Stories
From Plain Dosa to Viral Dosa: How India's Favorite South Indian Dish Transformed
- •In 1995, dosa was a simple, light breakfast featuring a thin, crispy layer served with sambar and coconut chutney.
- •Over time, varieties like masala dosa, rava dosa, and Bengaluru benne dosa gained popularity with extra butter and cheese.
- •A viral social media video humorously depicts the evolution of dosa, showing an increasing amount of ghee up to a fictional 2050 swimming pool of ghee.
- •The journey of dosa highlights the balance between traditional simplicity and modern culinary experiments driven by social media trends.
Key Questions Answered
Traditionally, dosa was made using a simple fermented batter of rice and urad dal spread thinly on a griddle with minimal ghee, served with sambar and chutney. Over time, while maintaining its traditional identity, variations like masala dosa, rava dosa, paper dosa, and set dosa emerged, alongside modern culinary additions like paneer, cheese, and Chinese sauces.
A viral social media video humorously tracks the changing style of dosa from 1995 to 2050 by exaggerating the amount of ghee used in food. While a 1995 dosa featured a light touch of ghee, the video humorously imagines that by 2050, a dosa will be found somewhere inside an entire swimming pool filled with ghee.
Bengaluru is widely recognized as the 'dosa capital of the world' due to its unique and vibrant dosa culture. The city features everything from small street-side stalls to famous restaurants serving distinct varieties like the butter-heavy benne dosa, which has gained popularity nationwide.
