An irresistible savory cake with a crispy exterior like Dosa and a soft interior like an Idli, yes I’m talking about this classic Andhra Breakfast DIBBA ROTTE. Serve this delicious Dibba rotte with Aavakaya, chutney, or sambar, this recipe is filling and absolutely delicious. Dibba rotte is a classic recipe that is very easy to make and a total crowd-pleaser.
Traditionally Dibba rotte is made with freshly ground Idli batter, and Idli Rava or Rice Rava is used here. The Telugu-speaking regions use Idli Rava for their Idli batter instead of parboiled rice/uppudu biyyam. The coarse texture of the Rava gives it’s signature crisp exterior and granular soft interior. I bet once you try this, you’ll end up making Dibba rotte every time you make Idli batter. And the good part is you needn’t ferment the batter, just add the tempering to it and make Dibba rotte right away. But we have tried making it with fermented batter and the beautiful sour notes adds more magic. Now to get the perfect color and crunch, the key is to use a heavy cast-iron Kadai/pan. Let the Dibba rotte cook on low flame for longer to get the irresistible crunchy exterior.
I have learnt making this dish from my best friend who hails from Machilipatnam and they make it quite regularly. I remember tasting this dish at her home and I fell in love with the dish instantly and I’m telling you if you are a person who loves slightly crispy bits in the bottom of the pan(like me) in dishes like upma, then this is just for you.
What is Dibba rotte and how to make it?
The word Dibba means plump or fat and rotte means bread/flatbread. And traditionally rice Rava or Idli Rava is used instead of rice. As throughout Telugu-speaking regions, Idli is made with Rice Rava or Idli Rava, the granular idli texture is just irresistible.
First, we need to soak the Urad dal and later grind it to a fine consistency, and then we add soaked rice Rava/Idli Rava to this batter. You can let this batter ferment to make idlis or use it to make Dibba rotte instantly. You can take a portion of this batter and add a simple tempering to the batter, using mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chili paste. If you are making for younger kids, you can skip green chilies or omit them.
Traditionally we use a heavy and shallow cast-iron Kadai or brass Kadai(itthadi ginne) to make this Dibba rotte. But any thick bottomed pan will work, just make sure to keep an eye on Dibba rotte and it’s not burning. Our goal is to achieve a golden-brown crispy exterior and cook through completely. While making spread light cooking oil on the Kadai and then pour the batter. Cover the pan and cook on a slow flame until it turns crispy on the bottom. Flip it through and cook until done. Then Serve hot Dibba rotte with pickle or chutney of your choice. Ginger chutney makes a great combination with this.
More names of Dibba rotte
This Dibba rotte is also known as Dibba rotti or minapa rotti in some parts of Telugu-speaking regions.
Serving suggestions
Dibba rotte is traditionally cut in wedges and served as you get to taste the outside crusty exterior and the soft fluffy texture inside. The taste is not like that of idli as there is no sourness in the batter (since the batter is not fermented), but you can make it with fermented batter too. The crisp texture is what makes the dish more interesting.
This Dibba rotte is a savory cake and has a similar color, shape, and texture. One of the reasons why people call it Andhra cake and most loved by kids. Serve with your favorite pickle or chutney or Podi of your choice. But I’d recommend you try with Ginger chutney.
So what all Ingredients do we need?
All you need to make this dish is idli batter. So, you can use your favorite idli recipe. To make the Andhra way, use urad dal and idli Rava. You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe:
- urad dal – either whole or split.
- Rice Rava or idli Rava – Look for idli Rava in your nearby Indian grocery stores. The key for its signature granular crispy exterior is Idli Rava.
- Fenugreek seeds – Helps indigestion
- Salt
- Tempering – Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves.
Please check out more delicious festive treats and tea-time snacks from my blog.
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Let’s get into the recipe now
DIBBA ROTTE
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or wok
Ingredients
- ½ cup Urad dal
- 1 cup Idli rava
- ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- Salt to taste
Tempering
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 tsp Green chili paste
- ½ tsp Minced ginger
Instructions
Let's prep for the batter
- Wash and soak the Urad dal + fenugreek seeds and Idli rava separately for 3-4 hours.
- Drain the water from the urad dal and reserve about 2 cups of soaking water. Grind the urad dal+fenugreek seeds into soft and smooth paste by adding little water.
- Transfer the ground urad dal paste to a mixing bowl, and to this add drained idli rava. Add salt to taste and mix it well with your hand.
It's tempering time
- Heat a small tadka pan, add oil and once its hot add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, minced ginger, green chili paste and torn curry leaves. Let it splutter for a minute.
- Turn off the heat and add this tempering to the Idli batter and give it a good mix.
Let's make some dibba rotte now!!
- Heat a thick Cast iron kadai or Appam pan, and add oil and let it heat for a minute.
- Now add in 1-1½ cups ladleful of batter into the pan, let it sizzle for a minute of medium heat.
- Lower the heat to low flame, cover the pan and cook for 15 mins until it turns crispy on the bottom. Insert a clean knife or spoon and see if its cooked, it should come out clean.
- Now flip the Dibba rotte and cook it for another 5-10 mins. Do not cover the pan at this time.
- Turn off the heat, remove the dibba rotte on a plate, cut into wedges and serve with chutney, podi or pickle of your choice.
Notes
- There is no need to ferment it, you can make Dibba rotte as soon as you grind the batter. But feel free to use the fermented idli batter too, the sourness adds a nice flavor profile to the Dibba rotte.
- If you are using wet grinder or blender, make sure to add water in increments to make a soft, fluffy and smooth batter.
- I would recommend you to use a cast iron kadai or appam pan to get irresistible crispy exterior.
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