Instant quinoa oats dosa is my go-to recipe whefn I am craving my favorite South Indian food and do not have hours or days to plan ahead. This recipe uses quinoa instead of rice and does not require fermenting of the batter.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry
The traditional dosa recipe uses rice and urad dal and requires 6 to 12 hours of fermentation. While it's a classic, I created this quinoa dosa recipe as a quicker, wholesome alternative — and it quickly became a reader favorite! With no fermentation needed and quinoa instead of rice, it’s perfect for busy days when you still want something nourishing and delicious.
After sharing this recipe, I started getting tons of questions about whether the same batter could be used to make quinoa idli. Since idlis require a fermented batter for that soft, fluffy texture, the answer is no — but don’t worry! I tested and perfected a separate Quinoa Idli recipe just for you.
Love South Indian food? Don’t miss my Idli and Uttapam recipes — they're comforting, versatile, and perfect for any time of day.
Ingredients
Over the years I have experimented with this recipe in a few ways adding and removing different lentils. Here is the 4 ingredient Instant Quinoa Dosa recipe that I make the most:
- Quinoa - A great sub for rice, I recommend buying Organic white quinoa from Costco
- Rolled Oats - Add a mild, wholesome flavor while enhancing the overall texture
- Urad Dal - Adds the classic earthy dosa taste with a creamy texture
- Chana Dal - Helps make the dosa crispy
Variations
- To make vegan quinoa dosa simply use neutral oil instead of ghee
- Substitute Instant Oats in place of rolled oats
- Add an inch of ginger and a green chili while grinding the batter for a tasty dosa
- You can also use this batter to make thick pancake-like uttapam. Simple stir in finely chopped onions, green chili, cilantro, etc to the batter and make the savory protein-packed pancakes
Tips
- Make sure to massage and rinse quinoa at least 2 to 3 times
- Use Organic white/ivory quinoa
- Dosas are best cooked and served immediately. Although, when prepping ahead you can store the batter refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Well seasoned cast iron pan is best for making dosa but you can also use a non-stick pan
- To make perfectly thin dosas every time, it's important to have the griddle or pan you are using at the right temperature. It should be on low heat when you are pouring and spreading the batter
- Between each dosa use a couple of wet paper towels to wipe the pan, allowing it to cool down. This gives you enough time to thinly spread the batter for your next dosa. If the pan is too hot, the batter may stick to the back of the spoon as you spread it, making it difficult to spread it thin and even.
- Once you are done spreading the batter, increase the heat to medium and cook the dosa until the bottom starts to turn golden
- Note that the quinoa dosa is best cooked on medium to low heat so it cooks crispy and golden brown
How to Make Quinoa Dosa
Here is the recipe with step-by-step photos to show how to make dosa:
Step 1 - Soaking
Rinse the quinoa, oats & lentils. Drain out the water and then soak with 3 cups of water for 4 hours. Drain out all the water.
Step 2 - Batter
Step 2: Add soaked and drained quinoa, oats & lentils to the blender and blend with water. The dosa batter consistency will be like pancake batter. Add salt and mix well. Note: You can allow the batter to rest for 20 minutes to an hour or start making the dosas right away
Step 3: Cook
Preheat a nonstick griddle on low heat. Pour about ⅓ cup of batter and spread it into a thin dosa using the back of the ladle or a measuring cup. Cook on medium heat and once the bottom starts to turn golden brown evenly spread some ghee or oil.
Using a flat spatula start removing the dosa from the outer edges, then gently fold the dosa and serve immediately
Important Step:
Before making the next dosa, lower the heat and wipe the pan using wet paper towels. You can also cut an onion in half and use the flat portion of the onion to rub on the pan. This helps cool down the pan a bit and will allow you to spread the batter thinly and evenly.
Repeat making dosas with the rest of the batter. Any remaining batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Here is another way to fold the dosa in a cone shape that kids are sure to enjoy:
Starting from the outer edge, cut the cooked dosa until the mid-center. Then pick up one side of the dosa and start folding it inwards using the cut center as the top point, shaping it like a cone.
