Dosa


A dosa is a rice pancake, originating from South India, made from a fermented batter. It is somewhat similar to a crepe in appearance. Its main ingredients are rice and black gram, ground together in a fine, smooth batter with a dash of salt. Dosas are a common part of the diet in South India, but have become popular all over the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally, dosas are served hot along with sambar and chutney.

History

Dosas originated in South India; their exact birthplace in that region is a matter of conjecture. According to historian P. Thankappan Nair, dosa originated in the Udupi town of present-day Karnataka. According to food historian K. T. Achaya, dosa was already in use in the ancient Tamil country around the 1st century AD, as per references in the Sangam literature.
In popular tradition, the origin of the dosa is linked to Udupi, probably because of the dish's association with the Udupi restaurants. Also, the original Tamil dosa was softer and thicker. The thinner and crispier version of dosa was first made in present-day Karnataka. A recipe for dosa can be found in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, who ruled from present-day Karnataka.
After the Independence of India, South Indian cuisine became gradually popular in the North. In Delhi the Madras Hotel in Connaught Place became a landmark that was one of the first restaurants to serve South Indian cuisine. It arrived in Mumbai with the Udupi restaurants in the 1930s.

Names

Dosas are known by several names. The standard transliterations and pronunciations of the word in various South Indian languages are as follows:
LanguageTransliterationPronunciation
ದೋಸೆdōse
Tulu: ದೋಸೆdōse
ദോശdōśa
தோசைdōse
దోసdōsa

Nutrition

Dosa is high in carbohydrates and contains no added sugars or saturated fats. As its key ingredients are rice and black gram, it is also a good source of protein. One home made plain dosa without oil contains about 112 calories, of which 84% is carbohydrate and 16% protein. The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content. There are instant mix products for making dosa which usually contain higher levels of rice.

Preparation

A mixture of rice and black gram that has been soaked in water is ground finely to form a batter. Some add a handful of soaked fenugreek seeds. The proportion of rice to lentils is generally 3:1 or 4:1. The batter is allowed to ferment overnight, before being mixed with water to get the desired consistency. The batter is then ladled onto a hot tava greased with oil or ghee. It is spread out with the base of a ladle or bowl to form a pancake. It can be made either to be thick like a pancake, or thin and crispy. A dosa is served hot, either folded in half or rolled like a wrap. It is usually served with chutney and sambar. The mixture of black grams and rice can be replaced with highly refined wheat flour or semolina.

Serving

Dosa can be stuffed with fillings of vegetables and sauces to make a quick meal. They are typically served with a vegetarian side dish which varies according to regional and personal preferences. Common side items are:
The most popular version is the masala dosa, with a filling of the potato masala. Mysore masala is the spicier version of it. Sada is without filling; paper dosa is a thin and crisp version. Rava dosa is made crispier using semolina. Newer recipes have been developed that use fusion, like Chinese dosa, cheese dosa, paneer dosa and many more.
Though dosa typically refers to the version made with rice and lentils, many other versions exist.
NameKey ingredients
Masala dosaspiced potatoes tucked inside the dosa with red chutney smeared over the dosa.
Oats dosahealthy, crisp and lacy instant dosa made with oats.
Set dosavery spongy, soft and light, served in a set of 3 dosa per serving.
Plain dosaDosa served with only chutney and sambar and no filling.
Paneer dosaspiced paneer filling inside the dosa.
Palak dosalayered with palak paste inside the folds of dosa.
Mini soya dosasoya milk and wheat flour
Pesarattu green gram
Light white dosarice and coconut
Kadapa karam dosaRice flour fermented overnight and mixed with sodium carbonate. The topping is a mixture of onion and chili paste and a chutney made with tomato and flour made in a gravy of curd. It is also occasionally topped with fried gram powder.
Mysore masala dosarice, black gram, fenugreek seeds
Onion rava dosaSemolina, rice flour
Ragi wheat dosaRagi, whole wheat flour
Rava dosarava or sooji
Benne dosebutter
Predominantly famous as "Davanagere benne dose" associated with Davanagere district in Karnataka.
Neer dosawatery rice batter
Vodu dose or Kappa rotiVodu dose or Kappa roti is made from rice, fenugreek seeds, grated coconut, thinly flattened rice and sometimes leftover cooked rice is also added.
It is non fermented type of dosa. It is cooked on a earthen pan that has a rounded bottom. It is fluffy and appears like a bread. It is cooked without the use of oil.
Amboli, ghavan, dhirdeIn coastal parts of Maharashtra, variations known as amboli, ghavan and dhirde exist. Amboli and ghavan are thin rice crêpes prepared with fermented batter, while dhirde is prepared with unfermented batter.
Buttermilk dosaSemolina, maida, buttermilk
Jaggery dosaRice flour, maida, grated coconut, jaggery

Masala dosa

The masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices. The dosa is wrapped around an onion and potato curry or masala.

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