South Indian dosa meets Lebanese garlic potatoes in this recipe for Batata Harra Dosa. It’s fresh, vegan and delicious with juicy pomegranate.
What is batata harra?
Batata harra, which translates to ‘spicy potatoes’ in Arabic, is a popular Lebanese side dish made with crispy fried or roasted potatoes tossed in a lemony garlic and coriander sauce.
Like most heritage dishes, recipes will vary from home to home but the basic flavours usually remain straightforward.
The sauce typically combines garlic, fresh coriander, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices like paprika creating a delicious balance of heat, tang, and fresh herbs.
Enjoyed for its simplicity and bold flavors, batata harra is a common addition to mezze spreads and pairs well with grilled meats or can be enjoyed on its own.
It reminds me so much of the simple Indian Bateta nu Shaak I ate growing up in my Gujarati home. My mum would always cook that as a weeknight dinner and we’d devour the fluffy potatoes with rotli and a side of plain yoghurt.
This Batata Harra Dosa recipe is a coming together of all the flavours I truly love in a comfort dish.
The garlicky-lemony potatoes paired with the crunchy rice and daal dosa is almost like the long-lost sibling of South Indian Masala Dosa.
Who says fusion foods are half-baked ideas? This combination makes so much sense that I can’t believe I’ve never tried it before.
What are dosa?
Dosa, a South Indian staple, is a thin, crispy crepe made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils.
This savoury treat boasts a slightly sour and bitter flavour profile since it is ground with fenugreek seeds and fermented.
Traditionally enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack, dosas are typically served hot, rolled up, and accompanied by chutneys and sambar (a lentil stew).
They offer a gluten-free and vegan-friendly option that’s both versatile and super delicious.
Try my recipes for Masala Dosa, Paneer Masala Dosa and Neer Dosa here.
What’s the best pan for making dosa?
A good quality pan will help you cook the dosa evenly and prevent the batter from sticking to the pan. Opt for the flattest well-seasoned cast iron or anodised aluminium tawa.
In a pinch, you can also use a non-stick frying pan but the dosa may not be as crispy as cast iron-cooked dosa.
Whats the best rice for Batata Harra Dosa?
Idli rice (parboiled rice) has theideal amount of starchfor making dosa at home. Add a small amount of Basmati to heighten the aroma.
If you can’t find idli rice, another short grain rice like sona masoori or even Thai Jasmine rice works well.
You will also need white urad daal (skinless black gram).
How to make Batata Harra Dosa: Step-by-step instructions
See recipe card below for ingredients and full measurements.
1. Soak the rice and daal
Soak the rice and white urad daal for at least 6 hours, or up to 8 hours. This will ensure the rice and lentils arewell hydratedso they grind and ferment properly.
2. Grind the rice and daal separately before mixing
The rice batter should be mostly smooth, but still a little grainy, like that of a gentle exfoliator. This will produce crispy dosa.
It might seem tedious but this is the trick to getting the perfect, spreadable consistency for dosa.
The daal, methi and poha batter should be totally smooth. Its’ viscosity is what gives the batter a uniform body.
Mix the two batters together at the end using your fingers. The dual texture batters create the perfect dosa!
3. Ferment the batter
The key to making a perfect dosa is to ferment the batter well. 8-10 hours will usually suffice, but if it’s cold, it can take longer.
Fermentation helps to create the right texture and sour flavour of the dosa.Look for billowing air bubbles.
Do not add salt until the very end,after the batter has fermented. Salt will slow down the fermentation process.
Keep the dosa batter in alarge, deep bowl, in a very warm placeto encourage quick fermentation.
Oh, and before stowing away,whip the batter with your fingersfor 3-4 minutes. The heat from your hands warms it for speedy fermentation, too.
4. Make the Batata Harra
Boil the cubed potatoes in plenty of water for 3-4 minutes. They do not need to be soft. Drain and allow to steam dry for 5 minutes.
Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Air fry at 180°C/355°F for 10-12 minutes or until they’re a medium golden brown and cooked through. You’ll need to give the air fryer basket a shake halfway through. Alternatively, you can oven roast or fry the potatoes. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, lemon zest and red chilli. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
Sprinkle in the paprika and add the lemon juice, coriander and parsley. Stir well and then quickly tip in the potatoes. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. The Batata Harra are now ready.
