Bengaluru Dosey Dictionary !

 The amount of time Bengaluru will remain the Start up capital of the world is anybody's guess. Bengaluru is also the dosey capital of the world, a well earned tag that will take many decades to replace. There are many restaurants which have been making dosey for over 60-70 years in Bengaluru. 

First, why the spelling. There are many variations in how this south Indian crepe  is called. Dosai or sometimes even thosai is how it is called in Tamil. Dosey is how it is pronounced in Kannada. Wherever this dish is not native to the place whether it is North, West or East India, it has assumed the name 'Dosa' or 'Dosha'. This is sad. How the North Indians of Bangalore have transformed this city into Hindi speaking country in just 3 decades is another delicate matter which is best brushed under the carpet. 

To help you choose a Dosey in Bengaluru, I have tried to list the varieties and give you an idea of what exactly it is. Some outlets serve both Chutney and Sambar with Dosey, however the best restaurants serve coconut chutney and a few serve both coconut and red chillies chutney. 

Masala Dosey - This is the most common one with potato filling making it a masala Dosey. Generally it is a treat, so best is to go for the Benne ( butter)  Masala Dosey even if you can ask for regular, which is made with cooking oil and is slightly cheaper.

Mysore Masala Dosey : This is rarely found in Bengaluru or Mysore with this name. Most restaurants add red chutney on the dosey without calling it mysore masala. In the rest of India Mysore Masala refers to the masala dosa which has red chutney on the inside of the dosa.  

As I am not fond of garlic, I usually request my masala dosey without 'red chutney' except in the few restaurants that I know don't add garlic. It is usually with garlic. 

Set Dosey - This is a plate with two or three small thick dosey. Usually served with Chutney and Saag ( mixed vegetable gravy) 

Khali Dosey - This is the closest to the Tamilnadu Dosai . Much like homemade dosey, it has less oil and is soft, not crisp. Many prefer this simple home style. 'Khali' means empty and is generally confused with plain dosey. 'Sada' dosey is generally the same as Khali. 

Plain Dosey - This is a masala dosey without the potato filling and the red chutney ( some guys do add the red chutney though). As it is without the potato it is called 'plain' however it is thin and crisp like the masala dosey.

Set Masala Dosey - This is not found in Bengaluru, though it might come to Bengaluru soon considering that it is very popular in Mysore. It is two small Masala Doseys instead of one big one. 

Onion Dosey - Onion Plain and Onion Masala are both popular. The only difference being the finely chopped onions as a filling

Open Dosey - This is a masala dosey that is flat out open. It is served as a flat dosey that is soft with the potato curry, pudi and a generous helping of benne ( butter) sitting in the middle of the dosey. This variant is really the one you want to try after the masala dosey.....worth it.

Paper Dosey - It is the ultra crisp variant sold mostly in fancy restaurants. In Bengaluru, not a popular variant.

Mulbagal Dosey - Mulbagal is a town in Kolar district close to Bengaluru and this dosey is gaining popularity for its novelty value. It is a regular masala dosey which has really crisp edges as it is made on an edge raised tawa where the batter is spread on the edges also. This is usually available with Butter or ghee and with or without Pudi ( powder) 

Davangere Benne Dosey - This is different from other doseys as it is made with a huge quantity of fresh white butter. Usually the chutney is spicy and the potato curry is made without using turmeric so it looks like white curry. The potato curry is served along with the dosey not inside the dosey like in typical masala doseys. Davangere dosey is also available as set dosey or khali dosey. 

Pudi is a spicy powder made with some lentils and spices. Many restaurants offer it as a variant or add-on for different doseys. 

