What does dosa mean?
A dosa is a thin, savoury pancake that is a cornerstone of South Indian cuisine. It is made by grinding rice and urad dal (black lentils) into a batter that is left to ferment, then spread thinly on a hot griddle until crisp and golden. Dosas range from small, soft versions to the famously large and brittle 'paper dosa', and they are commonly stuffed with fillings such as spiced potatoes, as in the popular masala dosa. Traditionally eaten at breakfast or as a snack, a dosa is served hot alongside sambar, a lentil-based vegetable stew, and chutneys such as coconut or tomato. The word has entered English through Indian restaurants worldwide and appears unitalicised in standard dictionaries, reflecting how thoroughly the dish has travelled beyond its origins.
nounA thin, crisp savoury pancake made from a fermented batter of rice and black lentils (urad dal), originating in South India and typically served hot with sambar and chutneys.
- A thin, crisp fermented rice-and-lentil pancake from South Indian cuisine, served with sambar and chutneys.
"For breakfast she ordered a masala dosa filled with spiced potatoes and a bowl of coconut chutney."
"The restaurant's ghee roast dosa arrived golden and lacy, folded around spiced potato filling."
"Fermenting the dosa batter overnight gives it its characteristic tang and airy texture."
The regular English plural 'dosas' is standard; the invariant form 'dosa' is also heard when referring to the dish generically.
"The tawa was busy turning out dosas all morning."
The paper dosa can stretch over two feet long — a single crepe that hangs off the edge of the plate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dosa
The word 'dosa' comes from the Tamil 'dōsai' (with related forms in other Dravidian languages such as Kannada and Telugu), the name of this fermented rice-and-lentil crepe. It entered English through contact with South Indian cuisine, becoming established in English-language dictionaries as Indian restaurants spread globally. As a direct borrowing from a Dravidian language, it has no Latin or Greek cognates in English.
How dosa is actually used
Borrowed into English from South Indian languages; used in food writing and everyday speech without italics or glossing in most modern contexts.
Easily confused with dosa
A dosha is one of the three bodily humours in Ayurvedic medicine, whereas a dosa is the fermented rice-and-lentil pancake of South Indian cuisine.