Breakfast and tiffin
Calories in Rava Dosa
One rava dosa has about 167 kcal, with 5.4 g of protein, 24.1 g of carbohydrate and 5.2 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank recipe uses 25 g of suji, 5 g of maida, 31 g of curd and 1 teaspoon of oil per dosa, so it describes a soft home-style dosa, not a lacy restaurant one.
Nutrition in 1 rava dosa
| Nutrient | 1 rava dosa | 2 rava dosas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 167 kcal | 334 kcal |
| Protein | 5.4 g | 10.8 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 24.1 g | 48.2 g |
| Total fat | 5.2 g | 10.4 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3 g | 6 g |
| Sugars | 3.2 g | 6.4 g |
Of this energy, about 58% comes from carbohydrate, 28% from fat and 13% from protein.
1 rava dosa is about 8% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 10% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
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
A rava dosa needs no soaking, grinding or fermenting: the recipe stirs 50 g of suji and 10 g of maida into 61 g of curd, thins the mix and cooks it as 2 dosas with 2 teaspoons of oil. One serving is one of those dosas, made from 25 g of suji and a teaspoon of oil. Hotels make a different product under the same name, a thin, net-like dosa poured from a watery batter onto a well-oiled tawa and crisped for a long time. It soaks up more fat than this recipe allows for, so 167 kcal is best taken as the figure for a home version.
Carbohydrate supplies 58% of the energy, fat 28% and protein 13%. The starch is all from suji and maida, both milled from wheat, and the fat is mostly the single teaspoon of cooking oil. The curd is what separates this dosa from the rice-based ones: it brings part of the 5.4 g of protein and some calcium with it. For a dosa with no dal in the batter, that is a respectable amount of protein.
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 rava dosa |
|---|---|---|
| Maida (refined flour) | 10 g | 5 g |
| Semolina (suji) | 50 g | 25 g |
| Onion | 10 g | 5 g |
| Curds | 61 g | 31 g |
| Oil | 2 tsp | 1 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
Oil needed to crisp it
The recipe allows 1 teaspoon of oil per dosa. A lacy, crisp rava dosa is usually drizzled with more as it cooks, and a second teaspoon would bring it to about 211 kcal. The crisper and more golden the dosa, the more oil it has generally taken up.
- 02
Thickness of the batter
Each dosa holds 25 g of suji and 5 g of maida. A thin batter spreads a ladle further, so a wide, lacy dosa may contain no more flour than a small thick one. Count by ladles, not by width.
- 03
Curd in the mix
Using 31 g of curd per dosa adds protein and calcium for little energy. Recipes that replace the curd with water and rice flour lose that, and the dosa becomes almost entirely starch and oil.
- 04
Onion, cashew and fillings
Chopped onion, green chilli and coriander add next to nothing. Cashew pieces or a potato filling, as in an onion rava masala dosa, add to the count and are not in the 167 kcal.
How rava 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 rava dosas give 334 kcal and 10.8 g of protein, a fair breakfast for most adults; one is about 8% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 10% of a woman's. Because suji and maida are refined, the 3 g of fibre in a dosa is modest, and the meal benefits from vegetables on the side. Sambar suits it well. With chutney alone, two dosas are mainly starch and oil with some protein from the curd.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Use a non-stick tawa and brush on the oil, keeping to one teaspoon per dosa.
- Keep the curd in the batter, since it supplies much of the protein here.
- Add finely chopped onion, carrot and coriander to the batter for bulk without many calories.
- Swap part of the maida for whole wheat atta if a softer, less crisp dosa is acceptable.
Before you rely on the number
Suji and maida are both refined wheat, so a rava dosa is neither a whole-grain nor a gluten-free food, whatever its light texture suggests. Restaurant rava dosas are also among the oilier items on a tiffin menu, and this recipe's single teaspoon should not be assumed for them. People who track their blood sugar should fit it into the plan given by 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.
Rava Dosa: common questions
How many calories are in 2 rava dosas?
Two rava dosas made to this recipe have about 334 kcal, with 10.8 g of protein, 48.2 g of carbohydrate and 10.4 g of fat. The figure assumes one teaspoon of oil per dosa; crisp restaurant dosas generally use more.
Does rava dosa have more calories than plain dosa?
Slightly, in this set of recipes: 167 kcal against 138 kcal for a plain dosa. The rava dosa has a full teaspoon of oil and some curd, and it also carries more protein, 5.4 g against 3.7 g. In a restaurant the gap is usually wider because a rava dosa is cooked with more oil.
How much protein is in a rava dosa?
About 5.4 g, which is 13% of its energy. Much of it comes from the curd used to mix the batter and the remainder from the suji. Three dosas would supply 16.2 g, though at 501 kcal that is a large breakfast.
Is rava dosa good for weight loss?
A home rava dosa at 167 kcal is a moderate choice, and two with sambar make a sensible meal. The difficulty is oil: the crisp restaurant kind can take in much more than a teaspoon. Losing weight comes down to the balance of energy over time, so the dosa matters only as one part of the day.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Rava Dosa
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Wheat flour (atta and maida): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Wheat (whole, suji and dalia): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Indian breakfast for weight loss: what to change and what to keep
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
The South Indian diet: what it gets right, and where it needs work
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.