ItsNaviGrewal: basic refine structure based on references further and cleaned formatting for accuracy

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basic refine structure based on references further and cleaned formatting for accuracy

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-08-29T20:48:16Z

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{{short description|Thin crepe originating from South India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Dosa
| image = Dosa at Sri Ganesha Restauran, Bangkok (44570742744).jpg
| caption = Dosa with [[Sambar (dish)|sambar]] and [[chutney]]
| country = [[India]]
| region = [[Udupi, Karnataka]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Kerala]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Telangana]]
| served = Hot
| type = [[Pancake]], [[crepe]]
| main_ingredient = [[Rice]] and [[black gram]]
| variations = [[Masala dosa]], rava dosa, ghee roast dosa, neer dosa and many more
}}

A '''dosa''' is a thin savory [[pancake]] in [[South Indian cuisine]] made from a [[fermentation (food)|fermented]] [[batter (cooking)|batter]] of ground [[Vigna mungo|black lentils]] and [[rice]]. Dosas are served hot, often with [[chutney]] and [[Sambar (dish)|sambar]]. Dosa is a signature dish in [[South India]] and [[Sri Lanka]], and is popularly served in their respective restaurants around the world.

==History==
[[File:Dosa Classic.jpg|alt=Two dosa rest next to a dollop of butter on a plaintain leaf. There are separate bowls for the sauces.|thumb|Plain dosas with condiments]]
[[File:Butter Dosa served with coconut chutney and sambhar.jpg|thumb|Butter dosa served with coconut chutney and sambhar]]
Dosas originated in [[South India]], but its precise geographical origins are unknown. According to historian [[P. Thankappan Nair]], dosa originated in the town of [[Udupi]] in present-day [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{cite book |author=P. Thankappan Nair |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swNuAAAAMAAJ |title=South Indians in Kolkata |publisher=Punthi Pustak |year=2004 |isbn=81-86791-50-7 |page=320}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Socians |first=The |date=2019-11-15 |title=Origin of Masala Dosa: Know How From a Sin Accompanied by a Bad Habit to Delicious South Indian Food |url=https://www.thesocians.com/post/origin-of-masala-dosa-know-how-from-a-sin-accompanied-by-a-bad-habit-to-delicious-south-indian-food |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Socians |language=en}}</ref> However, according to [[food historian]] [[K. T. Achaya]], references in the [[Sangam literature]] suggest that dosa was already in use in the [[Tamilagam|ancient Tamil country]] around the 1st century CE.<ref name="KTAchaya">{{cite book | title=The Story of Our Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bk9RHRCqZOkC&pg=PA80 | author=K. T. Achaya|date = November 2003|page=80 |publisher=Universities Press| isbn=81-7371-293-X}}</ref> Achaya 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.<ref name="Charmine2013"/>

In popular tradition, the origin of the dosa is linked to Udupi, probably because of the dish's association with [[Udupi cuisine|Udupi restaurants]].<ref name="Charmine2013">{{cite book |author=Charmaine O' Brien |title=The Penguin Food Guide to India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BGhBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT378 |date=15 December 2013 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-93-5118-575-8 |pages=378 }}</ref> The Tamil dosai is softer and thicker. The thinner and crispier version of dosa was first made in present-day Karnataka.<ref name="Vir2004">{{cite book |author=Vir Sanghvi |title=Rude Food: The Collected Food Writings of Vir Sanghvi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eK1uGVxmEiUC&pg=PA110 |date=1 January 2004 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-303139-0 |pages=109–110 }}</ref> A recipe for dosa can be found in ''[[Manasollasa]]'', a 12th-century [[Sanskrit]] encyclopedia compiled by [[Someshvara III]], who ruled from present-day Karnataka.<ref>{{cite book |author=K.T. Achaya |title=The Story of Our Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bk9RHRCqZOkC&pg=PA85 |year=2003 |publisher=Universities Press |isbn=978-81-7371-293-7 |page=85 }}</ref>

Dosa most likely arrived in Sri Lanka as part of the [[Tamil culture|culture]] of [[Sri Lankan Tamils|Tamils]] native to the country.

