My experiences with 'Dosa'

I thought I should write down some of my experiences with one of my favourite breakfast, Dosa. I always liked it so much. My mother, when she used to come to meet me when I was in hostel during my intermediate (plus two), would get the dosas from home along with the mirchi powder that I liked very much. That used to be the first food of the day, it used to be a Sunday. That's the mother's love and some portion of the episode was my love as well towards dosa. I prefer to order dosa if I go to any hotel. Below are some of my experiences.  

In Andhra Pradesh, the state that I belong to, dosa and chutney is the breakfast most of the people like or eat. Only in some families or in some regions one can see the sambar comning into the dosa plate. Otherwise not. My dad gets the dosa as brakefast sometimes for me from the hotel. I simply like the taste of it and also another reason is that I like the taste of the chutney what they give. I have told my mom the same many times, she prefers to order it than asking me to eat whatever she cooks. 

When I was around fifteen years old, I had been to a relatives' place in central Karnataka. We ordered a dosa in a restaurent. It came so big that we had to check back the menu card for the name of the dosa. I don't exactly remember it right now, but the name definitly suited its size. I'm not sure if it had sambar in the plate. It took ages for me to complete that. Generally I'm a slow eater. I made those waiting moments longer for those people who were with me.

When I was in Delhi, I happened to order one plate of dosa in a restaurent. We usally go for ordering dosa as breakfast outside, since that's one of the few items that come hot and prepared just then. First thing that I remember from that hotel is that dosa costed huge in Delhi. I was surprised to see the price. It was hardly believable. When the dosa was brought for serving finally, by looking at it in the server's hands itself, my mind decided of what to expect and what not to from that. There was a big sambar bowl in the plate, as if half price of the dosa is for it. Chutney came in such a small bowl that we had to cut dosa into really small pieces so that they could enter the bowl for a sip if not a dip. Similar was the experience I had in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Let me also mention here that both the times, the coffee was given in the glasses which almost looked like mugs! I was happy that I never had a habbit of drinking coffee. The way one gets attracted towards tea and coffee is that he or she cannot get away without it and if it is served in mugs like, one has no option than just consuming it. Once you know the price, you cannot even leave anything in that 'mug'. 

In most of the regions of south India, you need not check in the restaurent if dosa is available or not. But in Maharastrian restaurents you have to check for that before you fix in mind that you will eat it. Sometimes, even after they take the order, you may have to be ready to receive an answer at anytime that they are not able to prepare it as the dosa aata is made improper and it's not coming out from tawa! Once I along with my parents faced such a situation while we were on the way to Ellora-Ajantha caves. There is a hotel in dosa near my residence. It is called 'Benne Dosa centre'. You get variety of dosas there. They are named like, cut dosa, sada dosa etc. I'm not able to name more, as I did not care to order the rest of them. But these two are really good. Also, for the first time, in Pune I saw the aata getting sold with which you can prepare Idli/Utappam/Dosa at home etc. It tastes pretty different from what you make at home although it tastes good. Ocassionally I buy that but otherwise I prefer making it at home. 

As I get to know from few freinds who hail from Tamilnadu or those who stay in Tamilnadu on a job, dosa is like a basic necessity than a food item. You cannot come out of Tamilnadu without having dosa and sambar. If you do, you might either have no interest in dosa or if you have not got a chance. Once I had been to Pondicherry. But that visit did not allow me to taste dosa. I thought I will have it next time, for sure. Recently I'd been to Kanyakumari. There I had it, to the full of my stomach and mind as well. The chutney again tasted simply superb and the dosa was of course great.

I'm in Trivandrum on a vacation rigth now. I've had a 'Ghee toast dosa'. It tasted awesome. Sambar was there but in a small bowl relatively. While I was waiting for my order to get served, I happened to see the white board which they use to write down the varities avalailable for the day. They wrote 'Plain Dosai', 'Masala Dosai' etc. I heard 'Dosai' earlier but only when a caterer told me the available breakfast items.  Now here, it got onto the display board. Whatever, dosa tasted so impressive. 

For dosa, to eat which I do not ever take a couple of minutes, I never thought I will write this big. Well, that's my dosa story, my expereices with Dosa in different states of India.