Subscribe to RSSButter dosas (BeNNe dose)
Few years ago, one day my brother and I were roaming around Gandhi bazaar, Basavangudi in Bangalore in the evening. My brother is a great foodie, he knows almost all the good restaurants in Bangalore. He tried to take me to these restaurants every time we went out. So, all of a sudden, he said, there is a famous restaurant called Vidyarthi Bhavan in that area and they serve these amazing beNNe(butter) dosas. Lets go there.
In my mind, I thought it would be a big posh restaurant. We reached there and I was shocked to see the atmosphere. It was an old restaurant packed with people. There was a huge line of customers waiting to be seated. I told my brother that I didn’t want to eat there and I was wanting to get out of that place. But as always, he declined. Anyway, after we waited for like 45 minutes, we got a seat. We had to share our table with few more people as there was a huge crowd. Then I saw a waiter arriving with a huge stack of plates with dosas arranged one above other. These dosas were so good that, I even forgot I was upset with my brother for taking me there :).
Since then, I have read and heard about this restaurant innumerable number of times, and many people agree that those are the best dosas you could get. Yummmm….
So with that background, you can guess how happy I would be, when my dad gave me two neatly bound books containing hundreds of recipes from different Kannada magazines, and when I opened the first book, the first page had this recipe. This was a cut out from “Tharanga”, a Kannada weekly. The owner of Vidyarthi Bhavan - Ramakrishna Adiga had shared the recipe for their beNNe dosa. God bless him for sharing this with readers, “Tharanga” for publishing it and my dad for saving this cut out and passing it on to me. I could not stop drooling over it again and again, so I gave it a try today. It was amazing. Crispy from outside, the palya(potato bhaji) was superb, the chutney had a strong ginger taste to it. In all, just mind blowing. Try it once to know what I am saying. I am trying to translate the article here.
For Dosas:
1 cup urad dal
2 cups dosa rice
2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup maida
Butter
Oil
1/8th tea spn baking soda
Salt
Dosa rice is available in almost all grocery stores in India. It is slightly thicker than regular rice. I used regular rice for this.
Method:
Soak urad dal and rice separately for 2-3 hrs. Grind dal to a very smooth paste. Now grind rice to a smooth paste. Mix both well. Now mix rice flour, maida, salt to it and mix well. Leave it for 4-6hrs (or overnight). Do not make the batter too thin.
Add soda to it and mix well.
While making dosas:
- Tava used for making the dosas should be thick. If it is too thin, dosas get burnt soon. I used my regular dosa pan(non stick).
- Heat tava. When it is hot, apply some oil to it. Now sprinkle a handful of water on hot tava and spread it. Again apply some oil. Spread one or two dosas and check if they come out easily.
- Every time while making dosas, first apply oil to tava, sprinkle water and then spread dosa. (I didn’t try this on my non stick tava since I was a bit concerned that the non stick coating would come out by sprinkling cold water on hot tava).
What next?
- Once dosa is spread, drop a tea spoon of oil on it. Flip the dosa. Flip again and spread a table spoon of bhaji/palya over it, spread little oil/butter on it and fold it.
(I folded it in half which was more convenient to me. I think in the restaurant they fold it like this, I din’t remember it. I was so excited that I even forgot to flip the dosa, but still it was great).
Potato stuffing - Palya or bhaji
2 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
1 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
1/2 tea spn urad dal
1/2 tea spn chana dal
4-5 green chilies
6-7 curry leaves
2 tbl spn fresh/frozen coconut
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tea spn finely chopped ginger
Oil
Salt
Method:
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal. When dal is slightly browned, add curry leaves, ginger, green chilies and onion. Fry till they turn translucent. Pour 1/2 cup water, salt and turmeric. Cook for sometime. Now add the potatoes and mix well. The potatoes should get mashed well for maximum taste. Garnish with coconut.
Chutney:
1/2 cup dalia (hurigadale/putani)
1 cup fresh or frozen coconut
1/2 tea spn chopped ginger
4-5 green chilies
Salt
Method:
Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Add a little water to bring it to required consistency.
