Walnut Free Vegan Onion Rava Dosa
Crispy, lacy, and deeply savory, this South Indian street-food classic is built from a handful of pantry staples that come together into something genuinely spectacular. The thin, pourable batter of semolina, rice flour, and all-purpose flour creates those signature lacy holes as it hits the hot pan — no spreading required, just a confident circular pour and a little patience. Finely chopped onion, green chilies, fresh ginger, cumin seeds, and cilantro are stirred right into the batter, so every bite carries warmth and fragrance without needing a separate filling. The whole thing is naturally plant-based, relying on simple flours and neutral oil, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden animal products or nut-based ingredients sneaking in. Getting that first dosa right is a small learning curve, but once you nail the batter consistency and pan temperature, the rest come out golden and crisp almost effortlessly. Serve them straight off the skillet with coconut chutney or sambar and they disappear fast — this is the kind of recipe that makes a weekend breakfast feel like a real occasion.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the batter
- 1 cup fine semolina (rava / sooji)
- ½ cup rice flour
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For cooking
- 3–4 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower oil), for cooking
For serving
- coconut chutney, for serving (optional)
- sambar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the semolina, rice flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and 2 1/2 cups water until smooth and lump-free. The batter should be very thin and pourable — thinner than pancake batter, closer to the consistency of heavy cream. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes so the semolina hydrates fully.
- 2
After resting, stir in the chopped onion, green chilies, ginger, cumin seeds, cilantro, and black pepper. If the batter has thickened as the semolina absorbs water, whisk in additional water, a few tablespoons at a time, until it returns to a thin, pourable consistency. The batter should flow freely off the ladle.
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