We had been to Anjappar Restaurant for lunch on Sunday. This dish was on their menu. It was so delicious that I couldn’t stop myself making it again at home. It’s a Chettinad Delicacy.
Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. It is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal. 
Chicken Dosa
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Chicken Dosa is a savory Indian pancake filled with a spicy, flavorful chicken mixture, offering a taste of Chettinad cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 can of Shasta dosa batter
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken, cut into small pieces
- 1 big onion, sliced
- 5 green chillies, chopped
- Whole garam masala (shahjeera, cloves, pepper, big cardamom, bay leaf)
- 2 tbsp dahi (yogurt)
- 2 tbsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- Oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a deep pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the whole garam masala (shahjeera, cloves, pepper, big cardamom, bay leaf) and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add sliced onions, chopped green chillies, and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is browned.
- Stir in the dahi, red chili powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and salt. Mix well and cook for another 10-12 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the spices are well incorporated.
- Heat a non-stick pan or dosa tawa over medium heat. Pour a ladleful of dosa batter onto the pan and spread it out in a circular motion to form a thin pancake.
- Cook the dosa for 2-3 minutes until the edges start to lift and the bottom is golden brown.
- Place a portion of the chicken filling on one half of the dosa, fold the other half over the filling, and serve hot.
Notes
- For a spicier filling, increase the amount of green chillies or red chili powder.
- Serve with coconut chutney or sambar for a complete meal.
- Leftover chicken filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 75
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/chicken-dosa-indian-pancakes/
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dosa batter from scratch instead of using a canned version?
Yes — traditional dosa batter is made from soaked and fermented rice and urad dal, which takes 24-48 hours. A good quality store-bought batter, like Shasta, is a reliable shortcut that still produces a thin, crispy dosa. If you're making the batter from scratch, the fermentation step is what gives dosa its characteristic slight sourness.
How spicy is the chicken filling, and can I adjust it?
With 5 chopped green chillies and 2 tablespoons of red chili powder, the filling is assertively hot — Chettinad cuisine is known for its bold spice levels. Reduce the green chillies to 2-3 and cut the red chili powder to 1 tablespoon for a milder version. The garam masala base remains the same.
Can the chicken filling be made ahead?
Store the cooked chicken filling in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make the filling in advance and simply reheat it before assembling. The dosa batter should be cooked fresh — dosas don't hold well once assembled.
When do you add curry leaves and salt?
Salt goes in with the yogurt and chili powder step when I make it. Curry leaves aren’t in the recipe as written but I add them early with the garam masala. That’s how I’ve had it at Chettinad restaurants.
Tried it. Loved it!!
Thanks, very nice and simple recipe, easy to follow for novice like me. But some of the ingredients are not explicitly mentioned in the steps (liek saalt!!!) and difficult to decide when to add :-) I know i ma being too novice but hey :-)
All in all, thanks for this wonderful recipe.!