Serving
Dosa is best served with a lentil soup called sambar (an easy recipe from The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook), potato masala, and coconut chutney. Love spicy food? Go ahead and spread a spoonful of the spicy red chutney on top and enjoy.
Don't forget to pair Dosa with either creamy mango lassi or refreshing ginger lemonade!
Love South Indian Food? Here are some more recipes to try:
Recipe
Quinoa Dosa | Quinoa Oats Dosa Recipe
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup white organic quinoa
- ½ cup rolled oats quick oats will work too
- ½ cup urad dal
- ¼ cup chana dal
- 1½ cups water for making the batter
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup oil or ghee to apply to the cooked dosa
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa, oats & lentils. Drain out the water and then soak with 3 cups of water for 4 hours.
- Drain out all the water. Add to a blender and blend with water. The dosa batter consistency will be like pancake batter. Add salt and mix well
- Allow to rest for 20 minutes or an hour or start making the dosa’s right away
- Preheat a nonstick griddle on low heat. Pour about ⅓ cup of batter and spread it into a thin dosa using the back of the ladle or a measuring cup. Starting from the middle spread the batter in a circular motion going outwards.
- Once the bottom of the dosa starts to turn golden brown, evenly spread a little bit of oil or ghee on the dosa. Allow the dosa to crisp up further for another couple of minutes or if you like softer dosa lower the heat and take the dosa out.
- Using a flat spatula start remove the dosa from the outer edges, then gently fold the dosa and serve immediately with coconut chutney and spicy potatoes.
- Before making the next dosa, lower the heat and wipe the pan using wet paper towels. You can also cut an onion in half and use the flat portion of the onion to rub on the pan. This helps cool down the pan a bit and will allow you to spread the batter thinly and evenly.
- Repeat making dosa with the rest of the batter. Any remaining batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make sure to massage and rinse quinoa at least 2 to 3 times
- Dosas are best cooked and served immediately but you can store the batter refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- To make perfectly thin dosas everytime, its important to have the griddle or pan you are using at the right temperature. Th pan should be on low heat when you are pouring and spreading the batter
- Between each dosa use couple of wet paper towels to wipe the pan and to bring down the temperature so the dosa batter can be spread properly for your next dosa. If the Pan is too hot, the batter will not spread evenly and will start sticking to the back of the spoon.
- Once the batter is spread you can increase the heat to medium and finish cooking
- Note that the quinoa dosas are best cooked on medium to low heat so they cook crispy golden brown
- You can also fold the dosa in a cone shape that the kids will love to see and eat! Starting from the outer edge, cut the cooked dosa until the mid center. Then pickup one side of the dosa and start folding it inwards using the cut center as the top point, shaping it like a cone.
Nutrition
♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.
Swat says
Can I use mixed white and brown quinoa?
Archana says
yes!
Zalak says
It was yum and hot at my house.
Paula says
Wow these are so good!! I made 4 of them before i got the hang of it. But even the wonky ones were delicious as my spouse and I ate them while cooking. Served with your instant pot potatoes which were also incredible! Great recipe!
Archana says
Thank you! And Thank you for not giving up on them. It does need some practice to get the perfect temperature on the pan, just hot enough so you can spread but not too hot so they start to stick.
Shilpa says
Hi. Can I use sprouted quinoa flour for this recipe?
Archana says
I have not tried using quinoa flour. As long as you adjust the water ratio for blending the other soaked ingredients, I think it will work nicely. Let me know how it goes.
Krupa says
Are you still able to ferment overnight or do you have to use it immediately only?
Archana Mundhe says
Yes you can also ferment the batter if you like!
Amelia says
Thank you for this recipe. It turns out really good every time.
Sheetal says
The dosas turned out really good..each and every dosa was super crispy. Everyone enjoyed it. Will never buy the batter from outside.. super easy to make. Thank you!!
Archana Mundhe says
I'm so glad to hear the dosas turned out crispy and delicious! It’s wonderful that everyone enjoyed them. Once you start making your own batter, there’s no turning back—homemade really is the best! Thanks for sharing your experience, and happy cooking!