Kappa Rotti (Rice Pancakes)

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Kappa rutti or Kappa rotti – This soft in the center and crispy on the sides 4-ingredient dosa or pancake from Mangalore is a culinary delight. Try it out today – no fermentation required!

Kappa rutti served on a bamboo charger along with shrimp curry and a spoonful of ghee
Kappa rutti served with shrimp curry

What is kappa rutti or kappa rotti made of?

Kappa rutti is a popular breakfast dish from Mangalore (a city in the southern part of India). It is a type of dosa (pancake) made by grinding soaked rice with freshly grated coconut, flattened rice (poha)methi seeds, and a tad bit of salt.

The ingredients list may not be exotic, but the end result is definitely mouth-watering 🙂

While you can pair it with any Mangalorean curry such as Kori Gassi (chicken curry), Yeti Gassi (shrimp/prawn curry), or Meen Gassi (Fish curry) but for kappa rutti lovers like me, a dollop of butter or ghee will suffice.

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How to make kappa rutti?

Traditionally kappa rutti is made using a clay tawa (frying pan), also called vodu (in Kannada and Tulu).

Vodu are concave-shaped frying pans that not only make dosas more delicious but also offer a myriad of other benefits, such as uniform cooking, nutrient retention, and maintaining the pH balance of the food, to name a few.

Don’t despair if you don’t have a clay tawa – a cast iron frying pan will work just fine!

Let’s get to the step-by-step instructions –

  1. Soaking rice – Rinse the rice couple of times in water till the water runs clean. Soak the rice in 2 cups of water along with methi seeds for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Drained Rice and methi seeds in a bowl
Rice and methi seeds after being soaked for 5-6 hours

Grinding the batter – Drain the water from the rice. Grind the rice and methi seeds to a fine paste along with grated coconutflattened rice, and salt using as little water as possible. Once it is finely ground, add water as needed to get the consistency of the dosa batter, as shown in the video below.

Making Kappa rotti – Heat a tava or a pan over medium-high heat and grease it with oil. Add a ladleful of batter in the center of the pan (do not spread). In a few seconds, you’ll notice bubbles forming and popping, like in the picture below.

Kappa rotti cooking in a pan. Bubbles are formed on top of this dosa indicating the consistency is right
Bubbles forming on top of kappa rotti

Cover the pan with a lid and cook until done. DO NOT flip it to the other side – Kappa rotti should be cooked only on one side. Repeat till all the batter is used up.

Kappa rotti is being cooked in a pan with covered lid
Cover the kappa rotti with a lid

Serve hot with butter/ghee or your favorite curry!

Craving more Mangalorean food? Check out all my Mangalorean food recipes here

A stack of kappa rotti served on a bamboo charger along with a spoonful of ghee
Kappa rutti

Hope you liked this kappa rotti recipe, and if you are looking for easy and delicious Indian breakfast recipes, here are my top picks – 

  1. Suji ka upma – a semolina-based breakfast dish that takes less than 30 minutes.
  2. Idli – You’ll love this post if you have been struggling to get soft and spongy idlis. Learn all my tips and tricks to get perfect fermented batter even in winter!
  3. Buttermilk dosa – Buttermilk dosa – Delicious and soft, this dosa is perfect for breakfast, snacks, and even lunch. Learn how to make it in a few easy steps.
  4. Lemon Vermicelli (Semiya Upma) – This delicious and tangy Semiya Upma (Lemon Vermicelli) is just what you need to start your day. It is filling and comes together in 15 minutes from start to finish.
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Kappa rutti served with shrimp gassi over a woven trivet
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4.41 from 5 votes

Kappa Rotti

If you are in the mood to mix-up your breakfast routine, then you’ve got to check out this 4-ingredient dosa or pancake from Mangalore called Kappa rutti or Kappa rotti. It is soft in the center and crispy on the sides and is a culinary delight when paired with chutneys or leftover fish curry.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 Kappa Rotti

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups idli rice
  • 1.5 teaspoons methi seeds fenugreek
  • 1 cup grated coconut
  • ¼ cup poha flattened rice
  • salt to taste
  • water as needed
  • oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the rice couple of times in water till the water runs clean. Soak the rice in 2 cups of water along with methi seeds overnight or for 5-6 hours.
  • Drain the water from the rice. Grind the rice and methi seeds to a fine paste along with grated coconut, flattened rice and salt using as little water as possible [see note 1].
  • Add water to the batter to get the consistency of dosa batter as shown in the video here).
  • Heat a tava or a pan over medium heat and grease it with oil. Add a ladleful of batter in the center of the pan (do not spread).
  • In a few seconds, you’ll notice bubbles forming and popping as shown in the step by step pictures. At this point, cover it with a lid and cook until done. Repeat till all the batter is used up.
  • Serve hot with butter or your favorite curry immediately!

Notes

Tips
  1. This dosa batter does not require fermentation but for best results leave it at room temperature for a few hours before making kappa rutti.
  2. It will take you a few tries to get the consistency right. That’s why always start with less water.
  3. If you are making kappa rutti for the first time follow these additional steps after step 2 –  Transfer 2 ladlefuls of batter into a bowl and then add a few tablespoons of water till you get the consistency of a dosa batter. Make your first dosa, if bubbles are forming and popping you’ve got the consistency right. If the batter is too thick and does not form bubbles, add more water to get the consistency as shown in the video here.
  4. Kappa rutti can always be reheated but they are best eaten as soon as they are made.
NOTE – I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Nutritional information is provided a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
Read the post…For helpful information on ingredient swaps, storage tips, meal prep ideas, and variations!

Disclaimer: Approximate nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
Diet: Nut-free, Vegetarian
Course: Breakfast
Method: Stovetop
Keywords: Crispy, Odu dosa, spongy
Cuisine: Mangalorean
Did you enjoy this recipe or have a question?Please leave a comment below. Don’t forget to rate!

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An overhead shot of Gujarathi kadhi along with rice, rotis and a side of lemon

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11 Comments

  1. Hi Madam, we made kappa rutti today as per your recipe, but they did not get off easily. We had to scrape hard to remove. What do you think was the mistake? They were otherwise fluffy and tasty with pores.

    1. Hi Vyas,

      Thanks for trying my recipe. What kind of pan did you use? Was it greased properly?

      Thanks,
      Anushree

  2. Hi thank you for lovely recipe👌Just wanted to know if we can store the batter into the refrigerator. ??

  3. Hello mam, Your recipe is amazing as I found 2new ingredients used for making this dosa. I have one query. I don’t use methi seeds and poha while making this dosa but sometimes I use cooked rice along with raw dosa rice while grinding. My problem is that the dosa doesn’t get pores when poured on clay tawa. What is the reason?? What I am missing out?? Can you please guide. Thanks mam

  4. Hello Anushree,

    Can you please share the recipe of Kori Rotti? I stay in Miami and it’s very hard to find Rotti packets in here, actually it’s unavailable. I only want the Rotti recipe.
    I couldn’t find the recipe anywhere on the Internet. Almost everyone has shared the Kori gassi recipe but not the Rotti recipe. Hoping you can help me with this.

    1. Do you have Patel brothers close to you? You can find it there. My grandmother used to make Rottis but my mom never learned it and I don’t know how to make it either. Sorry I was not able to help you, Caroline.

  5. 5 stars
    Hi Anu,
    I love your kappa roti recipe and want to make it. I am very fond of South Indian food too but haven’t tried the kappa roti yet. Can we use any other rice instead of idli rice?

    1. Hi Fouzia – Thanks for stopping by. What kind of rice do you have at home? You could try with Sona masoori rice.