Tell me one that food you can eat all day and night. Pani Puri, instant noodles, chocolates, biriyani… The list never ends, right? If you ask me, my all-day and night kind of food is dosa. Now you guys will start quarreling with the terminologies. The Dosai of Tamilians is the Dose of Kannadigas. The folks from Kerala state call it Dosha, and for the 2 states of Telugu population, it’s Dosa. When this dish traveled north, they called it “Dosa.” Even though the name divides us, the aroma, the taste, and the authenticity of Dosa unite us. 

The flavors of Dosa history:

Once upon a time… hmmm, this sounds cliche; let me dive into the story directly. But wait, there are two stories and don’t ask me which one is true. The first is from the land of Tamil Nadu, dating back to Sangam literature. Food historian K. T. Achaya says that the consumption of Dosa has been found in the Tamil country since the first century CE and Dosa is also mentioned in the literary works that belong to the 8th Century CE. The second story has the aroma of the coastal region of Karnataka. According to Historian P Tankappa Nair, the origin of the Dose is from the city of Udupi, Karnataka. The recipe for this delicious food is found in the 12th-century Sanskrit book named “Manasollasa” written by Chalukya Raja Someshwara III. Let me tell you one more interesting fact about the origin of the Dosai and Dose. The fluffy soft thick Dosa finds its origin in modern Tamil Nadu, and the crisp Dosa that we usually find throughout India originated from Udupi. 

How to cook Dosa?

Preparing authentic South Indian Dosa is no less than an art. The crisp, mouth-watering golden brown Dosa needs love and patience along with the cooking ingredients. Here is the list of ingredients for dosa preparation. 

For dosa batter

• Rice
• urad dal
• fenugreek seeds
• water
• salt

For aloo masala

• aloo
• onion
• green chilies
• urad dal
• Mustered seeds
• Jira
• curry leaves
• Turmeric powder
• salt
• oil
• coriander leaves

For coconut chutney

• Coconut
• green chillis
• ginger
• coriander leaves
• tamarind 
• salt

Got the ingredients? Sounds great. Here is the South Indian Dosa recipe. 

The better batter, the better Dosa:

• Soak the 2 cups of rice, 4 spoonful urad dal, and a few fenugreek seeds in water for about 4 hours. 
• Grind the soaked mixture into a fine paste, and add water as per requirement. 
• Keep the Dosa batter overnight to ferment. 
• Add salt and mix well. 

All you need is aloo masala:

• In a kadai, add some oil, mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, curry leaves, finely chopped green chilies, and chopped onion one after the other and saute until the onion turns to a golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder and saute for a minute. 
• Add boiled and roughly mashed potatoes and mix well. 
• Add salt according to your taste and add finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. 

South Indian Masala Dosa, It’s incomplete without coconut chutney. 

• Grate the fresh coconut. 
• Add a few green chilies according to your spice level. 
• Add a small amount of ginger, tamarind, salt, and fresh coriander. 
• Grind it to a paste. 

Can’t wait for the last step, right? Get the pan, and let us prepare the delicious Dosa… 

• Heat the pan, and apply a few drops of the oil. 
• Add a bowl full of prepared batter on the hot tawa; I mean pan. Spread it evenly throughout the pan.  
• Allow it to cook until it turns to a bright brown color, and add the aloo masala to the dosa. 
• Now gently roll it and serve dosa with coconut chutney.

Here are a few Dosa making tips only for you…

• Say no to a non-stick pan, and opt for the cast iron pan. 
• Never refrigerate the batter. 
• Let the batter ferment overnight.
• The addition of ghee will increase the taste.

Dosa, as a proper South Indian breakfast, has stolen millions of food lovers’ hearts. Among the south Indian cuisines, the family of dosa is the huge one. Rava dosa, paneer dosa, neer dosa, ragi dosa, set dosa, podi dosa, cheese dosa, benne dosa, ghee roast dosa, nir dosa, and the list goes on. Information about Dosa won’t end here, but I know you started craving dosa, and so am I! We can discuss more in the next part of the dosa blog. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on this blog before you go for a dosa.Now don’t make your cravings wait, order your favorite dosa from Vindoos.