India's national dish originates in South India

by Guest Mon May 23, 2011 8:48 pm

I am reminded of these issues when I read about a recent survey published by a leading magazine to find the national dish of India, after conducting a survey in 13 cities....

National dishes do not mean the great dishes of the country; it would mean the dish most people consume on a regular basis. This, in turn, is a function of several factors, including convenience, availability, ease of preparation and sourcing of ingredients, and, finally, cost. In India we have the additional veg and non-veg divide, the divide between the rice eating and wheat eating populations and other issues. But still it came as some surprise that the masala dosa was voted India’s favourite food.

For those of us who view the growing Punjabisation of India’s cultures and mores with concern, be it the Bollywood and Yash Chopra’s sanitised version of the Indian middle-class family or the universality of the salwar kameez, the fact that the authentically southern dish which — beyond the southern redoubt of Matunga — was unknown to most Mumbaikars in the 1960s has penetrated at a pan-India level is extraordinary and gratifying.

While the Punjabis control the dhabas as they dominate the transport industry, it appears that tandoori chicken, palak paneer and kali dal are not the obvious winners we thought they would be. It brings home the fact that as a country we are beginning to adopt some sense of identity transcending regional and parochial prejudices.

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/column_dosa-wins-india-s-heart_1329896

by Kayalvizhi Mon May 23, 2011 9:24 pm

Rashmun wrote:the masala dosa was voted India’s favourite food.

Hindian gov removed idli, dosai a nd sambar from Southern Railways menu in 2007. There was a ho and cry. Then Hindians reinstated them.

read all about it at

http://www.tamiltribune.com/07/0701.html

by Guest Mon May 23, 2011 9:28 pm

Kayalvizhi wrote:
Rashmun wrote:the masala dosa was voted India’s favourite food.

Hindian gov removed idli, dosai a nd sambar from Southern Railways menu in 2007. There was a ho and cry. Then Hindians reinstated them.

read all about it at

http://www.tamiltribune.com/07/0701.html

Ever since the masala dosa was voted as the 'national dish' in Outlook's year-end food survey, I have been contemplating a short piece on this much-travelled Mysorean delight. The Outlook survey simply announced its acceptability across borders, but did not tell us why, besides the Southerners, it was the toast of a Kashmiri, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati as well as of an Ashomiya palate. It is no small feat in a country where gastronomic variations can be tracked every 25 km, with the change in dialect, for an unassuming yet complicated roll like the dosa to triumph.

So what elements about the masala dosa possibly clinched the survey in its favour? Let me do some downright guessing: I wonder if the masala dosa would have worked if it did not have a mildly spiced potato filling inside it. For the rest of India, which is familiar with samosa as a snack, I think the aalu is a great reason for a gleeful acceptance of the dosa. The next good reason could be its golden hue and thin crust. Both of them are achieved on a seasoned thick pan. Would the masala dosa have clicked if it were not fried, although not as deep as the bajji? Does the dehusked blackgram (urad dal) that has transformed by shedding its black hold a raw delight when ground with rice to form a half-white batter? Anyway, since it has been accepted, let us move on without much speculation and focus on the intricacies of this dish that has quietly assigned itself royalty.

The masala dosa is a recent phenomenon. How recent is a matter of debate, but it was certainly an innovation on the humble, household dosa decades ago, when public eateries became a familiar idea in Bangalore and Mysore. It is important to distinguish between the masala dosa and the dosa. While the masala dosa is still a rarity in one's home, the simple dosa is ubiquitous. In fact, it has become a standby breakfast or an evening snack after refrigerators have helped arrest the ferment of the batter. While the potato filling is imperative for a dosa to be crowned as the masala variety, the ordinary dosa can go with hurriedly ground coconut and roasted gram chutney. Of course, for the eclectic there could be other accompaniments besides the chutney, like the sambar, egg curry, chicken or mutton gravy or even a stew. Chutney powder with ghee can also do as a quickie. Masala dosa is for a special occasion and a special outing, but the dosa, like idli, is everyday bread. The masala dosa is built on the dosa and is only an exotic adaptation in the market place.

