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What is made with ground rice and white split lentils batter, circular or oval in shape, golden brown on the outside, fluffy white on the inside, roasted to perfection on a griddle, with its inner white walls coated with a liberal dollop of garlic-red chilli chutney before a cup of boiled potatoes fried with sliced onions and slit green chillies is ladled onto the middle, then folded over into a perfect arc, a small tor on a plate or a nonchalant shape and served with a spoonful of butter on top and a cup of fragrant coconut chutney tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves?
Potato-filled South Indian crepes, as Epicurious labels it in its “Around the world in 80 dishes”.
We’ll stick to the time-tested, easily rolled-off-the-tongue, pentasyllabic ‘Masala Dosa’ that doesn’t need accentuation in the form of carets or tildes, what say?
This could be seen as a proud moment for South Indians who’ve long had to deal with well-meaning countrymen from north of the Hebbal Flyover, as Thejaswi calls them, pronouncing the “Do” half of the second word as a hard consonant rather than a soft one.
It’s pronounced Though-Sah. Yes, like that. Try it, it’s not tough at all.
I’ve seen some very ladylike friends try to eat it in small nibbles with knife and fork — you can’t commit a bigger sin than try to eat a Masala Dosa with any instrument other than your fingers. For one, your digits are God-given. Secondly, they don’t add a metallic taste to the dosa-eating experience. Thirdly — um, do you need a third reason when a Masala Dosa is staring you in the face?
Much as I love paratha and vada pav and aloo poshto, my South Indian roots and gastronomical leanings have been validated that India is defined by the Masala Dosa amid food-loving circles the world over.
