The Dosa! An Indian Breakfast in Chennai
What is a Dosa?
A dosa appears similar to a pancake but is only fried a crisp golden brown on one side. Served folded crispy side out, the inside remains white, soft and doughy which acts as a contrast to the outside. A well cooked dosa should never have the floppy consistency of a pancake and should have a slightly crisp texture. The Dosa itself has a plain but pleasant savoury taste but is served with spicey chutneys and samba. A real treat.
How Dosa is Made and Served
A dosa is made from a liquid batter consisting of water with rice and lentil flour left for a few hours to ferment. Packets of dosa flour can be widely purchased from Asian supermarkets. A tava or frying pan is heated with oil and the dosa batter poured in to form a uniform thin covering over the pan.
The dosa is cooked when the batter facing the chef has solidified and the underside is a crisp light brown. It’s a fast method of cooking. Dosa is served on a steamed banana leaf with a spicy Sambar, a lentil based thin sauce to which curry spices and vegetables are added, and chutneys. Chutneys are thick sauces usually made from coconut, tomato and coriander and mint and again the liberal use of spices. The sambar and occasionally chutneys are served separately in small metal pots (see photograph).
Where to Find Authentic Dosa
South India is the home of the dosa. Venture out of any hotel and within a few metres it should be possible to find one of the many thousands of vegetarian restaurants which considerably outnumber the carnivorous variety. The better restaurants are glass fronted and may even have air conditioning which is a blessing in the summer heat. A tasty dosa will cost anywhere between 25 and 50 Indian rupees (50 cents to 1 USD) which for a culinary treat represents excellent value for money.
Dosas come in several guises; e.g. the plain dosa, the popular masala dosa (filled with a potato based curry) and the onion dosa (served with lightly fried red onions). In India the dosa and other food is traditionally eaten with the right hand for cultural reasons, and even if left handed you should follow this rule “when in Rome”. A dosa can be a little more comfortable to eat by hand for those not accustomed to it.
It's hard to beat this nutritious - if somewhat spicy - breakfast.
A Dosa in Chennai
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