Rava Dosey is not made with rice and urad dal ( split black gram) but with rava ( semolina). The onion rava dosey, rava masala dosey and plain rava dosey are popular options. Served with chutney and sambhar just like other doseys 

Neer Dosey - This is an import from coastal Karnataka. Made mostly of rice flour, this is a soft and fluffy dosey. Usually served with a Chutney ( savory) and either a sweet chutney ( made with coconut and Jaggery) or coconut milk ( sweetened) 

Ragi Dosey - This is a common dosey in Karnataka homes as it is quick to make with finger millet flour and yogurt and no waiting for fermentation and grinding issues. Except for the taste and dark grey colour it is like a regular dasey. Popular for its health benefits.

There is a range of fusion Doseys that are quite popular, however, for me the traditional doseys taste better. Some of the more popular fusion doseys in bengaluru include 

Cheese Dosey - quite popular 

Paneer Dosey 

Spring Dosey - I had this at a Kamat in Hyderabad - filled veg noodles in a crisp dosey - It was actually nice

Important : To enjoy a dosey in bengaluru don't worry too much about calories from the Benne ( butter) or Thuppa ( ghee). Recent studies indicate we must have more good fat and less complex carbs than we think as ideal. So welcome to the really competitive world of dosey in Bengaluru. 

One important warning: Never have Dosey in any of the five star hotels in Bengaluru - they are very far from the real thing and do no justice to the dish at all. 

Let me know in the comments below how your Dosey chomping experience in Bengaluru was and if I have missed any popular type of dosey you enjoy. Look forward to your posting pictures of doseys in Bengaluru in the comments box below.

Reconstructed not reconstituted foods - Investment in research to mimic natural products is that CSR or anti social?

 Reconstituted foods are common knowledge. Potato flakes used to make potato pancakes or egg powder used to make omelette is most common. Freeze drying food products only to reconstitute them by adding water is one of the great technological inventions to prolong the life of food substances. That is not the topic of this article. Reconstituted food is a common food industry/nutrition expression and so I had to call the subject of this article 'Reconstructed foods'.

In the recent years food  manufacturers have spent a great deal of money on research and technology to reconstruct food so as to make it look like it was made using a traditional natural process.

Milk

 If your child does not know about cows and buffalos and feels that milk is made in the factory, is that wrong? Long gone are the days when fresh milk was pasteurised and packed in bottles and sold. Today milk is made using milk powder and other ingredients with a variety of options in fat, SNF combinations. Many customers are aware of this and some new competitors are selling fresh milk at high prices while most dairies are producing milk in factories using milk powder ( shelf life of 18+ months) 

Potato Chips

When I mentioned that the big brands of perfectly shaped potato wafers are made from potato powder in factories and not by slicing potatoes, one of my good friends was quite surprised. The MNC's have spent so much money on developing the perfect shape to replicate the fried thin slice of potato using potato powder that it is really a great case in visual food design and engineering. While the many articles about how these chips were designed provide the rationale of strength etc, the real objective must have been also to keep it as close to the chip from a real potato so that customers don't know the difference and they don't know and by the time you are addicted and come to know of the difference, you don't care!  Potato chips design story

Corn Flakes 

Originally corn flakes were made with corn grits going under heavy rollers to make thin flakes. In India, I think Mohun Meakin still makes it this way. Most large brands make these flakes using flour ( except the classic variety which is consumed by the old)  and they could have provided them any shape, but they chose to shape them close to the original. The thickness and taste are quite different so customers can easily tell, except those who have never tried the thin flakes ! 

Pulpy Orange Juice

Using citric acid and other chemical ingredients to make orange juice is  common, however to add pulp made in a factory that resembles pulp from the actual fruit takes corporate innovation and R&D to another level. 

I find this type of food made in the factory that has the form of the traditional natural products is not good for society at large. To keep this short and since it is fairly obvious I have not gone in to the nutritional aspects or R&D spends to develop such foods. 

Did you know milk is made from powder? potato chips from potato powder? Corn flakes from corn flour + and the pulp in orange juice in a factory? Do you you know any other products that customers assume to be something and they are not? Do let me know. The passing off as natural products is the new investment in R&D