Dosa (food) · Lablypedia

History

The dosa originated in South India, but its precise geographical origins are unknown. According to food historian K. T. Achaya, references in the Sangam literature suggest that dosa was already in use in the ancient Tamil country around the first century CE. However, according to historian P. Thankappan Nair, dosa originated in the town of Udupi in Karnataka. Achaya states that the earliest written mention of dosa appears in the eighth-century literature of present-day Tamil Nadu, while the earliest mention of dosaë in Kannada literature appears a century later.

In popular tradition, the origin of the dosa is linked to Udupi, probably because of the dish's association with Udupi restaurants. The Tamil Nadu dosa is traditionally softer and thicker; the thinner and crispier version of dosa, which became popular across India, was first made in present-day Karnataka. A recipe for dosa can be found in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, who ruled from present-day Karnataka.

The dosa arrived in Mumbai with the opening of Udupi restaurants in the 1930s. After India's independence in 1947, South Indian cuisine became increasingly popular in North India. In New Delhi, the Madras Hotel in Connaught Place became one of the first restaurants to serve South Indian cuisine.

Dosas, like many other dishes of South Indian cuisine, were introduced in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by South Indian emigrants during British rule. 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. Dosa has found its way into the culinary habits of the Sri Lankan people, where it has evolved into an island-specific version which is quite distinct from the Indian dosa. In both forms, it is called those (තෝසේ or ) or thosai (தோசை or ) in Sinhala and in Sri Lankan Tamil.

In Odisha, Chakuli Pithas are made which are quite similar to Dosa, but they are served flat or with a single fold, whereas Dosas are arranged in different styles. Also, they aren't filled with stuffings unlike Dosa. There is a variation, such as Budha Chakuli, where fruits, raisins, grated coconut and jaggery are added to the batter. Also, Chakuli Pithas are not served with Chutney and Sambhar but wide-ranging accompaniments, such as any Bhaja/Tarkari/Dalma or simple ones like Jaggery/Sugar. The batter consists of less rice than gram (biri).

In Konkan, there are some traditional dishes similar or related to the Dosa, known as polo in Concanese.

As in Sri Lanka, dosa was introduced far abroad since the early 18th century, by the migration of the Indian Tamil diaspora to Southeast Asia and later in the Western world, and through the worldwide popularisation of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines since the second half of the 20th century.

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Names

Dosa is the anglicised name of a variety of South Indian names for the dish, for example, dosai in Tamil, dōsaë in Tulu, dōse in Kannada and Telugu, dōse in Malayalam and Chakuli Pitha in Odia.

The standard transliterations and pronunciations of the word in various South Indian languages are:

The Tamil term dōsai lends to thosai as used in Malaysian English and Singapore English mentioned above.

Nutrition

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. A typical homemade plain dosa without oil contains about 112 calories, of which 84% is carbohydrate and 16% is protein. The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content.

Preparation

A mixture of rice and white gram that has been soaked in water for at least 4 to 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.

Serving

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:

Sambar
Chutney
Idli podi or milagaipodi: A lentil powder with spices and sometimes desiccated coconut, mixed with sesame oil or groundnut oil or ghee
Indian pickles

Variations

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. Newer versions include Chinese dosa, cheese dosa, paneer dosa, and pizza dosa.

Though dosa is typically made with rice and lentils, other versions exist.

World record

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.

In popular culture

In a November 2019 video promoting her campaign for presidency, United States Vice President Kamala Harris cooked masala dosa with actress and comedian Mindy Kaling.
The 2023 Tamil culture-inspired cooking video game Venba features dosa as an in-game recipe.

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Pesarattu: made from green gram in Andhra Pradesh, served with a ginger and tamarind chutney
Appam: a pancake prepared from patted rice batter, served with sweet coconut milk or sugar
Chakuli pitha: the batter contains more black gram and less rice flour
Apam balik: made from a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, baking soda, coconut milk and water
Jianbing: a Chinese dish
Bánh xèo: a Vietnamese dish
Lahoh: a Somali dish
Injera: an Ethiopian dish made with fermented teff batter