Breakfast and tiffin
Calories in Plain Dosa
One plain dosa has about 138 kcal, with 3.7 g of protein, 23.1 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank figure is for a recipe making 4 dosas from 100 g of rice, 30 g of urad dal and a tablespoon of butter, so each is a home-sized dosa with about 3/4 teaspoon of butter.
Nutrition in 1 plain dosa
| Nutrient | 1 plain dosa | 2 plain dosas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 138 kcal | 276 kcal |
| Protein | 3.7 g | 7.4 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 23.1 g | 46.2 g |
| Total fat | 3 g | 6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 1.9 g | 3.8 g |
| Sugars | 0.3 g | 0.6 g |
Of this energy, about 69% comes from carbohydrate, 20% from fat and 11% from protein.
1 plain dosa is about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 8% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
For comparison, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians list 1 dosa at about 125 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 behind the figure soaks and grinds 100 g of rice with 30 g of urad dal and cooks the batter as 4 dosas, using 1 tablespoon of butter in all. The source does not fix the diameter, so one serving means one of those 4 portions: a dosa from 25 g of rice and 7.5 g of dal. ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians put a dosa at about 125 kcal, slightly below this 138 kcal. The two agree well; a little less batter or a lighter hand with the fat accounts for the gap. A long, crisp restaurant paper dosa is spread from more batter and brushed with more fat, and sits above both.
Carbohydrate from the rice supplies 69% of the energy, fat 20% and protein 11%. The fat is almost entirely the butter on the tawa, which is also why a good part of the 3 g is saturated. Take the butter away and what remains is close to a flat, crisp idli: fermented rice and urad dal with little else. So for a plain dosa two things decide the number, the ladle of batter and the fat used to cook it, and both are in the cook's hands.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 4 dosas. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 plain dosa |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 100 g | 25 g |
| Black gram (urad) | 30 g | 7.5 g |
| Butter | 1 tbsp | 3/4 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
Butter, ghee or oil on the tawa
The recipe counts about 3/4 teaspoon of butter per dosa. A ghee roast is a different thing: one extra teaspoon of ghee takes the dosa from 138 kcal to about 183 kcal, and two take it to about 228 kcal. A well-seasoned or non-stick tawa needs only a wipe of oil.
- 02
How much batter is spread
One dosa here is made from 25 g of rice and 7.5 g of urad dal. Thin and wide or thick and small, the calories track the batter in the ladle, so two ladles spread into one large dosa should be counted as two.
- 03
Chutney, podi and sambar
A plain dosa is rarely eaten plain. Coconut chutney and podi mixed with oil add fat; sambar adds dal and vegetables for less energy. None of them is part of the 138 kcal.
- 04
Rice and dal in the batter
More urad dal in the batter raises the protein a little without much change in calories. Batters stretched with extra rice or rice flour crisp well but tilt the dosa further towards starch.
How plain 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
Two plain dosas come to 276 kcal and 7.4 g of protein; three reach 414 kcal and 11.1 g. One plain dosa is about 7% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 8% of a woman's. That makes two a reasonable breakfast on energy, but thin on protein and, at 1.9 g a dosa, on fibre. Sambar is the natural fix because it brings dal and vegetables. A boiled egg or a bowl of curd does the same job where sambar is not on the table.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Cook on a seasoned or non-stick tawa with a light wipe of oil instead of a spoon of butter.
- Ask for the dosa without its ghee or butter finish when eating out.
- Make sambar the main accompaniment and treat coconut chutney as a small extra.
- Grind a slightly higher share of urad dal into the batter for more protein per dosa.
Before you rely on the number
The spread between a home dosa and a restaurant one is wide. A paper dosa or ghee roast is poured from noticeably more batter and finished with more fat, so the 138 kcal figure should not be carried over to it unchanged. A dosa is also mainly rice starch. People managing diabetes should keep to the number of dosas agreed with their doctor or dietitian.
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.
Plain Dosa: common questions
How many calories are in 2 plain dosas?
Two plain dosas of this recipe's size have about 276 kcal, with 7.4 g of protein, 46.2 g of carbohydrate and 6 g of fat. Chutney, sambar and any ghee added at the table are extra, and larger restaurant dosas will run higher.
How many calories does a dosa with ghee have?
A plain dosa finished with one extra teaspoon of ghee comes to about 183 kcal, and with two teaspoons about 228 kcal. That is on top of the 3/4 teaspoon of butter already in the recipe. Each teaspoon of ghee adds about 45 kcal, so a ghee roast depends mostly on how freely the ghee is poured.
Is plain dosa or masala dosa lower in calories?
The plain dosa, clearly: 138 kcal against 345 kcal for a masala dosa in the same set of recipes. The masala dosa adds a potato and onion filling and is cooked with far more oil. Two plain dosas, at 276 kcal, still come in below one masala dosa.
How much protein is in a plain dosa?
About 3.7 g in one dosa and 7.4 g in two, which is 11% of the energy. It comes from the urad dal and the rice in the batter. Sambar, a bowl of curd or an egg beside the dosa is the simplest way to bring more protein to the plate.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Rice: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Black gram (urad): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
The South Indian diet: what it gets right, and where it needs work
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian breakfast for weight loss: what to change and what to keep
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.