After the [[Independence of India]], South Indian cuisine became gradually popular in the [[North]]. In [[Delhi]], the Madras Hotel<ref>Bride at Ten, Mother at Fifteen: Autobiography of an Unknown Indian Woman, Sethu Ramaswamy, Namita Gokhale Editions, 2003</ref> in [[Connaught Place, New Delhi|Connaught Place]] became one of the first restaurants to serve South Indian cuisine.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=s-krDwAAQBAJ&dq=The+first+South+Indian+eatery+that+introduced+the+common+public+of+Delhi+to+coffee+and+South&pg=PT34 Much Ado Over Coffee: Indian Coffee House Then And Now, Bhaswati Bhattacharya, Routledge, 2017]</ref> It arrived in Mumbai with the Udupi restaurants in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/food/8-oldest-udupi-restaurants-in-mumbai |title=8 oldest Udupi restaurants in Bombay |date=2019-05-31 |access-date=2022-08-15 |newspaper=The Free Press Journal }}</ref>

== Names ==
[[File:דוסה.jpg|thumb|Dosa with chutney and sambar with sauteed potato filling in a restaurant]]
[[File:Paper Masala Dosa.jpg|thumb|Dosa served with sauteed potatoes.]]
Dosa is the [[Anglicisation|anglicised]] name of a variety of South Indian names for the dish, for example dosai in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], dosey in [[Kannada language|Kannada]] and dosha in [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]].

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Language !! Transliteration !! Pronunciation ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]])
|-
| {{lang-kn|ದೋಸೆ}} || dōse || {{IPA-kn|d̪oːse|}}
|-
| {{lang-ml|ദോശ}} || dōśa ||{{IPA-ml|d̪oːʃa|}}
|-
| {{lang-ta|தோசை}} || dōsai || {{IPA-ta|d̪oːsaɪ̯|}}, {{IPA-ta|t̪oːsaɪ̯|}}
|-
| {{lang-te|దోశ<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/brown_query.py?qs=%E0%B0%A6%E0%B1%8B%E0%B0%B8%E0%B1%86&searchhws=yes|title = A Telugu-English Dictionary. New ed., thoroughly rev. And brought up to date...2nd ed|year = 1903}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>}} || dōsa || {{IPA-te|d̪oːsa|}}
|-
| {{lang-si|තෝසේ}} || තෝසේ || {{IPA-si|t̪oːse|}}
|-
|}

==Nutrition==
Dosa is high in [[carbohydrate]]s and contains no added [[sugar]]s or saturated fats. As its key ingredients are rice and [[Vigna mungo|black gram]], it is a good source of [[protein]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Nutrition Science |first=B. |last=Srilakshmi |page=403 |publisher=New Age International (formerly Wiley Eastern Ltd.) |year=2006 |orig-year=2002 |edition=Revised 2nd |isbn=978-81-224-1633-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_i7j4_cMLIC&pg=PA403 |access-date=2011-05-22}}</ref> A typical homemade plain dosa without oil contains about 112 calories, of which 84% is [[carbohydrate]] and 16% protein.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/plain-dosa-without-oil-255437887|title=Calorie Chart, Nutrition Facts, Calories in Food {{!}} MyFitnessPal {{!}} MyFitnessPal.com|website=www.myfitnesspal.com|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> The fermentation process increases the [[vitamin B]] and [[vitamin C]] content.<ref>{{cite book |title=Nutrition and Dietetics - Higher Secondary - First Year |publisher=Directorate of School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu |year=2004 |page=31 |url=http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Books/11/Std11-Nutr-EM.pdf |access-date=2012-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321034305/http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Books/11/Std11-Nutr-EM.pdf |archive-date=21 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Preparation ==
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 (dish)|sambar]]. The mixture of black grams and rice can be replaced with highly refined wheat flour or [[semolina]].

<gallery>

File:ಸಂಪಣೆ.JPG|Rice batter
File:Dosa-Preparation.jpg|Batter poured on a [[tava]] or griddle
File:Dhosai making.jpg|Batter being spread uniformly
File:Dosa ready 1.JPG|After being cooked for some time
</gallery>

==Serving==
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 (dish)|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 pickle]]s

==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.<ref>[https://www.saveur.com/indian-dosa-crepes-guide A Beginner’s Guide to the Great Wide World of Indian Dosa, Priya Krishna and Shailendra Krishna, October 6, 2016]</ref> Newer versions include Chinese dosa, cheese dosa, paneer dosa, and pizza dosa.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/dining/dosa-recipe-pondicheri.html A Dosa Lesson From a Professional - A Good Appetite, Melissa Clark, ''New York Times'', 6 October 2017]</ref>

