Dollar is not everything!

The other day I paid a visit to one of those speciality dosa restaurants. The place had carved a niche for itself among dosa connoisseurs in a very short span of time and had received rave reviews in some up market magazines. Twice earlier, I attempted to visit the place but was put off by the sight of the milling crowd there. I found the restaurant comparatively less crowded on that particular day and I decided to venture in.


I was at once struck by the décor of the restaurant. It was simple, elegant and in a strange way seemed to whet our appetite. In short, it was just the right kind for a speciality restaurant. The moment I was seated, the floor steward sauntered towards me and produced a menu card that was itself designed like a dosa. I glanced through the card quickly and was overwhelmed by the intriguing names of the various items of the menu. Going through the card was a revelation to me. It proved beyond any pale of doubt that there was not a single edible substance with which a dosa could not be made.

The floor steward, having given me adequate time to make my selection, approached me to take my order and for the first time in my life I found myself very indecisive. I realized that going through the menu card gave me no clue about what I should order for. I, therefore, decided that the best way would be to observe what people around me ate and make my choice on the basis of what was being consumed most.

I looked around and found people consuming dosas with almost religious fervour. While some, who must be regular patrons of the place, ordered for some specific variety on the basis of knowledge gained through several earlier visits, others as indecisive as I was, ordered for a special package that allowed them unlimited consumption ( No sharing please) of every item on the menu card for a hefty sum. They were also allowed unlimited Coke on the house to assist them to wash down item after item. I saw their tables strewn with the residues of dosas of all shapes and sizes. As they were attacking every item with equal gusto, it was impossible for me to guess which particular item gave them the maximum enjoyment.

An NRI family seated in the adjoining table was indeed ecstatic. It must have been a welcome break for them from the bland pizzas and hot dogs. The head of the family was in a confessional mood. I could hear him clearly telling his wife that Indians were unbeatable in the art of making dosas. He was virtually going gaga over every piece that went into his mouth. He was in a kind of trance as Jeeves would be in the overwhelming presence of Anatole, that God’s gift to gastric juices! At one stage, he went to the extent of wondering if it was worthwhile wasting his life in the wild West foregoing all these delicacies. Dollar is not everything, he declared choking on a piece of dosa.
To my dismay, I found that observing people around me was not much of help either. The problem was confounded by the fact that the stuffing inside these dosas remained hidden until its dying stage as the connoisseurs seemed to consider it a sacrilege to part the stuffing from the covering dosa. I peered again at the menu card and was instantly confronted by such exotic names as dry fruit dosa! I decided to seek the advice of the waiter who was observing me rather sympathetically. I beckoned him and asked what he would recommend. And he said, “Go home and eat!”

Dear Cheeniya sir,

And I thought you would not write on dosas! There is something magical about dosai, almost mystical when it comes with strange stuffings. For me, nothing to beat the good old masala dosai- too bad that Dr Shetty,the cardiac surgeon ranks it as the number one junk food of India! And finally, what can beat the dosas turned out at home. Nothing to surpass a mom's or wife's touch.The doas may be half cooked, a wee bit misshapen, still most delicious when spread with love. My dosas are made with any urad dal available, Uncle Ben's rice, cooked with olive oil- still my husband swears on them.

Another good piece. I wonder what is next.

regards
Vidya

Dear Vidya
And I thought you would have nothing to say on Dosas!
I really care a damn about the shape or state of Dosa. In fact my favourite one is the first piece wrenched out of the hot plate after fierce struggle by wifey that comes out torn and bruised with the raw maavu showing its presence at a few spots. I just love that bundled out piece that defies all geometrical shapes.
Yes you are right!
Dosa spread with love is the greatest!
That slogan is very catchy. Better copyright it or I might sell it to Sangeetha or Saravana and make a fortune!
Sri

Dear Cheeniya,

Methinks, Cheeniya will not stoop to plagiarism! Let me sell my slogan to Saravana Bhavan and treat you to a mega dosa meal when I come to india next. Till then, enjoy the dosas spread with love.

cheers
Vidya

hello

they say
thinga thinga dosaiyum
pera pera pillayum

i dont know about the second line
i have only two..

but dosa
and that too
spread with love
what if it is
africa or antartica?
the shape i mean
or an island all colourful
...........
with carrots, kothamalli and coconut
...............like the colours in our flag

my husband loves
moru moru rava dosa
orange colour tomato dosa
my sons love onion dosa
and my mom loves
lovely dosa served with love...

dosa dosannu
suthi suthi vara vaithuvitteergale?
and yes they have a dosa parade
almost everywhere..town, city or country
but nothing to beat the muzhu ulundu vengaya dosa...

sathya

Dosaiyai patri Tamizh
Osaiyil Varigalai
aasaiyai edirparthu
Emarndene!

hello

aasai dosai appalam vadai
vatta vatta nilavu daan
vaarthu vaarthu parthene
moru moru
chowk chowk
methu methu..

thayir dosai
sambar dosai
puli dosai
paruppu dosai
nooru peyaru solranga

star dosainnum
karadi poonai dosai enrum
carrot malli vaithu
kuzhandaigalukku vaarthene..

kuzhandaigalum velaikku
chella
inru dosa parade enru
vagai vagaiyay avargal seiyya
emaara vendam..
naan mattum salaithavala?
vaai jaalathinile dosai vaarpene..!!

sathya

Neyar viruppam endru
Idhaithan solvargalo!
Naan ezhudiya katturai
Mudivadainthathu
Thangal ponnana varigaludan!
Sri

Hi Cheeniya Sir,

What is going on here? Waxing eloquent on Dosa in English and Tamil only? Now I remember an old film song in Malayalam.

Meeshakkaran Kesavanu dosa thinnan aasha...
Dosha vangan kasshinayi thappi nokki keesha....
and so on and so forth....

The piece was wonderful especially the parting shot of the waiter.

Regards,

Abha.

Hi Abhatv
Dont despair! The most popular dosa (in my popularity listing) is the Mysore Masala Dosa which has a triangular shape. It is so aesthetically designed, it provides feast not just for the palate but for the eyes as well!
Sri