A generous spread of chutney pudi—a dry mix of groundnuts and other spices—adds a spicy kick to the dosa. Photo by Kavya Bandodkar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A long-standing traditional recipe for benne dosa from Uttara Kannada shared and preserved through a short WhatsApp exchange.
Hema: Can anyone share an authentic benne dose recipe?
Arpitha: My mom’s friend who is from Uttara Kannada shared her recipe for the batter with us.
3 cups dosa rice, 2 cups puffed rice (or 1 cup puffed rice and 1 cup poha if you want the dosa to be spongier), 1 cup urad dal, 1/2-1 tsp methi seeds, water as needed, and salt to taste. If you’re adding poha, soak it in water for 5-10 minutes before you grind it. And for puffed rice, soak it in water for a minute at the most, and squeeze the water out before you grind it.