5. Spread and cook the dosa over a medium heat
Once fermented, adjust the dosa batter to a thick, flowing consistency with some lukewarm water.
Using a ladle, pour a spoonful of dosa batter on the tawa’s hot surface. Start from the centre of the tawa and use the ladle to spread the dosa batter thinly and evenly, in a circular motion.
Add a teaspoon of oil around the sides of the dosa and on top of it. This will help to cook the dosa evenly, with a golden brown colour and also prevent it from sticking to the tawa. Cook over a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes for the crispiest dosa.
Once you spot the dosa starting to brown, the edges should start lifting away from the pan. If using cast iron or anodised aluminium, you might need to help it along using a spatula. Try not to prise the dosa from the pan – it will tell you when its ready by coming away by itself.
Spoon a few dollops of the Batata Harra filling on top of the dosa and add garlic sauce, pomegranate seeds and extra coriander or parsley, if desired. Carefully begin to fold the dosa or roll it into a cylinder. The underneath should reveal a beautiful golden brown colour. Remove the dosa from the tawa and serve immediately.
Batata Harra Dosa Recipe | How to make Lebanese-inspired Dosa with Batata Harra (Garlic and Chilli Potatoes)
Yield: Serves 6
Batata Harra Dosa
Learn how to make perfect, fusion Lebanese-style Indian Batata Harra Dosa. The dosa are stuffed with a potatoes cooked with chilli, lemon and garlic. So delicious! Add sweet pomegranate and garlic sauce to round off the flavours. Watch how to make dosa with my step-by-step recipe and video. From fermenting the dosa batter, to learning how to spread thin dosa, as well as dosa cooking techniques, this is the ultimate guide to making dosa at home.
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the dosa batter
- 650g idli rice (parboiled short-grain rice)
- 175g Basmati rice
- 1 1/2 tbsp poha (flattened rice flakes)
- 115g urad daal (white)
- 1/2 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
- Oil or ghee for cooking the dosa
For the Batata Harra filling
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes
- 5 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- Zest and juice 1 small lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Optional extras for serving
- Toum (Lebanese garlic sauce)
- Extra fresh coriander or parsley
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the idli rice and Basmati rice. Wash in plenty of cold water, changing the water 3-4 times. Top the bowl up with enough cold water to cover the surface of the rice by 3-4 centimetres. It doesn't matter exactly how much, just make sure it's plenty as the rice will bloat and absorb the water as it soaks. Cover the bowl and allow to soak for 6-8 hours.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the urad daal and fenugreek seeds. Repeat the washing process, changing out the water 3-4 times. Top the bowl up with enough cold water to cover the surface of the daal by 3-4 centimetres. It doesn't matter exactly how much, just make sure it's plenty as the daal will also absorb the water as it soaks. Cover the bowl and allow to soak for 6-8 hours.
- Drain both the rice and the daal. Reserve about 100ml soaking liquid from each. Keep the rice and daal separate at this stage.
- In a high-powered blender or wet grinder, grind the rice until it is of a flowing consistency, still with some very fine grains. You might need to scrape the blender down between blitzes to ensure even blade time. Do not add too much water. If your blender is struggling, add a tablespoon of water at a time. The aim of the game is to add as little water as possible. The batter should feel like very fine grains of salt when the batter is rubbed between the thumb and forefinger. If you're a visual learner, watch my recipe video to see the exact consistency required. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- Next, grind the daal and methi mix, along with the poha. This time, you're looking for a very smooth batter with no gritty feeling when rubbed between the thumb and forefinger. Add this to the bowl along with the ground rice batter. Again, try to add as little water as possible whilst grinding.
- Use your fingers to whip the batters together until well combined. Cover tightly and keep the bowl in a warm place for 8-12 hours, until bubbly, risen and fermented. You will be able to smell when it's done (it will have a sour, beer-like smell). If you keep the bowl somewhere cooler, the batter will take much longer to ferment so try to pick a very warm spot. Also, ensure your bowl is deep enough as the batter will rise up and overflow in a small bowl.
