Dosa (food)

Plain dosas with condiments

Butter dosa served with coconut chutney and sambhar

Dosas 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 1st century CE.[1] However, according to historian P. Thankappan Nair, dosa originated in the town of Udupi in present-day Karnataka.[2][3] Achaya also states that the earliest written mention of dosa appears in literature of present-day Tamil Nadu, in the 8th century, while the earliest mention of dosa in the Kannada literature appears a century later.[4]

In popular tradition, the origin of the dosa is linked to Udupi, probably because of the dish's association with Udupi restaurants.[4] The tamil dosai is softer and thicker earlier and the thinner and crispier version of dosa was first made in present-day Tamilnadu.[5] A recipe for dosa can be found in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, who ruled from present-day Karnataka.[6]

Dosa most likely arrived in Sri Lanka as part of the culture of Tamils native to the country.

After the Independence of India, South Indian cuisine became gradually popular in the North. In Delhi, the Madras Hotel[7] in Connaught Place became one of the first restaurants to serve South Indian cuisine.[8] It arrived in Mumbai with the Udupi restaurants in the 1930s.[9]

Dosa with chutney and sambar with sauteed potato filling in a restaurant

Dosa served with sauteed potatoes.

Dosa is the anglicised name of a variety of South Indian names for the dish, for example dosai in Tamil, dosey in Kannada and dosha in Malayalam.

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

Dosa is high in carbohydrates and contains no added sugars or saturated fats. As its key ingredients are rice and black gram, it is a good source of protein.[11] A typical homemade plain dosa without oil contains about 112 calories, of which 84% is carbohydrate and 16% protein.[12] The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content.[13]

A mixture of rice and black or green gram that has been soaked in water is ground finely to form a batter. Some add a bit of soaked fenugreek seeds. The proportion of rice to lentils is generally 3:1 or 4:1. The batter is allowed to ferment overnight, before being mixed with water to get the desired consistency. The batter then ladled onto a hot tava or griddle greased with oil or ghee. It is spread out with the base of a ladle or bowl to form a pancake. It can be made either to be 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 black grams and rice can be replaced with highly refined wheat flour or semolina.

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  Rice batter
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  Batter poured on a tava or griddle
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  Batter being spread uniformly
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  After being cooked for some time

Dosa 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

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.[14] Newer versions include Chinese dosa, cheese dosa, paneer dosa, and pizza dosa.[15]

Though dosa is typically made with rice and lentils, other versions exist.[16]

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  Masala dosa served traditionally with chutney, sambar, sauteed potato filling
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  Uttapam is one of the many varieties of dosa prepared in India and served for breakfast.
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  Urad plain dosa
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  Wheat flour dosa
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  Plain dosa
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  Paper roast, a wafer-thin crispy dosa, served in restaurants
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  Ghee roast
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  Butter dosa, known as benne dose in Karnataka. Predominantly famous as "Davanagere benne dose" associated with Davanagere district.
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  Pesarattu (moong dal dosa) and ginger chutney in Andhra Pradesh
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  Mangalorian neer dosa popular in South Canara districts, Karnataka
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  Kambu (bajra/pearl millet) dosa
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  Rava dosa made from sooji rava flour, more popular in Karnataka and Udupi restaurants in Mumbai
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  Godi mau dosa (wheat dosa)
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  Ragi dosa made of ragi flour mixed with small portions of rice and urad dal
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  Uthappam or utthapa, a version with onion, chilli and tomato
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  Methi dosa on a pan, known as vendhyam dosai in Tamil Nadu
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  Masala dosa at a street food center in Bengaluru
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  "Table dosa" which covers almost half of the table
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  Indian street dosa masala in Varanasi, India
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  Onion dosa, with coconut chutney and aloo curry
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  Set dosa, a set of 3 dosas with coconut chutney, curry and Mangalore bajji

• 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.[26]
• Venba is a 2023 cooking video game that features dosa as one of the dishes that can be cooked in a long line of foods representing Tamil cuisine.

• Uttapam: a thick relatively soft crepe mostly topped with diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro or cheese, sometimes described as an Indian pizza
• 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
• Chakuli pitha: 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

• List of fermented foods
• List of Indian breads
• List of pancakes
• Mangalorean cuisine
• Udupi cuisine
• Tamil cuisine
• Cuisine of Kerala