For its pan-Indian popularity, it is important to imagine the dosa as one standardised recipe, but in its home, South Karnataka, it is distinct in each household. It varies from the hand of one woman to another. It surely varies from my mother to my wife. While my mother shied away from sharing her batter concoction, my wife says that her dosas turn out crispier because she adds a bit of sugar and sooji to the batter minutes before it hits the pan. Adding a handful of poha while preparing the batter can make dosas softer and a sprinkling of fenugreek can give it a distinct taste. I have always suspected that my favourite dosa joint in Bangalore, Vidyarthi Bhavan, adds a bit of red rice to give its dosas a mild pinkish interior and an extraordinary eating experience. What other things go into the making of the batter besides the known ingredients of rice and urad dal, is usually a closely-guarded chef's secret.

http://outlookindia.com/printarticle.aspx?263867

by Hellsangel Mon May 23, 2011 9:36 pm

That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

by confuzzled dude Mon May 23, 2011 10:30 pm

Isn't Bharatha Nattiyam India's national dance?

by doofus_maximus Mon May 23, 2011 10:48 pm

Hellsangel wrote:That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

by doofus_maximus Mon May 23, 2011 10:50 pm

just had pongal/gojsu with tofu side dish and then I read Rashmun's description of masala dosa....

can I join you Angel for the dosa party..

by Guest Mon May 23, 2011 10:57 pm

Hellsangel wrote:That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

good going. just be careful you don't burn your dainty hands.

by Guest Mon May 23, 2011 10:59 pm

Hellsangel wrote:That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

can you make better dosa than this?

by artood2 Mon May 23, 2011 11:02 pm

It is rumored that Aurangzeb decided to stay in Deccan once he got the taste of dosa.

by doofus_maximus Mon May 23, 2011 11:06 pm

Rashmun wrote:
Hellsangel wrote:That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

can you make better dosa than this?

even our kutta won't eat that dosa..

by Guest Mon May 23, 2011 11:09 pm

What was that video all about? Someone's home video on how to make a bad dosa(i)?

by Hellsangel Mon May 23, 2011 11:10 pm

[quote="doofus_maximus"]

Rashmun wrote:
Hellsangel wrote:That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

can you make better dosa than this?
even our kutta won't eat that dosa..

My billi will turn up her nose at that.

by Guest Mon May 23, 2011 11:14 pm

[quote="Hellsangel"]

doofus_maximus wrote:
Rashmun wrote:
Hellsangel wrote:That does it. I am pouring out the batter now on the pan.

can you make better dosa than this?
even our kutta won't eat that dosa..

My billi will turn up her nose at that.

your billi might turn up her nose. your kutta may refuse to eat it. but i am betting you would start gobbling it before i can say the words 'Hellsangel will you will eat that dosa?'

by Hellsangel Mon May 23, 2011 11:18 pm

Rashmun wrote:
your billi might turn up her nose. your kutta may refuse to eat it. but i am betting you would start gobbling it before i can say the words 'Hellsangel will you will eat that dosa?'

You really should avoid going to the races.

by Hellsangel Mon May 23, 2011 11:25 pm

Looks like it is strawberry and cream cheese filled crepes for breakfast in the morning

by charvaka Tue May 24, 2011 12:45 am

Rashmun wrote:
Ever since the masala dosa was voted as the 'national dish' in Outlook's year-end food survey...

Now that we have all settled on the national dish, we should take steps
to promote it vigorously. The following steps must be taken forthwith on
a war footing right away with utmost speed.

Constitutional amendment to declare the masala dosa, in its English spelling as "masala dosa," the National Dish. Include a clause that says that for the first 15 years, people may eat any dish they choose, but after 15 years, we should all exclusively eat masala dosas.
Establish a National Dish Commission that will be charged with ensuring the adoption of the masala dosa in all government offices. Quotas should be established to make sure that employees bring masala dosas in their lunchboxes at least 50% of the time. Any employee violating this should have their pay increments withheld.
Pass a law establishing with taxpayer funds an
institution of national importance called the Eeshaanya Bharata Masala
Dosa Prachara Sabha. This will ensure the spread of the raasthradosa in
the strategically vital northeast where it is currently not widely
eaten.
Ensure the regular posting on CH of news items promoting the masala dosa and extolling its virtues by non-native consumers of the masala dosa.