- Once the mixture has fermented. add salt. Do not add salt prior to the batter reaching the correct stage as it will delay the fermentation process. For the total amount of batter, I added about 1 1/2 tsp salt but start off with less and taste before adding more. This is a personal choice.
- Adjust the consistency of the batter with a little bit of fresh water at a time. Beat with a ladle and check if it is of a thick, flowing consistency. Again, please refer to the video if you're not sure what I mean by this. When dropping the batter from a height it should billow off the ladle and flow like lava, slowed by the air bubbles inside. This is why it's important not to add too much water when grinding; You can always add water, but you can't take it out. The flavour and smell should be a happy kind of sour.
- Congrats, your dosa batter is now ready. Keep it covered and at room temperature until you're ready to use it. If you're not using it on the same day, you can also store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. It will become more sour over time, which adds to the delicious flavour.
- To make the Batata Harra: Boil the cubed potatoes in plenty of water for 3-4 minutes. They do not need to be soft. Drain and allow to steam dry for 5 minutes. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Air fry at 180°C/355°F for 10-12 minutes or until they're a medium golden brown and cooked through. You'll need to give the air fryer basket a shake halfway through. Alternatively, you can oven roast or fry the potatoes. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, lemon zest and red chilli. Saute for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Sprinkle in the paprika and add the lemon juice, coriander and parsley. Stir well and then quickly tip in the potatoes. Saute for 3-4 minutes. The Batata Harra are now ready.
- To cook the Batata Harra Dosa: For cooking Batata Harra Dosa, a large, flat tawa is preferable. Cast iron and anodised aluminium will give you the most golden finish, but they can be tricky to work with (the dosa can stick if the pan isn't properly seasoned). In any case, ensure cast iron is very well seasoned if you choose to use it. I use cast iron and anodised aluminium interchangeably. You can also make the dosa in a non-stick frying pan but the colour may not be quite as golden brown. Do not use ceramic-coated pans or stainless steel. Make the dosa as big or as small as you like. Start small if this is your first go.
- Heat the pan until it's smoking hot, a few minutes will do. Turn the heat down and flick it with some water to temper the heat. The water should sizzle and evaporate quickly. Rub the pan with an onion half dipped in oil (poke it onto a fork if you like). This is said to add flavour and stop the dosa from sticking. You can also just wipe the pan quickly with a paper towel dipped in oil.
- Pour the batter: Using a ladle, pour a spoonful of dosa batter on the tawa's hot surface. Start from the centre of the tawa and use the ladle to spread the dosa batter thinly and evenly, in a circular motion.
- Add a teaspoon of oil around the sides of the dosa and on top of it. This will help to cook the dosa evenly, with a golden brown colour and also prevent it from sticking to the tawa. Cook over a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes for the crispiest dosa.
- Once you spot the dosa starting to brown, the edges should start lifting away from the pan. If using cast iron or anodised aluminium, you might need to help it along using a spatula. Try not to prise the dosa from the pan - it will tell you when its ready by coming away by itself.
- Spoon a few dollops of the Batata Harra filling on top of the dosa and add garlic sauce, pomegranate seeds and extra coriander or parsley, if desired. Carefully begin to fold the dosa or roll it into a cylinder. The underneath should reveal a beautiful golden brown colour. Remove the rolled masala dosa from the tawa and serve immediately.
- Repeat the process for the remaining batter, wiping the pan with a lightly-oiled paper towel or cut onion each time. Remember to heat the pan sufficiently each time. Keep the dosas warm in a low oven for 15-20 minutes if you need to. Any longer and they will dry out.
Notes
For a sharp finish, add a drizzle of pomegranate molasses along with the garlic sauce.
Batata Harra Dosa are best eaten straight away. If you must reheat them, try popping them back onto the tawa or in a frying pan with a little butter or ghee to crisp them up again. Be sure to heat through thoroughly.
Use this dosa recipe to make plain dosa (Sada Dosa), ghee dosa, butter dosa or even Uttapam.
Spread the batter very thinly for an excellent Paper Dosa.
The dosa batter can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. You can prepare the potato filling 24 hours ahead, if necessary.
Experiment and try adding your favourite toppings to make customised dosa.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 746Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 835mgCarbohydrates: 114gFiber: 10gSugar: 15gProtein: 20g
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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Paneer Masala Dosa
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