Updated: Aug 3, 2020
This might be my favorite post since it is about my favorite breakfast delicacy from South India - Dosa.
It used to my breakfast three times a week for 21 years of my life. However, after coming to the US, I missed eating them since I wasn't great at making them crispy and the restaurants around did not have them on the menu. I had to travel to Chicago to cater to my cravings. However, I do not miss them anymore since Paradise Indian Grill has them now.
I am sure a lot of you are wondering what this Dosa is? Its origin? How is it made?
How do we eat it?
In my first post, I mentioned that Indian food has been branded in a certain way and hence a lot of people do not recognize the authentic Indian delicacies - Dosa is one of them.
Before I dive into Dosa, I would like to start with some fun facts about various Indian dishes.
Did you guys know?
Gulab Jamun, Biryani and Naan originated in Persia! We would not have such an interesting cuisine if Persia did not gift us so much! Probably, the only exciting perk of colonization.
Samosa has its origins in Middle East before the 10th century! Originally called as a 'sambosa', they were introduced to Indians by traders from Central Asia circa 14th century.
The quintessential Punjabi dish Chicken Tikka Masala was for the first time prepared in Glasgow, UK!
Vindaloo, the typical Goan curry has its origins in Portugal! Given the long history of Portuguese in Goa, this is not very surprising.
Whatever might be the origins of these dishes, one thing is for sure that they have been coopted so well and modified to such an extent that they have become quintessentially Indian.
Now let's get back to Dosa - One dish that originated in India :)
According to T K Acharya in his book, The Story of our Food, Dosa known as Dosai is referenced in the Sangam literature as a staple food of ancient Tamil regions in 1st century AD. On the other hand, historian P Thankappan Nair, says Dosa originated in the Udipi town of Karnataka. Regardless of the controversy surrounding its origin, Dosa's roots are in South India :)
A recipe for Dosa known as Dosaka can be found in Manasollasa, a 12th century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, who ruled from present-day Karnataka.
Dosa is a light crispy crepe made of rice and lentils, is eaten by millions of South Indians every day. The rice and lentils are soaked overnight before making the batter. The batter is fermented before using it to prepare Dosas. The batter is poured onto the pan and spread into concentric circles, sometimes until it grew as wide as a foot and a half.
Top it with your favorite topping to make it your own!
How is it eaten?
Dosa is typically served with sambar (lentil soup with vegetables), Coconut chutney, and tomato-ginger chutney.
We tend to tear the dosa into small pieces (like the naan) and dip it in one of the chutneys or sambar before eating.
In some parts of South India, Dosa is also served with Andhra Chicken curry.
Fun Facts about Dosa:
There are close to 120 varieties of Dosas in India.
Guinness Record for the longest dosa: The longest dosa measures 16.68 meters (54 ft 8.6 inches), prepared at Hotel Daspalla, at the Forum Sujana Mall, in Hyderabad.
According to me, the dosa can serve as the base for just about any ingredient combination - from eggs to chicken to pulled pork with tamarind barbecue chutney. Thanks to this versatility, it wouldn't surprise me if in a few years Dosa suddenly becomes an American staple just like the tortilla with the caveat that we get more people to try it.
There is a stigma associated with trying to new dishes which is a barrier to innovation in Indian dishes. If we could get more people to try new dishes easily, I think Indian restaurants would become more innovative with recipes and compete less on price!
To sum it all up - Try a dosa when you are at Paradise Indian Grill. I bet you will not regret it and instead will instantly fall in love with its seductively sour, tangy, flavor and crispy texture.
"All you have to do is to get out of your comfort zone and try it out! "
Happy Sunday Paradisers!