CHENNAI: The food guide TasteAtlas has released its latest April list of the Top 100 Pancakes in the world, with masala dosa ranked sixth and plain dosa at 15th. Chennaiites are clearly pleased with the recognition, with many saying it’s long overdue for a dish that is such a staple in everyday life.
Everything comes back to dosa
We make dosas at home every day. Our daughter loves dosa and as working parents, it’s a quick and easy breakfast for all of us. For our daughter, I sometimes get creative. If there are Chinese leftovers at home, I turn them into dosa fillings: gobi manchurian, chilli paneer or even schezwan noodles inside a dosa. And when we eat out, our standard order is fixed. For me, it’s plain dosa.
My wife usually has onion podi dosa, and our daughter always wants masala dosa. That’s our go-to combination and it rarely changes. Sometimes for dinner, we head out to a couple of joints near Kilpauk.
Our regular spots include Balaji Bhavan, Krishna Bhavan, Namma Sugam Café and Matsya. Once in a while, I also go to Vaishnav Chaat in Kilpauk. Their thatte idli, Jain sambar and a variety of dosas are really good. I usually try their green peas dosa. At Matsya, the Raja Raja Cholan dosa is a signature dish, a masala stuffed speciality that stands out.
Another favourite is Karthik Tiffin Centre in Anna Nagar, which is open till 3 am and serves a good range of dosas. These are all small places, but each one has its variety and charm. My introduction to dosa was through non-veg curries. During my hostel days, whenever I went home on holidays, my mother would make crispy dosas with mutton or chicken curry for breakfast. The dosa count would easily go up to 10 or 12. Before I even got called for breakfast, she would keep 5 or 6 dosas ready because she knew the speed at which they would disappear. Since I spent most of my hostel life eating pongal, idli and upma for breakfast, coming back home always meant one thing I looked forward to: crispy, hot dosas.
Chennai runs on dosa
I am really happy that Indian food is getting global recognition. We have such a wide variety of cuisines across the country and every region has its own style. But dosa is one dish you’ll find almost everywhere, whether it’s in Delhi, Mumbai, or any other city. In most hotels and buffets, dosa and idlis are always there.
I love my dosa. I go to Sangeetha almost every week and usually order their masala dosa or onion rava masala dosa. If I’m in a hurry, it’s always a masala dosa. Once in a while, I’ll order an onion uthappam, though it takes a bit longer to prepare. I also like Bengaluru-style masala dosa with extra ghee that is served at Eating Circles.
At home, we make dosa with chutney and sambar. Sometimes, we keep it simple with plain dosa and other times we have it with mutton korma. Egg dosa is another favourite.
Chennai is lucky to have so many good dosa places, whether you want a quick bite or a proper meal. And the best part is, dosa is something you can keep experimenting with in so many ways.
The dosa I wait all day for
Every evening when I come home after work, I am absolutely ravenous. I am very hungry and usually end up eating whatever is there: murukku, boondhi, mixture, anything I can grab quickly. A few months back, I decided to cut down on all that snacking and switch to something more like a proper meal. That’s when I started having dosa with fish curry.
Now it has become a routine I genuinely look forward to. As soon as I get home, I make two crisp dosas, perfectly golden, with just a slight softness here and there and add a bit of ghee.
My favourite side dish is fish curry, and together it’s such a deadly combination. In fact, from lunchtime onwards, I keep thinking about this meal. The anticipation builds through the day and by the time I get home, I am ready for it. It’s simple, but for me, it’s the perfect combo.
If there’s no fish curry, I have it with sambar, which is just as comforting. And when I order from out- side, my go-to is always a plain dosa from Geetham.