.)
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