Though dosa is typically made with rice and lentils, other versions exist.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Ashwani |last2=Singh |first2=Sarabjit |last3=Tomer |first3=Vidisha |last4=Prasad |first4=Rasane |title=Cereals and cereal-based foods : functional benefits and technological advances for nutrition and healthcare |date=2022 |publisher=Apple Academic Press |location=Palm Bay, FL, USA |isbn=9781000164299 |page=251 |edition=First |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n7UxEAAAQBAJ |access-date=25 April 2023|quote="The ingredients for dosa preparation are not limited to just rice and black gram instead pure rice or a mixture of rice, wheat, sorghum, maize or millets can also be used."}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Types of dosa
! Name
! Description
|-
| [[Masala dosa]] || Roasted and crispy dosa. Served with potato curry, chutney or sambar.
|-
|Oats dosa
|Healthy, crisp and lacy instant dosa made with oats.
|-
|Wheat dosa || Dosa made with wheat flour batter.
|-
|Set dosa
|Spongy, soft and light, served in a set of 3 dosa per serving.
|-
| Plain dosa || Dosa has lighter texture can be crispy too.
|-
| Ghee roast || (Nei dosai in Tamil) Plain dosa cooked with [[Ghee]] instead of oil and usually with no filling.
|-
| Egg dosa || (Muttai dosai in Tamil) A thicker base of dosa topped with beaten [[egg]], or beaten egg is added to batter before cooking.
|-
| Kari dosai || A Tamil Nadu specialty with a dosa of thicker base topped with cooked meat, usually chicken or mutton.
|-
| Paneer dosa || Spiced [[paneer]] filling inside the dosa.
|-
| Palak dosa || Layered with palak ([[spinach]]) paste inside the folds of dosa.
|-
| Mini soya dosa<ref>{{cite web|url=https://recipes.timesofindia.com/recipes/mini-soya-dosa/rs55705184.cms |title=Recipe: Mini soya dosa|work=The Times of India}}</ref> || Soya milk and wheat flour<ref>{{cite web|url=http://food.ndtv.com/recipe-mini-soya-dosa-227607|title=Mini Soya Dosa|work=food.ndtv.com}}</ref>
|-
| Pesarattu (green dosa)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/healthy-snack-recipe-green-dosa/articleshow/19830786.cms |title=Healthy snack recipe: Green Dosa|work=The Times of India|date=17 February 2016 }}</ref> || Made with [[green gram]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://food.ndtv.com/recipe-pesarattu-green-gram-dosa-463419|title=Pesarattu (Green Gram Dosa)|work=food.ndtv.com}}</ref>
|-
| Adai dosa || From Tamil Nadu a dosa-like dish prepared from a combination of toor dal, rice, curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida. The batter is not fermented. Usually eaten with jaggery or [[aviyal]].
|-
| Light white dosa || Rice and coconut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://recipes.timesofindia.com/recipes/light-white-dosa/rs53316767.cms |title=Recipe: Light white dosa|work=The Times of India}}</ref>
|-
|Kadapa karam dosa<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2017/nov/10/the-karam-dosas-from-kadapa-1698077.html |title=The karam dosas from kadapa|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref>
|Rice flour fermented overnight and mixed with sodium carbonate. The topping is a mixture of onion and chili paste (called ''yerra karam'') and a chutney made with tomato and flour made in a gravy of curd. It is also occasionally topped with fried gram powder.<ref name=":0" />
|-
| Onion rava dosa<ref>{{cite web|url=https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-onion-rava-dosa-219188 |title=Onion Rava Dosa|work=food.ndtv.com}}</ref>|| Semolina, rice flour,onion
|-
| Ragi wheat dosa || Ragi, whole wheat flour<ref>{{cite web|url=https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-ragi-wheat-dosa-1-463409 |title=Ragi Wheat Dosa|work=food.ndtv.com}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rava dosa]] || Made with [[semolina|rava]] or [[semolina|sooji]] ([[semolina]]).
|-
| [[Benne dose]] || Made with [[butter]] ('benne' in Kannada) ('vennai' in Tamil). Predominantly famous as "[[Benne dose|Davanagere benne dose]]" associated with [[Davanagere]] district in Karnataka.
|-
| [[Neer dosa]] || Made with a watery rice batter.
|-
| Vodu dose or Kappa roti|| Vodu dose or Kappa roti is made from unfermented rice, [[Fenugreek|fenugreek seeds]], grated [[coconut]], thinly flattened rice and sometimes leftover cooked rice. It is cooked on an earthen pan with a rounded bottom. It is fluffy and appears like a bread. It is cooked without the use of oil.
|-
| Amboli, ghavan, dhirde || In coastal parts of Maharashtra, variations known as amboli, ghavan and dhirde (or dhirade) are thin rice crêpes prepared with fermented batter, while dhirde is prepared with unfermented batter.
|-
| Buttermilk dosa || Semolina, maida, buttermilk.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Verma |first1=Neera |title=South Indian Cook Book |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. |isbn=978-81-7182-836-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHua3-_qTcYC&q=Butter+milk+dosa |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| Jaggery dosa || Rice flour, maida, grated coconut, [[jaggery]].
|}

