Dosa tutorials

Our WhatsApp group was set on fire by just one query — what is the secret to making hotel-style masala dosa crepe at home? That did it…

Sizzling crisp one-liner suggestions and tips poured in like thick batter assuring that this ubiquitous South Indian-origin spread just cannot turn out colourless and limp if adhered to a few easy points. Any time is dosa time — breakfast, lunch, mid-snack or dinner, a meal by itself. Like the Covid variant of China, dosa with its genesis in Udupi has mutated into innumerable avatars with all possible ingredients.

What prompted the group grind was very simple. A die-hard gourmet member of the group noticed a slogan in a renowned dosa joint: “Your home is our only competitor”. On the spot, she took a fancy decision to flip-flop perfect masala dosas for her family and friends-all homemade. So, one fine day, she returned home from a flea market hugging a solid flat iron tawa with definite plans to solve the dosa issue once and for all without stepping out of her cosy pad.

Consultations would make things foolproof, she thought. Her WhatsApp group came to her rescue promptly. There was no dearth of expert advice nationally and internationally. Surely dosa, dose or dosay is now beyond borders, without boundaries. Even though Google guru has outsmarted all grandma tips, nothing like personalised dos and don’ts to master the technique of preparing a perfect fermented rice and lentil batter. Hence dosa tutorials were sought.

A retired food research career-oriented housewife, a totally practical kitchen expert with international expertise, a much-glorified man of the house as a seasoned chef; all offered lessons in masala dosa tutorials. Add some sugar, don’t forget to soak a mixture of channa dal and tur daal with whole urad daal. Avoid dosa rice but use only sona masoori. No way one can forget whole methi and avalakki (poha), said another.

Do cheat a bit by adding a pinch of cooking soda minutes before spreading the batter in circles on the heated tawa. Soda will make it crisp and light on your tummy. Actually no need for non-stick equipment. Iron tawa is the best, mumbled another. A mixture of oil and ghee is the trick for edging, said a smart one.

“Amma, salt per taste,” pointed out her son.

Drooling fillings were not overlooked. Red chutney with or without garlic was emphasised by one and all.

The teen glued to the desktop at home took a break and turned creative to sing a variant of a nursery rhyme of unknown origin

If all the doses were one dose,

What a great dose it would be.
If it falls into my plate,
What a great splish-splash it would be!!!

The tutorial was exhaustive and a labour-intensive exercise indeed. As a culmination of the lengthy lessons learnt, the group booked a table for a weekend treat at a popular dosa place.