Breakfast and tiffin
Calories in Masala Dosa
One masala dosa has about 345 kcal, with 6.9 g of protein, 41 g of carbohydrate and 16.4 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank figure is for a dosa of 30 g of rice and 10 g of urad dal, filled with 50 g of potato and 38 g of onion and cooked with 3 1/2 teaspoons of oil.
Nutrition in 1 masala dosa
| Nutrient | 1 masala dosa | 2 masala dosas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 345 kcal | 690 kcal |
| Protein | 6.9 g | 13.8 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 41 g | 82 g |
| Total fat | 16.4 g | 32.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 5.3 g | 10.6 g |
| Sugars | 2.8 g | 5.6 g |
Of this energy, about 48% comes from carbohydrate, 44% from fat and 8% from protein.
1 masala dosa is about 16% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 21% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
For comparison, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians list 1 masala dosa at about 200 kcal.
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The recipe makes 2 masala dosas from 60 g of rice, 20 g of urad dal, 100 g of potato, 75 g of onion and 7 teaspoons of oil. The batter in each dosa is modest; what sets this recipe apart is the oil, 3 1/2 teaspoons per dosa between the tawa and the potato masala. ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians give a much lower figure, about 200 kcal for 1 masala dosa. The gap is explained by that oil and by the amount of filling. A dosa cooked with a light smear of oil around a small scoop of potato sits near the guideline's number, and one cooked as freely as this recipe sits near 345 kcal.
Carbohydrate supplies 48% of the energy and fat 44%, with protein at 8%. In other words, close to half of a masala dosa made this way is cooking oil, and the rice, dal and potato provide most of the rest. The potato is often blamed, but 50 g of it adds much less than the oil it is fried in. The onion and potato do bring fibre, 5.3 g in a dosa, which a plain rice batter cannot offer.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 2 dosas. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 masala dosa |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 60 g | 30 g |
| Black gram (urad) | 20 g | 10 g |
| Potato | 100 g | 50 g |
| Onion | 75 g | 38 g |
| Oil | 7 tsp | 3 1/2 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
Oil in the masala and on the tawa
At 3 1/2 teaspoons per dosa, oil is the largest single contributor. Each teaspoon carries about 44 kcal, so a cook who uses one teaspoon for the potato and a wipe for the tawa makes a very different dosa from one who roasts it in plenty of oil.
- 02
How much potato goes inside
The recipe folds in 50 g of potato and 38 g of onion. Restaurant dosas often carry a larger scoop, and the masala itself may be fried in more oil. A bigger filling raises carbohydrate; an oilier filling raises fat faster.
- 03
The length of the dosa
This dosa uses 30 g of rice and 10 g of urad dal. A restaurant dosa that hangs over both sides of the plate is spread from more batter than that, and should not be assumed to match a home one.
- 04
Butter or ghee finish
A butter or ghee masala dosa adds to the oil already counted: one more teaspoon of ghee brings the total to about 390 kcal. Coconut chutney and sambar are separate again.
How masala dosa compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idli | 1 idli | 34 | 1.2 |
| Rava Idli | 1 rava idli | 61 | 2.8 |
| Besan Chilla | 1 besan chilla | 71 | 4.1 |
| Pesarattu | 1 pesarattu | 76 | 3.3 |
| Dhokla | 1 piece of dhokla | 87 | 5.4 |
| Jowar Dosa | 1 jowar dosa | 97 | 2.8 |
| Egg Bhurji | 1 bowl of egg bhurji | 130 | 7.7 |
| Plain Dosa | 1 plain dosa | 138 | 3.7 |
| Omelette | 1 omelette | 144 | 6.8 |
| Upma | 1 bowl of upma | 157 | 3.5 |
| Semiya Upma | 1 bowl of semiya upma | 158 | 3.3 |
| Poha | 1 bowl of poha | 161 | 3.3 |
| Rava Dosa | 1 rava dosa | 167 | 5.4 |
| Uttapam | 1 uttapam | 174 | 4.2 |
| Oats Porridge | 1 bowl of oats porridge | 290 | 10.3 |
| Cornflakes With Milk | 1 bowl of cornflakes with milk | 326 | 10 |
| Meetha Dalia | 1 bowl of meetha dalia | 329 | 10.6 |
| Puttu | 1 puttu | 344 | 5.3 |
| Masala Dosa | 1 masala dosa | 345 | 6.9 |
| Vegetable Upma | 1 plate of vegetable upma | 345 | 11.1 |
| Namkeen Dalia | 1 plate of namkeen dalia | 346 | 9.7 |
| Stuffed Moong Dal Chilla | 1 stuffed moong dal chilla | 352 | 15.9 |
In a meal and in a day
A single masala dosa of this kind is a meal, not a snack: about 16% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 21% of a woman's. Two would come to 690 kcal and 32.8 g of fat. Protein is the thin part, 6.9 g in the whole dosa, so the sambar matters more than the chutney. Eaten as a late breakfast or lunch with a katori of sambar, one is usually enough, and the other meals of the day can be lighter on oil to balance it.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Cook the potato masala in one measured teaspoon of oil and roast the dosa on a seasoned tawa.
- Ask for less masala, or leave part of the filling, when the scoop is large.
- Decline the butter or ghee finish, which comes on top of the oil already in the dosa.
- Fill up on sambar and go light on the coconut chutney.
- Share one large restaurant dosa between two people and order a bowl of sambar each.
Before you rely on the number
Fat supplies 44% of this dosa's energy before any sambar or chutney is counted, and restaurant versions are usually oilier and well salted besides. That makes masala dosa a dish to count honestly and not to treat as a light tiffin. People who have been asked to limit salt or fat for blood pressure or a heart condition should follow the advice of their doctor or dietitian on how often it fits.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Masala Dosa: common questions
How many calories are in 1 masala dosa with sambar and chutney?
The dosa itself is about 345 kcal in the Indian Nutrient Databank recipe. Sambar and coconut chutney are not included, and their calories depend on the size of the katori and how much coconut and tadka oil they contain. Count them separately; chutney is the heavier of the two, spoon for spoon.
How much protein is in a masala dosa?
About 6.9 g, which is only 8% of the energy. The urad dal and rice in the batter supply most of it, and the potato filling adds very little. Two dosas would give 13.8 g, but at 690 kcal. A katori of sambar is the easier way to add protein to the meal.
How many calories are in 2 masala dosas?
Two masala dosas made to this recipe have about 690 kcal, with 13.8 g of protein, 82 g of carbohydrate and 32.8 g of fat. For most adults that is a large share of the day's energy in one sitting, so one dosa with sambar is the more usual portion.
Is masala dosa good for weight loss?
It can be part of a weight-loss diet, but at 345 kcal with 44% of the energy from fat it is among the heavier breakfast choices. A plain dosa is 138 kcal in the same set of recipes. Cutting the oil in the masala is the most effective change. Progress depends on the total eaten across the week, not on any one tiffin.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
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Onion: nutrition per 100 g
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