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 12:53 am

Also designate crepes as Roman Dosas.

by Another Brick Tue May 24, 2011 1:41 am

charvaka wrote:
Rashmun wrote:
Ever since the masala dosa was voted as the 'national dish' in Outlook's year-end food survey...

Now that we have all settled on the national dish, we should take steps
to promote it vigorously. The following steps must be taken forthwith on
a war footing right away with utmost speed.

Constitutional amendment to declare the masala dosa, in its English spelling as "masala dosa," the National Dish. Include a clause that says that for the first 15 years, people may eat any dish they choose, but after 15 years, we should all exclusively eat masala dosas.
Establish a National Dish Commission that will be charged with ensuring the adoption of the masala dosa in all government offices. Quotas should be established to make sure that employees bring masala dosas in their lunchboxes at least 50% of the time. Any employee violating this should have their pay increments withheld.
Pass a law establishing with taxpayer funds an
institution of national importance called the Eeshaanya Bharata Masala
Dosa Prachara Sabha. This will ensure the spread of the raasthradosa in
the strategically vital northeast where it is currently not widely
eaten.
Ensure the regular posting on CH of news items promoting the masala dosa and extolling its virtues by non-native consumers of the masala dosa.

hahaha. however, i must tell you that i am disappointed in you for not taking savaji's persistent advice on the matter. we need UCC - uniform culinary code for making them.

by doofus_maximus Tue May 24, 2011 7:35 am

Harharhar@UCC

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 7:36 am

Rashmun wrote:

that is one atrocious dosa. the lady flips it around like a chappati. another lady advices: isko roti ke tava par banao. lol.

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 8:10 am

wow. got to try this. egg dosa:

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 8:19 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:wow. got to try this. egg dosa:

You are going to give the Dosa puritans sleepless nights. It is crepes for me now.

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 8:58 am

dosa pundits must innovate if the dish is going to be the national dish. they have to incorporate regional narratives in the dosa. and they have to get rid of the i for starters. we need: fish tikka dosa, rosogulla dosa, keema cheese dosa, chole dosa, litti dosa and baati dosa.

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 9:16 am

also ketchup dosa to please the palate of gen y.

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 9:31 am

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 10:13 am

nice. looks like pancake. what was the filling? ham? cheese? batata?

edit. it's not a rice crepe is it?

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 10:15 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:nice. looks like pancake. what was the filling? ham? cheese? batata?

Crepes(not rice crepes). Filled with strawberries, bananas and cream cheese.

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 10:21 am

ya, i knew they were crepes. i phrased my sentence wrong. was just wondering if they were rice crepes. i'm not too familiar with such stuff so pardon my ignorance. Smile

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 10:51 am

Maybe I will post a picture of some Dosas later today for Rashmun.

by Impedimenta Tue May 24, 2011 11:19 am

Rashmun wrote:I am reminded of these issues when I read about a recent survey published by a leading magazine to find the national dish of India, after conducting a survey in 13 cities....

National dishes do not mean the great dishes of the country; it would mean the dish most people consume on a regular basis. This, in turn, is a function of several factors, including convenience, availability, ease of preparation and sourcing of ingredients, and, finally, cost. In India we have the additional veg and non-veg divide, the divide between the rice eating and wheat eating populations and other issues. But still it came as some surprise that the masala dosa was voted India’s favourite food.

For those of us who view the growing Punjabisation of India’s cultures and mores with concern, be it the Bollywood and Yash Chopra’s sanitised version of the Indian middle-class family or the universality of the salwar kameez, the fact that the authentically southern dish which — beyond the southern redoubt of Matunga — was unknown to most Mumbaikars in the 1960s has penetrated at a pan-India level is extraordinary and gratifying.

While the Punjabis control the dhabas as they dominate the transport industry, it appears that tandoori chicken, palak paneer and kali dal are not the obvious winners we thought they would be. It brings home the fact that as a country we are beginning to adopt some sense of identity transcending regional and parochial prejudices.

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/column_dosa-wins-india-s-heart_1329896

rejected. Please correct the spelling to dosai. an "i" makes all the difference you see...