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Masala Dosa from Kochi, Kerala, India -2069313.jpg|Masala dosa served traditionally with chutney, sambar, sauteed potato filling
File:Tomato Dosa chutney.jpg|[[Uttapam]] is one of the many varieties of dosa prepared in India and served for breakfast.
File:మినప అట్లు (2).jpg|Urad plain dosa
File:గోధుమపిండి అట్టు (2).jpg|Wheat flour dosa
File:Dosa (Plain).jpg|Plain dosa
File:Paper Masala Dosa.jpg|Paper roast, a wafer-thin crispy dosa, served in restaurants
File:Amini Ghee Roast.jpg|Ghee roast
File:Butter Dosa.JPG|Butter dosa, known as ''benne dose'' in Karnataka. Predominantly famous as "Davanagere benne dose" associated with Davanagere district.
File:Pesarattu and Ginger chutney.jpg|''Pesarattu'' (moong dal dosa) and ginger chutney in Andhra Pradesh
File:NeerDosa.jpg|Mangalorian ''neer dosa'' popular in South Canara districts, Karnataka
File:Kambu adai.JPG|Kambu (bajra/pearl millet) dosa
File:Rava Dosa of Salem.jpg|Rava dosa made from sooji rava flour, more popular in Karnataka and Udupi restaurants in Mumbai
File:Aate ka dosa.jpg|Godi mau dosa (wheat dosa)
File:Ragi dosa.JPG|Ragi dosa made of [[Ragi flour|ragi flour]] mixed with small portions of rice and urad dal
File:Onion Chilli Tomato Uthappam.jpg|''Uthappam'' or ''utthapa'', a version with onion, chilli and tomato
File:Methi dosa on a pan.jpg|''Methi dosa'' on a pan, known as vendhyam dosai in Tamil Nadu
File:Masala Dosa 02.jpg|Masala dosa at a street food center in Bengaluru
File:Table Dosa.jpg|"Table dosa" which covers almost half of the table
File:Indian dosa masala.jpg|Indian street dosa masala in Varanasi, India
File:Onion Dosey.jpg|Onion dosa, with coconut chutney and aloo curry
File:Set Dosey.jpg|Set dosa, a set of 3 dosas with coconut chutney, curry and Mangalore bajji
</gallery>

==In popular culture==
* In a November 2019 video promoting her [[Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign|campaign for presidency]], [[United States]] [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Kamala Harris]] cooked masala dosa with actress and comedian [[Mindy Kaling]].<ref>27 November 2019. [https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/us-presidential-candidate-kamala-harris-cooks-masala-dosas-with-mindy-kaling/article30095372.ece US presidential candidate Kamala Harris cooks masala dosas with Mindy Kaling]. The Hindu. Retrieved 23 July 2023.</ref>
* [[Venba (video game)|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]].

==Related foods==
* [[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

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
* [[List of fermented foods]]
* [[List of Indian breads]]
* [[List of pancakes]]
* [[Mangalorean cuisine]]
* [[Udupi cuisine]]
* [[Tamil cuisine]]
* [[Cuisine of Kerala]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Pancakes}}
{{Indian Dishes}}
{{Indian bread}}
{{Sri Lankan cuisine}}
{{Burmese cuisine}}
{{Malaysian cuisine}}

[[Category:Dosa| ]]
[[Category:Andhra cuisine]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Burmese cuisine]]
[[Category:Fermented foods]]
[[Category:Indian breads]]
[[Category:Indian fast food]]
[[Category:Karnataka cuisine]]
[[Category:Kerala cuisine]]
[[Category:Malaysian breads]]
[[Category:Mangalorean cuisine]]
[[Category:Pancakes]]
[[Category:Singaporean cuisine]]
[[Category:South Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan pancakes]]
[[Category:Tamil cuisine]]
[[Category:Telangana cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian dishes of India]]

Dosa (food) - Revision history

ItsNaviGrewal: basic refine structure based on references further and cleaned formatting for accuracy

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article