Shilpa, that’s really sweet of your Dad to keep all those cutouts, bind them and preserve them for you. What a treasure! and i agree, sometimes the small, cramped up eateries provide the best of foods :). Thanks for sharing this.
Hope you are having a great weekend,
September 29th, 2007 at 7:00 pmmusical.
Hi Shilpa,
I had been to Vidyarthi Bhavan last year when I visited B’Lore. We waited for hours in the queue to eat the dosas. Even the coffee was so tasty.
Benne Dose looks so yummy.
September 29th, 2007 at 8:24 pmWow, benne dosa looks very yummy
September 29th, 2007 at 8:25 pmShilpa,
September 30th, 2007 at 12:21 amWow..how sweet of your Pappa to bind cutouts of recipes!!This is an exhaustive recipe!I have tried making plain butter dosas(with Amul butter)they truly taste heavenly! But the striking thing about this dosa is its batter!it has additional rice flour+maida..shall give it a try..currently want to try out whole moong dosa..other day I ran out of whole moong so bought yest..wd do the “timbat ghalchey” part today.
Thanks for the potato bhaaji & chutney as well(yest I searched for Putani daal but wasn’t on shelf in this supermarket.)
I really enjoyed your description of this place, Shilpa, and the dosas and potatoes look so yummy, I am soaking urad dal and rice now at four in the morning :):)
Thanks for sharing it!
September 30th, 2007 at 2:11 am…and you are the best, for sharing this precious recipe with us!
September 30th, 2007 at 4:01 amOh that is so cool! Your dad rocks. And I know what you mean about your brother taking you to that kind of restaurant. My brother does the same thing too!
September 30th, 2007 at 6:24 amI haven’t been there Shilpa. I get tired of waiting outside MTR, so don’t get to go there.Must try next time!:))
September 30th, 2007 at 6:27 amMy mom’s fave mags are Sudha and Taranga! Benne dose looks yum, will try.Thank you for posting!Hugs.
Shilpa dosa looks delicious, I never get tired of eating dosas.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:58 amIn your list of Thanks… I’d like to add one to you for sharing this recipe with the bloggers…
I love ghee roasts (as my mom refers to them).
September 30th, 2007 at 3:25 pmWow..am definitely going to try this. Gandhi Bazar..maybe we have eaten there..don’t remember exactly! Thank you.
September 30th, 2007 at 6:06 pmHey shilpa really this looks yummy it looks like a variety of our udada polo with rice flour and maida,you are really lucky that your dad takes so much intrest and he actually collected the clips for you.will try it soon.
September 30th, 2007 at 6:49 pmI remember having this “Dharwadada Benne dose” stand near Basavanagudi Bus stop. Will give this a try soon. Not many restaurateurs share their recipe. Thanks to all those in the pipeline that made this happen - the original chef, taranga, you dad and you for unveiling the secrets.
Have you been to that ‘tindi street’ somewhere near Lalbagh, Blore? I don’t remember location name exactly. That street has full of road side snacks shops, each one being innovative small businesses..awesome place for a foodie, not for germophobic people though.
Shilpa: Manjula, please don’t remind me of chaat street.. Ohh god the variety of chaats that are available there just mind blowing. We used to go there frequently.I had few favorite restaurants in Bangalore and I can’t tell you how much I am missing them.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:08 pmYeah, Vidyarti Bhavan is the most famous and still talked abt restaurant till today, the standards are till the same. I havent gone to this place, but I have heard so much, anyway tks for the recipe, i will try and make, we are not used to adding rice flour and maida, will try this once and let u know.
Tku
October 1st, 2007 at 2:12 amThanks Shilpa,
By any chance do you have a recipe
for good south indian coffee.
Ashok
October 1st, 2007 at 2:36 amHyderabad
Shilpa dosa looks delicious…. will try soon..
October 1st, 2007 at 8:08 amthanks alot shilpa.reading the post made me hungry.will surely try this.
October 1st, 2007 at 10:53 amoh how much i miss bangalore!
Oh my God!!.. I absolutely love the benne masala dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan.(I miss miss miss bangalore for this very reason!)..Also CTR (in Malleswaram) is another tiffin place which serves yummy benne masala dosas..tastes different from the vidyarthi bhavan ones but yummy all the same..
