[edit]Plain dosas with condimentsButter dosa served with coconut chutney and sambhar
The dosa originated in South India, but its precise geographical origins are unknown. According to food historianK. T. Achaya, references in the Sangam literature suggest that dosa was already in use in the ancient Tamil country around the 1st century CE.[1] However, according to historian P. Thankappan Nair, dosa originated in the town of Udupi in present-day Karnataka.[2] Achaya states that the earliest written mention of dosa appears in the 8th-century literature of present-day Tamil Nadu, while the earliest mention of dosa in Kannada literature appears a century later.[3]
In popular tradition, the origin of the dosa is linked to southern part of India in general, because of the dish's association with South Indian cuisines.[3] The Tamil dosa is traditionally softer and thicker; the thinner and crispier version of dosa was first made in present-day Karnataka.[4] A recipe for dosa can be found in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, who ruled from present-day Karnataka.[5]
Dosas, like many other dishes of South Indian cuisine, were introduced in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by South Indian emigrants during British rule.[9][10]Tirunelveli and Tuticorin merchants who settled there were instrumental in the spreading of South Indian cookery across the island by opening restaurants (vegetarian hotels) to meet initially the needs of the emigrant population.[11][12] Dosa has found its way into the culinary habits of the Sri Lankan people from their Tamil population, where it has evolved into an island-specific version which is quite distinct from the Indian dosa. In both forms, it is called those (තෝසේor[t̪oːse]) or thosai (தோசைor[t̪oːsaɪ̯]) in Sinhala and in Sri Lankan Tamil.
Dosa is high in carbohydrates and contains no added sugars. As its key ingredients are rice and black gram, it is a good source of protein.[14] A typical homemade plain dosa without oil contains about 112 calories, of which 84% is carbohydrate and 16% is protein.[15] The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content.[16]
A mixture of rice and white gram that has been soaked in water for at least 4–5 hours is ground finely to form a batter. Some add a bit of soaked fenugreek seeds while grinding the batter. The proportion of rice to lentils is generally 3:1 or 4:1. After adding salt, 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 or griddle greased with oil or ghee. It is spread out with the base of a ladle or a bowl to form a pancake. It can be made either 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 white grams and rice can be replaced with highly refined wheat flour or semolina.
Dosas 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:
Masala dosa is a roasted dosa served with potato curry, chutney and sambar, while saada (plain) dosa is prepared with a lighter texture; paper dosa is a thin and crisp version. Rava dosa is made crispier using semolina.[17] Newer versions include Chinese dosa, cheese dosa, paneer dosa, and pizza dosa.[18]
Though dosa is typically made with rice and lentils, other versions exist.[19]
Made with green gram.[23] It is served with Allam Pachadi. (Ginger chutney)
Adai dosa
From Tamil Nadu a dosa-like dish prepared from a combination of toor dal, rice, curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida. The batter is not fermented. Usually eaten with jaggery or aviyal.
Rice flour fermented overnight and mixed with sodium carbonate. The topping is a mixture of onion and chili paste (called yerra karam) and a chutney made with tomato and flour made in a gravy of curd. It is roasted in Ghee. It is also occasionally topped with fried gram powder.[25]
Made with butter ('benne' in Kannada) ('vennai' in Tamil). Predominantly famous as "Davanagere benne dose" associated with Davanagere district in Karnataka.
Vodu dose or Kappa roti is made from unfermented rice, fenugreek seeds, grated coconut, thinly flattened rice and sometimes leftover cooked rice. It is cooked on an earthen pan with a rounded bottom. It is fluffy and appears like a bread. It is cooked without the use of oil.
Amboli, ghavan, dhirde
In coastal parts of Maharashtra, variations known as amboli and ghavan are thin rice crêpes prepared with fermented batter, while dhirde is prepared with unfermented batter.
Very similar to plain dosa. However, this version tends to be thicker and, compared to plain dosa, it has a greater ratio of urad dal to rice flour or, in some cases, idli rava.
Maida dosa
The Maida dosa batter is made from Maida(refined flour) by adding water to get dense consistency, Chopped onion,Chilli, Corriander leaves and salt is added for taste. Maida dosa is quickly made in many households of Karnataka state, India.
Masala dosa served traditionally with chutney, sambar, sauteed potato filling
Uttapam is one of the many varieties of dosa prepared in India and served for breakfast.
Urad plain dosa
Wheat flour dosa
Plain dosa
Paper roast, a wafer-thin crispy dosa, served in restaurants
Ghee roast, known as Nei dosa in Tamil.
Butter dosa, known as benne dose in Kannada.
Pesarattu (moong dal dosa) and ginger chutney in Andhra Pradesh
Mangalorian neer dosa popular in South Canara districts, Karnataka
Kambu (bajra/pearl millet) dosa
Rava dosa made from sooji rava flour, more popular in Karnataka and Udupi restaurants in Mumbai
Wheat batter dosa, known as Godhumai mavvu dosa
Ragi dosa made of ragi flour mixed with small portions of rice and urad dal
Uthappamorutthapa, a version with onion, chilli and tomato
Methi dosa on a pan, known as vendhyam dosai in Tamil Nadu
Masala dosa at a street food center
"Table dosa" which covers almost half of the table
Indian street dosa masala in Varanasi, India
Onion dosa, with coconut chutney and potato curry
Set dosa, a set of 3 dosas with coconut chutney, curry and bajji
On 16 November 2014, 29 chefs, at Hotel Daspalla in Hyderabad, India created a dosa that was 16.68 m (54.7 ft) long and weighed 13.69 kg (30.2 lb), earning the Guinness World Record for the longest dosa.[29]
^Bride at Ten, Mother at Fifteen: Autobiography of an Unknown Indian Woman, Sethu Ramaswamy, Namita Gokhale Editions, 2003
^J. Hurst, Christon, ed. (2023). "Fermented Foods of South Asia". Microbial Fermentations in Nature and as Designed Processes. Hoboken: Wiley. p. 342. ISBN978-1-119-84999-5. OCLC1393173167.
^Srilakshmi, B. (2006) [2002]. Nutrition Science (Revised 2nd ed.). New Age International (formerly Wiley Eastern Ltd.). p. 403. ISBN978-81-224-1633-6. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
Media: Dosa
