Making that perfect ari dosha comes with practice and it took me almost 4 years to reach a point where I can say - this is it! I struggled but I never gave up. And if you are looking to find out how to make this dosha without cracked or muddled-up batter on the pan, then this is it!
These rice crepes go superbly well with parippu curries (lentils), egg curries, fish curries, chicken curries, beef fry, etc.
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What is Ari dosa?
Ari doshas are non-fermented Malabar rice crepes traditionally made on a cast iron pan. which would render zillion tiny holes all over the dosha, a sign of perfect rice crepe. But even without the holes, the doshas are loved but aim for them to perfect the crepes.
Ari dosha batter
For every cup of rice, you need heaped ¼ cup of cooked rice or poha/aval and heaped ½ cup of coconut. The total amount of water is always double the volume of raw rice used. Depending on the rice quality, you may need a little more water but never less.
Ingredients = 1 cup raw rice + ¼ cup cooked rice + ½ cup coconut
Water required = 2 cups of water
It is not just the ratio of raw rice to cooked rice but even the final consistency of the batter makes the difference.
Ingredients
- raw rice (pachaari)
- cooked rice
- grated coconut
- water
- salt
- coconut oil
How to make it?
You need to plan ahead as the raw rice needs to be soaked at least for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Drain and grind the rice with coconut, cooked rice, salt and little water. Don't add all the water at once. Grind in batches if required but make sure to mix the rice, cooked rice and coconut in each batch. The cooked rice and salt will help in getting a smooth fine batter.
Once you have fine batter, add the remaining water and adjust the salt. You can start making the crepes or you can refrigerate the batter and use it later. The batter stays best for several days but it is best to consume within 3 to 4 days.
When ready to make ari dosha, heat a flat heavy bottomed pan like a cast iron. If you are a beginner, then a non-stick would be okay to use.
Always stir the bowl of batter throughly before scooping and pouring the dosha. You can start from center or from sides like my mil does. Unlike the fermented dosai, here we don't have to swirl to spread. You may add more batter to cover the entire pan but if you are new to this, stick to one ladle of batter.
Drizzle coconut oil, cover and let it cook for a minute on medium heat. Open and you may fold and keep it aside or like me flip it to cook both sides. Keep them covered until ready to serve.
Hint: Always stir the bowl of batter before scooping out.
Substitutions
- cooked rice: If you don't have some leftover cooked rice handy, you can use avaI aka poha or rice flakes or beaten rice. I have also used soaked oats instead and they work well. Just wet them with enough water and let them rest for about 10 minutes to soak up.
- coconut oil: any other cooking oil will work but for an authentic taste, it is best to use coconut oil
Variations
I love that this batter can be used to make a few different flavoured rice crepes.
Onions and cumin: Keep some finely chopped onions and cumin seeds ready. Pour a teaspoon of oil in the pan, spread some onions and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle and then pour the batter all over to a thicker than crepes. Cook same as above but longer and flip and cook open until the sides turn crispy.
onions and fennel: You can do the same by mixing in onions, cumin or fennel seeds to the batter and pour to thin crepes.
stuffed: Pour a ladle of batter and top it with some leftover beef fry and pour more batter to cover. Cover and cook until you are able to flip.
Equipment
A flat cast-iron pan with the sides raised a bit is best to make these rice crepes. As the batter is very thin, it helps in having a boundry to shape.
Storage
Cooked ari doshas need to be always kept covered. They tend to get dry if exposed. It says good on the counter for a day. You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan covered or steam heat.
TIP
If you find that the batter is not rendering the holes as it should, then you need to thin the batter's consistency or increase the heat of the pan.
📖 Recipe
Ari Dosha | Rice Crepes with Coconut
Ingredients
For batter
- 1 cup raw rice pachari, washed and soaked in water overnight
- ¼ cup cooked rice or aval, poha or rice flakes
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 2 cups water
- salt to taste
For cooking
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil to cook each crepe
Instructions
Prepare the ari dosha batter
- Add the drained rice, grated coconut, cooked rice and salt to your food grinder or processor.1 cup raw rice, ¼ cup cooked rice, ½ cup grated coconut, salt to taste
- Add very little water to grind the rice. Make sure you stop to scrape the sides of the jar. Continue to grind while adding very little water each time. If you add all the water now, then it won't help the rice break down to a smooth texture. You may do it in batches depending on the size of the jar.2 cups water
- Once the batter is fine and smooth, transfer it to a large bowl and stir in the remaining water. Add salt to taste. At this point, you may refrigerate the batter for later.
Prepare the rice crepes
- Heat a thick-bottomed flat pan preferably cast iron (lightly grease if it is dry). Make sure the pan is really hot before you pour the batter.
- Stir the batter every single time you scoop. Keep the flame on medium to high, pour a ladle full of batter in the centre of the pan and immediately spread to give it a shape. As soon as the batter spreads, the holes should start forming. As the batter is very thin, it spreads itself without any shape, so use the back of the ladle to lightly spread to give it a shape.
- Sprinkle some oil all over the sides and cover to cook on a medium flame for a minute or two. Open the lid, slowly release the sides with a sharp-edged spatula, and flip the crepe to cook the other side for less than a minute. Remove and place in a hot pot or casserole and keep it covered always.¼ teaspoon coconut oil
Repeat for remaining batter
- Before pouring the batter for the next dosha, reduce the flame to the lowest, wipe clean the pan, increase the heat again and stir the batter before scooping. Do this every single time for the rest of the batter.
Serve ari dosha
- Serve the rice crepes for breakfast, lunch or dinner with any Indian curry of your choice. Serve with cherupyre curry, egg curry, chicken or beef fry or parippu curry.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!