Thank you so much for posting this recipe-will definitely have to try this
October 1st, 2007 at 2:23 pmLooks so Yummy. I am visiting Bangalore in december will have to make a stop there for some dosa.
October 1st, 2007 at 5:21 pmoh my god, vidarthi bhavan dosa recipe i am trying this today shopa, thanks a lot for the recipe,and keep posting recipe of the cut out which your dad gave you.
is the batter should ferment or is it just keeping it overnight and making dosa pls clarify the doubt?
Shilpa: Jyothi the dosas come out well when the batter is fermented well. This usually happens when you keep it overnight(this dosa batter got fermented without any trouble)
October 1st, 2007 at 8:00 pmOhhh..now i cant stop thinking of this beNNe dose. Last month, when I was visiting my folks in Bangalore, I went to this place: Vidyarthi Bhavan. The dose’s there still taste the same as they did years ago (my college days).
Thanks for sharing this recipe Shilpa. I will definitely give this a try.
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 amHi..
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:34 amDosa lokks yummy…!!
Thank you shilpa for a very good recipe. I just need t0 know how long can this batter stay in the fridge? please let me know. Also does one let is get sour before putting it in the fridge ot let it slowly sour in the fridge..i don’t mean ferment.i mean the sour flavour. thanks a million.Miriam
Shilpa: Miriam, I usually finish off my dosa batter the next day itself. Some times if the dosa batter is soar when you keep it in fridge, it keeps on getting more and more sour. So keep it before it gets sour.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:59 pmVidyarthi Bhavan and dosas……they are absolute yumm. Years passes but there is absolutely no change in the taste of dosa they serve. Thanks for the recipe, your dosa looks yummy too..
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:08 pmDosa looks delicious,bet it will taste also!!Feel like eating your dosa….:))
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:08 amShilpa,
October 4th, 2007 at 12:47 amThis was today’s breakfast!! It was absolutely delicious dosa with much different taste!My kids and hubby both liked it a lot..even the batter gets a “Loni” texture..ie. just like home made butter!! Thks a ton for loving dosas,taking the trouble of searching recipes, preparing and posting them!!! God Bless!
Shilpa,
My mouth;s watering, I have stayed in bangaloe for a few months and absolutely loved their dosa’s , chutneys and sambhar. I miss that place, unfortunately here in US we dont get good stuff. Will try your dosa this weekend. thanks for sharing
October 4th, 2007 at 11:31 amLooks yummy. I used to live close to Gandhi Bazaar but we would usually go to Dwaraka Bhavan for set dosas.
Do we need to add the baking soda on the previous day itself or do we add it just before we start making the dosas?
Shilpa: Sashi, soda is added just before making dosas.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:47 pmHi Shilpa,
October 9th, 2007 at 1:16 pmi have visited ur site many a times but this is the first time i am commenting.
i tried this dosa not once but twice with the exact measurements and the dosas came out real good. wanted to thank u for the same.
Hi Shilpa,
Being in the US and getting to learn online is indeed a gift. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I have been referring to your website and have been trying them out. I must say, your website is more like the Bible to us now
Although I have tried the uDda poLo many times already, I have never tried this one. I plan to try the benne dosa tomorrow. Wish me luck
October 14th, 2007 at 12:15 pmHello Shilpa,
I am a newcomer and accidentally found your blog. You have some great recipes! I actually made the benne dosas using the above recipe but they turned out to be very “rubbery” in texture. They looked crisp but when I or the family tried to tear them it had a very bad texture. Despite this, my son ate them and called them gum dosas. Obviously, I missed something…. I did use parboiled rice and have made many a dosa before, so I am confused.
Shilpa: I don’t know what was wrong Reshmi. It is possible that the parboiled rice made the difference, not sure though. Was the batter fermented well?
October 18th, 2007 at 9:28 pmHi shilpa,
October 20th, 2007 at 11:55 pmThe dosa turned out AWESOME! I ran out of maida so tried without it. It was still lip smackingly delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hmm….Vidyarthi Bhavan..can never forget dosa from this place…its very hard to make dosa batter in US..it does not turn out well, due to the weather..
