About Pesarattu Recipe
Pesarattu, which translates roughly to moong dal dosa (or mung lentil crepes), are a classic Andhra breakfast staple. But not just for mornings – these tasty, savory dosa are terrific to enjoy for any meal! The recipe for homemade moong dal dosa features a simple batter of soaked mung beans and rice ground together with lots of vibrant spices. This batter is quickly cooked on a hot skillet, like a thin pancake, to create a lovely crispy outer edge and a slightly soft texture throughout. Pesarattu is traditionally served with Upma and Allam Pachadi (Ginger Chutney). You can serve with Coconut Chutney also. These dosa aren’t just good tasting – they’re good for you as well! Because they are made with hearty green and/or yellow lentils (whole or split), pesarattu are very rich in protein while also being vegan-friendly. If you skip the asaofetida, it becomes a gluten-free recipe, too. While it does take some advanced planning to make this dish from scratch, there is still little hands-on effort actually required. The lentils and rice need to soak for 4 to 6 hours before you blend them with the seasonings, but then the batter can be used right away with no fermenting needed.
How to make Pesarattu
Learn to make crispy and wholesome Pesarattu with my detailed step by step photos listed below.
Make Moong Dal Batter
- Firstly, rinse ½ cup of whole moong beans and 2 tablespoons of rice a couple of times in water. Then soak the moong beans and rice for 4 to 6 hours or overnight in a bowl with enough water to cover. Drain all the water. The photo below shows the soaked moong beans and rice.
- In a blender or food processor, add the moong beans and rice after draining all the water. You can even rinse the moong beans and rice before grinding. Add the herbs and spices listed below:
1 green chilli (chopped) or ½ to 1 teaspoon, chopped 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves 1 inch of ginger (peeled and chopped) ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds 1 pinch of asafoetida (optional) salt as per taste ⅓ to ½ cup water
Skip the asafoetida for a gluten-free moong dal dosa. 3. Now grind or blend to a smooth and fine batter. The batter consistency should be similar to that of a regular Dosa Batter or a French-style crepe. Tip 1: If the batter looks thick, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water. Tip 2: If the batter looks thin, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour, one tablespoon at a time. You can even add gram flour (besan).
Make Pesarattu or Moong Dal Dosa
- On a cast iron tawa or large skillet , smear some oil or ghee with a paper towel or with half of an onion. For a non-stick tawa or pan, do not spread oil on it. With a big spoon or ladle, pour the moong dal dosa batter onto the griddle and use the same spoon for spreading the batter into a round shape. The photo below shows the circular pattern you should make while spreading the batter. You want to keep the heat to low or medium-low when spreading the pesarattu batter.
- Sprinkle some finely chopped onions, chopped green chilies and coriander/cilantro leaves (all optional) onto half of the dosa. Note: I have not added green chillies and coriander leaves when taking these photos. Gently press the onions chilies, and coriander leaves into the batter with the back of a spatula so that they stick. Drizzle a bit of oil around the sides and in the center of the pesarattu.
- Flip the dosa over completely, and cook the second side for about a minute. This will just lightly cook the onions.
- Fold in half over itself, like a crepe or omelette.
- Repeat the steps with the remaining batter to make all of the moong dal dosa. Serve warm with upma, which is a basically a savory spiced breakfast preparation of semolina ir cream. The pesarattu is also delicious with ginger chutney or coconut chutney.
Expert Tips
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Ragi Dosa Recipe | Nachni Dosa Rava Dosa Recipe (South Indian Suji ka Dosa) Neer Dosa | Neer Dose (Soft Rice Crepes) Oats Dosa (Crispy Oats Crepes) This Pesarattu recipe from the archives first published in August 2009 has been updated and republished on February 2023.
