South India · Breakfast
Plain dosa
Also called dosai, dose, sada dosa
A thin, crisp pancake of fermented rice and urad dal batter cooked on a hot tawa. It is eaten at breakfast with chutney and sambar.
The short answer
Plain dosa has about 171 kcal in a regular serving (1 dosa, about 60 g), with 5.2 g of protein and 2.3 g of fibre. It rates 2.5/5 (moderate fit) for weight management: a regular serving is a modest portion, but it packs a lot of calories into each gram and it is low in protein for its calories.
Reviewed by Deepu Oommen on 22 Oct 2026 · How we review
- Calories per serving
- 171 kcal
- 1 dosa (about 60 g)
- For weight management
- 2.5 / 5Rated 2.5 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management
- Protein and fibre
- 5.2 g · 2.3 g
- per serving
- Brisk walking
- About 30 min
- uses similar energy (70 kg adult)
What's in plain dosa?
Raw weights for one serving (1 dosa, about 60 g), from the standard recipe
- Urad dal, 9 g
- Chana dal, 2 g
- Rice, 30 g
- Poha (flattened rice), 1 g
- Oil on the tawa, 3 g
How is plain dosa made?
Preparation 10 min · Cooking 33 min
- 1Soak the urad dal, chana dal, rice, poha and fenugreek for 4 to 5 hours.
- 2Grind the dals to a fluffy batter and the rice slightly coarse, then mix with salt.
- 3Leave the batter in a warm place to ferment until risen and lightly sour.
- 4Heat a tawa and wipe it with a few drops of oil.
- 5Pour a ladle of batter and spread it in thin circles.
- 6Drizzle a little oil at the edges and cook on high heat until crisp and golden, then fold.
Plain dosa nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1 dosa, about 60 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 171 kcal | 285 kcal |
| Protein | 5.2 g | 8.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 30.2 g | 50.3 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 5 g |
| Fibre | 2.3 g | 3.9 g |
Calculated from a standard recipe (based on a recipe by Swasthi's Recipes: Authentic Dosa Recipe, serves 12) using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values for the raw ingredients, divided by the weight of the cooked dish (638 g for the whole recipe). Salt and dry spices are left out. The regular serving is the average portion in three chefs' recipes: Swasthi's Recipes, Authentic Dosa Recipe 53 g, Tarla Dalal, Dosa Recipe (With Dosa Batter) 44 g and Archana's Kitchen, Ghee Roast Dosa (Crispy Paper Dosa) 98 g. Food composition: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. How we calculate nutrition facts. Home and restaurant versions vary with the oil, rice and portion used.
Is plain dosa good for weight management?
It rates 2.5/5, a moderate fit, because a regular serving is a modest portion, but it packs a lot of calories into each gram and it is low in protein for its calories.
- Calories per gram (35% of the rating)2.85 kcal · 34/100
- Protein per 100 kcal (25% of the rating)3.0 g · 30/100
- Fibre per 100 kcal (20% of the rating)1.4 g · 46/100
- Portion (20% of the rating)171 of 400 kcal (breakfast) · 100/100
Each part is scored against fixed limits, then weighted. A higher rating does not mean a food causes weight loss. How the rating works
Lighter ways to have plain dosa
- Use a non-stick tawa so you need only a few drops of oil
- Choose a plain dosa over a ghee roast or masala dosa
- Eat it with sambar and a vegetable chutney for more fibre and protein
- Keep to one or two dosas
Common questions about plain dosa
How many calories are in plain dosa?
About 171 kcal in 1 dosa, about 60 g, or 285 kcal per 100 g.
Is plain dosa good for weight management?
It rates 2.5/5, a moderate fit: a regular serving is a modest portion, but it packs a lot of calories into each gram and it is low in protein for its calories. See the lighter ways to have it on this page.
How much protein is in plain dosa?
About 5.2 g in 1 dosa, about 60 g, which is 3.0 g for every 100 kcal.
How much walking uses the energy in plain dosa?
About 30 min of brisk walking for a 70 kg adult uses similar energy to one regular serving.
Is dosa good for weight management?
A plain dosa of about 60 g has around 170 kcal. It fits when you use little oil and add sambar, but ghee-roast and large dosas have more.
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Compare it in:DosaBreakfast dishes
Information, not medical advice. Values are estimates for a typical recipe. Found an error? Tell us.