Dosa

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A plate of Dosa with Chutney and Sambhar
Dosa
Kannada: Dose (dho-say)
Malayalam: Dosha
Tamil: Dosai
Telugu: Dosa

The dose, dosa, dosai, thosai, or dhosa is a savoury South Indian crêpe. This food, high in carbohydrates and proteins, is a typical South Indian breakfast item.

Contents

[edit] Preparation

Regular dosa batter is made from lentils and rice blended with water and left to ferment overnight. (The same batter, slightly modified, can be used to make idlis.) The lentils and rice can be replaced with highly refined wheat flour to make a maida dosa or semolina for a rava dosa.

The batter is then ladled in small amounts onto a flat, preheated pan, where it is allowed to spread out into a circular shape and is fried with edible oil or ghee until golden brown. The dosa is then neatly folded in half and served.

[edit] Serving methods

Though considered a breakfast dish, dosas are also eaten at other times of day. Those with wheat allergies or gluten intolerance will find the dosa a nice addition to their diets. They can be stuffed with vegetables, meats and sauces to create a quickly prepared meal (LGS).

The dosa is typically served with a side accompaniment which varies according to regional and personal preferences. More common side items include:

[edit] Masala Dosa

Neer dosa - a specialty of Karnataka
Neer dosa - a specialty of Karnataka

A masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices.

One variant of the Masala dosa, the Mysore Masala Dosa, is served with both coconut and onion chutneys. In Bengalooru, the masala dosa is usually served with a red chatney applied to its inside surface; this is a peculiarity that lends it a unique taste and is something that is not found elsewhere. In recent times this has caught on in other parts of Karnataka. Davanagere benne masala dose is an other variant of the masala dosa from Karnataka. It is named after Davanagere in Karnataka. It is prepared by adding liberal doses of butter(benne) and also the potato filling(palya) inside is unique in that, it is devoid mostly of any extra ingredients and is just mashed potato. Another variant from Karnataka is the neer dose or 'water' dosa. This is a delicacy that is native to coastal Karnataka and the western ghats regions of Karnataka(malenadu). The Rave dosa or Rava dosa is another variant that was along with, Rave idly popularised by Mavalli Tiffin Rooms of Bengalooru. Ragi dosa and Ade or Aday dosa are other variants of the dosa that is native to Karnataka.

[edit] Dosa variations

Other types of dosa include:

  • Egg Dosa - an omelette is spread on the dosa.
  • Chilli Dosa - some idli powder is spread on the dosa.
  • Onion Dosa - chopped and sautéd onions are spread on the dosa.
  • Ghee Dosa - substitute ghee instead of oil while frying dosa.
  • Butter Dosa - substitute butter instead of oil while frying dosa and a small amount on top of it while serving.
  • Roast - Spread dosa thinly and fry till crisp.
  • Family Roast - Long dosa which can be spread over 2 or 3 feet.
  • Paper Dosa - Long and very thin delicate dosa which can be spread over 2 feet.
  • Green Dosa - Dosa stuffed with fresh vegetables and mint chutney.
  • Chow-Chow Dosa - Dosa stuffed with (Indian flavored) Chinese noodles.
  • Cheese Dosa - Dosa stuffed with cheese.

Though dosai typically refers to the version made with rice and lentils, many other versions of dosai exist and are popular in varying degrees. This is sometimes specific to a region in India. Some common ones are:

  • Rava dosay - made with rava or semolina, which doesn't need fermentation and is usually considered a fast snack/tiffin.
  • Wheat Dosai - made with wheat flour, and served with coconut chutney.
  • Vella Dosai - a sweet dosai made of jaggery[citation needed], with ghee/neyyi.
  • Ragi dosay - made of ragi or millet flour, usually considered "a poor man's fare".
  • Muttai dosai - eggs are added to the regular batter; the word muttai in Tamil means "egg".
  • Set Dose - A popular type of Dosas in Karnataka. This dosa which is cooked only on one side is served in a set of two and hence the name.
  • Neer dosa is a dosa prepared from rice unique to Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts.

[edit] Media

[edit] Spelling

There are various ways to transliterating dosa: dhosa (used by Hindi speaking people), dosay, dosai, dhosai, tosai, thosai (used in Malaysia and Singapore).

[edit] External links

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