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 11:21 am

Impedimenta wrote:

rejected. Please correct the spelling to dosai. an "i" makes all the difference you see...

Of course, Bharatha Nattiyam stalwart!

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 11:31 am

Impedimenta wrote:rejected. Please correct the spelling to dosai. an "i" makes all the difference you see...

with great nationality comes great responsibility. please show some complaisance to the wishes of the rank and file...amma.

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 1:58 pm

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
Impedimenta wrote:rejected. Please correct the spelling to dosai. an "i" makes all the difference you see...

with great nationality comes great responsibility. please show some restraint ~~complaisance to the wishes of the rank and file~~...amma.

by charvaka Tue May 24, 2011 2:17 pm

Impedimenta wrote:rejected. Please correct the spelling to dosai. an "i" makes all the difference you see...

Sorry, the 'i' lost that war when Iyer mama from Madras in a university town of not insignificant size decided in favor of calling the dish paneer dosa instead of paneer dosai. If you have any questions, please contact Iyer mama.

Meanwhile, focus on ensuring the propagation of the rashtradosa. (Not rashtradosai.)

by doofus_maximus Tue May 24, 2011 2:23 pm

rashtradosa sounds like some kind of dosha in your gundili/jadakam.

what kind parihara one needs to do to get rid of it..make crepes and eat them.

by MaxEntropy_Man Tue May 24, 2011 10:04 pm

i don't know why i never learn to not open dosai threads with suggestions of random stuffing when nausea production is guaranteed in such threads.

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 10:06 pm

MaxEntropy_Man wrote:i don't know why i never learn to not open dosai threads with suggestions of random stuffing when nausea production is guaranteed in such threads.

You Il Professore, are a Dosa puritan, sir.

by mickeybrowneyes Tue May 24, 2011 10:11 pm

Hellsangel wrote:

Cmon Man! yuck!

by Hellsangel Tue May 24, 2011 10:17 pm

mickeybrowneyes wrote:
Cmon Man! yuck!

Yuck?

by Guest Tue May 24, 2011 10:37 pm

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:dosa pundits must innovate if the dish is going to be the national dish. they have to incorporate regional narratives in the dosa. and they have to get rid of the i for starters. we need: fish tikka dosa, rosogulla dosa, keema cheese dosa, chole dosa, litti dosa and baati dosa.

A certain Iyer mama, managing a restaurant somewhere out there, peddling pavakkai pitlai as "soup", may hire you as his sous-chef. The Executive chef spot is already taken.

by artood2 Tue May 24, 2011 11:54 pm

Of all SI snacks I like dosa the least. Idli, Vada, Upma, Uttapam, Pongal all fare better than the dosa.

by Guest Wed May 25, 2011 12:37 am

mickeybrowneyes wrote:
Hellsangel wrote: crepe image

Cmon Man! yuck!

LMAOOOOOOO

edit. it looks downright disgusting. lol.

by mickeybrowneyes Wed May 25, 2011 8:13 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
mickeybrowneyes wrote:
Hellsangel wrote: crepe image

Cmon Man! yuck!

LMAOOOOOOO

edit. it looks downright disgusting. lol.

Yep - like turd-stuffed-jungle-motif-dirty-panties. The strawberry-cream dump doesn't help either.

by Hellsangel Wed May 25, 2011 8:23 am

[quote="mickeybrowneyes"][quote="Huzefa Kapasi"]

mickeybrowneyes wrote:
Yep - like turd-stuffed-jungle-motif-dirty-panties. The strawberry-cream dump doesn't help either.

Yuck! How do you eat any Indian food?

by mickeybrowneyes Wed May 25, 2011 8:27 am

[quote="Hellsangel"][quote="mickeybrowneyes"]

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
mickeybrowneyes wrote:
Yep - like turd-stuffed-jungle-motif-dirty-panties. The strawberry-cream dump doesn't help either.
Yuck! How do you eat any Indian food?

Mostly with my hands :-)

by Hellsangel Wed May 25, 2011 8:33 am

mickeybrowneyes wrote:

Mostly with my hands :-)

How gross! Smile

by Sponsored content