October 21st, 2007 at 12:00 amHello Shilpa,
We have a family website.Every Thanksgiving we get together. I posted you masala dosa article. Every one is suggesting that we make dosa during our get together. We will be about 50 people.All of us from Bangalore.They were so whelmed by the article about Vidyarthi Bhavan Dosa.Vidyarthi Bhavan is one of the best tasting restaurant in Bangalore. Every time we go to Bangalore the first thing my family visits is Vidyarthi Bhavan.I am going to try to make the dosa with your recipe before I try in front 50 people. I am sure it will turn out great. Again thanks for the recipe.
Prabha Murthy
October 26th, 2007 at 10:25 amHi Shilpa,
U know I am the regular visitor of ur site and very excited to know what u have posted today..
November 14th, 2007 at 8:15 amThanks a lot for sharing this recipe. I am from Punjab and has never tried Dosa at home though me and my husbnad both Love to have it.But yesterday I tried this butter dosa, and it came very nice.My husband liked it
And the special and most inmportant thing about this lovely site,is the way you write and describe the recipe that even the learners like me can easily understand.
Thanks again and keep it up!!
Hi Shilpa
I tried benne dosa but no good results.I usually dont make dosas at home as it takes a long time to grind in my mixer.I wanted to try ur recipe,so did it for half the measurements but something went wrong.It turned out little hard and more like rubbery.The batter had fermented very well.Do you think skipping maida would solve this prob?Any suggestions?I will try this again as my hubby loves dosas…
Shilpa: Sorry, I have no idea SK. This is the exact recipe I found in the magazine and worked for me. You can try skipping maida, it may work out.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:33 pmhey shilpa, i tried this recipie and it really worked out!it tasted amazing and my hubby loved it a lot . thanks a lot for such a wonderful recipie.
January 5th, 2008 at 9:39 pmDear Shilpa,
We loved your dosa. I keep trying out new recipes trying to get to the perfect dosa. All thanks to you I’ve found one for life.
I will be trying your idli next.
January 20th, 2008 at 10:31 amThanks again and keep up the good work.
Cheers!!
Hi Shilpa!
February 7th, 2008 at 12:16 pmThanks for the priceless recipe of benne Dose. Vidyarthi Bhavan has remained the mecca of Benne Dosa lovers in Bangalore….and we often wondered what went into those magical pieces. Thanks to your dad…. and you - for sharing the secret with us!!
….and now I can have them the way i prefer them with a little less benne…Looking forward to more…thanks again!!!
Thank you Shilpa for sharing your Benne Dosa recipe with so many of us. I got it from my friend who is No. 39 on your list of comments. I left Bangalore 26 years ago and still crave Vidyarthi Bhavan and MTR stuff. Thanks to Namrata and Bhaskar - my friends in Jayanagar, I can try doing my own and stuff my face until I satisfy this strong craving for Idlis and Dosas. I always wondered to myself what ingredients went into the lovely Palya and now I do. So I shall give it a try as well. Yahooooo. Thanks again.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:33 pmthanx for the great recipe. i will try it today. have always wanted this recipe since i had eaten it years ago on a visit to arelative at banglore.
May 5th, 2008 at 5:41 am[...] visit Shilpa and her Dosa Corner for this awesome meal: beNNe dosas with aloo palya and coconut [...]
June 8th, 2008 at 11:42 pmCan I use raw rice instead of parboiled rice since I do not get any in my city?
July 29th, 2008 at 5:05 pmhey
August 1st, 2008 at 6:49 pmthanks a lot for the recipe,dint try it,will try it soon
but reminded me of those day when i had it,
great site
thank u very much for all the great effort.
Hi Shilpa,Vidyrtibhavan is famous restaurant in bangalore Everytime we go to india we never come back without going there .This place is my husbands favorite, It is weird to wait that long but its worth.
October 28th, 2008 at 9:19 pmHi Shilpa,
November 18th, 2008 at 2:11 amI am a new fan of your site.
I tried Cabbage Dosa and it came out very well. My husband liked it a lot.
Recipies from here seem authentic and tasty. I like to try most of them.
Thanks for such good work. Keep it up.