Friday, November 04, 2005

Masala Dosai....The most I miss!

Wow! Imagine the crispy nei(ghee) roast filled with ullakazhangu(potato) curry or more commonly called the masala coated with a layer of melting butter in your mouth. Whoa! What a feeling! The feeling itself paralyses me for a moment. Nothing in the world can beat the delicate roll of a masala dosai. Get me the dishes - burgers, pizzas, enchiladas, burritos.... I am sure nothing can come close to this most famous South Indian dish. The crunchy masala dosai gives a feeling of immense satisfaction and pleasure as it finds its way through the esophagus, conveying the dosai from the pharynx to the stomach ( I think I remember some Biology). Inevitably, back in India, a weekly bout of four-five masala dosais used to find its way into my stomach. Any hotel, any place, the dish used to be dosai. I am reminded of the number of new darshinis(stand-in restaurants) lining up the streets every other day. One place that stands out for fantastic masala dosais is Central Tiffin Room (Shree Sagar). This place is located on Margosa Road in Malleswaram just opposite the play ground. An old, green building is no indication of the delicacies served inside. An evening stroll with friends, and we would invariably land up in this wonderful place and gobble up the offerings in delight. The ambience of the place was such that you can sit with friends and talk for a long time over a plate of Dosai and Sambar. I used to like this place all the more because of the green chutney that used to accompany the plate of Dosai, coconut chutney and sambar. The best part was to wait for the bearer to get the dosai after you have placed the order. Those few minutes were often spent in the direction of the kitchen. It was like waiting for eternity. And when you are hungry, no need to mention how much the wait is worth. Oh! When is it going to come! What a feeling! The discussions gradually used to subside once we saw the plates of dosas balanced beautifully by the bearer, and for the next few minutes, there used to be no talks but only the pleasure of stimulating your taste buds.

My mother often used to reprimand me after a masala dosai fiesta....Don't tell me you had masala dosai again! Now.......I am not sure when I am going to have the next dosai, let alone masala dosai. How I wish my mother can scold me for having masala dosais! For a dosai freak, there can't be a worse punishment!!!

11 comments:

  1. Dabba nan magne dont write these stuffs here. Already my mouth started watering :-). I want Masala Dosa now!!!!!

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  2. Loafer... You are killing me with these stories...

    By the way, I had gone to Atlanta yesterday... Had Gobi Manchurian and Special Rava Masala Dosa :-) ... Mouth watering.... Now you suffer...

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  3. Good to know that you guys are in the same mess as me:-))

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  4. was just wondering that the snap looks familiar and then realised it is on the same street as I live in.... guess thats why I take it for granted and for you it is almost a religious place ! :) btw, did u every try making masala dosa ??

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  5. dei....romba over daa.....dont make us too senti.....i ve been trying to overcome all this....only to be reminded again!!!
    miss Masal dosai with sambar very much....miss Cbe Annapoorna idly sambar even more.....

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  6. Sllluurrrrrrrrrp... Yummy masala dosas- what I wudnt do to get one right now!!!

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  7. Dont worry dude, i ll have an extra one on ur behalf the next time :)

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  8. Ella kalla nan maklu
    Benglur dose andre sumnena ?
    SRISAGAR yaen maha - Malleswaram Entne Cross Janata Hotel Dose yaen
    kammi ? Gaandhi Bazaar Vidyarthi
    Bhavan Dosena, Chickpet Krishna Bhavan Saagu Masalena, Malabar Cafe Ooothappa yaen kammi ?

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  9. oh. masala dosai. how I miss Hotel Saravana Bhavan! I also miss adai aviyal. not many hotels do adai. did Central Tiffin room serve adai?

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  10. Yea... you will enjoy as long as you have enough time to wait before and during... else customer is no way king here...C T R is. Take it or leave it attitude. The world is changing... but if you want same taste of dosa, be ready for same taste of service....CTR way or highway !

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