The dosa attracts further attention

‘A case for the dosa’ (MM, November 1st) prompted these two responses:

S.R. MADHU (editor1941@gmail.com) writes:

South Indians would like this American foodie’s enthusiasm for the masala dosa, but may squirm at some of the non-vegetarian adaptations she suggests. (Fortunately she confines herself to the pure, virginal version of the masala dosa in her recipes.) She remarks – “Use your imagination, and the scrumptious possibilities are endless.” He is referring to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled ‘The Pancake of Possibilities – The dosa, South India’s gluten-free crepe, can stand in for bread and take whatever filling you toss its way’ by Gail Monaghan. She writes (and we publish excerpts):

‘I’m addicted to dosas, the wafer-thin, oversized crepes indigenous to the south of India. Served plain or sprinkled with chopped onions, these versatile pancakes – made from little more than dal (dried peas, beans or lentils), rice and water... appear in combination with a wide range of fillings, the most popular being tomato, herb or cheese, fresh vegetables paired with mint chutney, and – odd as it sounds – Chinese noodles flavoured with Indian spices.

I learned to make dosas and uttapam – a thicker relative of the dosa that commonly incorporates coconut or a mix of onion, green chillies, cilantro (coriander leaves) and tomato into the batter – on a recent trip to Kerala and Tamil Nadu... The distinct, slightly fermented taste of these light pancakes was irresistible from the first bite... Despite being free of sugar, fat, dairy, cholesterol and gluten – and containing fewer than 100 calories – both dosas and uttapam are super-satisfying. Their rice-and-beans foundation also makes them a good source of protein, while fermentation boosts their content of vitamins B and C...

Through the ages, dosas have been partnered with Indian stews such as curries and sambars. However, a piping hot masala dosa – the pancake spread with garlicky green herb paste and flavourful potato masala – is my current go-to recipe for myself and company. Divinely crispy on the outside and filled with a meltingly soft potato hash, it gets a boost of flavour from a mix of fresh curry leaves, ginger and chillies...

I’ve also learned that... dosas are surprisingly tasty when eaten with Western food as a bread substitute – say, as... a wrap. I sometimes drizzle them with very non-traditional maple or boysenberry syrup. Or, for a special treat, roll a dosa around fresh-herbed scrambled eggs, chopped smoked salmon, chives and a bit of sour cream. At lunch, fold a dosa around almost any salad – chicken, potato, seafood, tuna, mixed green or even guacamole. Encasing the warmed remains of a chicken, meat or vegetable stew or stray roasted or grilled vegetables in a freshly made dosa is the most delicious way I know to use up leftovers...’

* * *

Dr. A. Raman (@ csu.edu.au) writes from Australia:

Dosai, that celebrated dish of southern India, more specifically of Madras, is not a native dish of this region. It evolved from pancakes, which the Portuguese introduced into the region. Over time it took the variety and splendour it radiates today, as a culinary charm, throughout the world.

We embellished the idea of pancakes by making it with rice and ulundu and gradually eliminated adding egg yolk, which the Europeans did (and continue to do) in making pancakes. We also embellished the tactic of turning over the wrought-iron pan by designing a spatula (dosai-k-karandi), whereas the Europeans turned (and continue to turn) the pancakes by spinning it into the air.

Traditionally, we knew only of steam-cooking our food: e.g. idli, sévai. May be that practice was more healthy than eating oil-based food items.

Operating at home

M. Harinarayanan’s article ‘And so English came to Madras’ (MM, November 1st) provided nostalgic reading.

V.S. Srinivasa Sastri was also a member of the Servants of India Society. Whatever happened to this band of patriots?

Sir T. Rangachari, the well known surgeon (a statue of him used to be in Park Town, close to the famous Ramakrishna Lunch Home) was a tireless worker who did a lot of free work for the poor. His yellow Rolls Royce could be seen parked in many a slum area, where he would carry out surgical procedures in the homes of his patients.

My father used to tell us of how Dr. Rangachari carried out a hernia operation on my grandfather on the table in the front hall! They lived in Tondiarpet then in a house called Vemoor Villa.

Dr. Dorasami Raman
Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

Using Webster

The Rt. Hon. V.S. Srinivasa Sastri (MM, November 1st) swore by Webster’s and not by any other dictionary. During the war-time evacuation of Madras, he moved to Coimbatore where his son V.S. Sankaran was the Postmaster (later to become PMG). Every Saturday afternoon he used to conduct pronunciation classes for teachers and others interested in English.

My father, a close friend of his, used to attend the classes and would take me with him. I was a student of II Form.

Sastri gave me an assignment. As soon as he wrote a word on the blackboard, I had to locate it in Webster’s and place the dictionary on the table, with the particular page open that contained the word. He would read out the word with proper intonation and stress, and ask the participants to say it in chorus. Sometimes he would explain the origin of the word, its historical relevance etc. The time he allotted me to search the dictionary was just 30 seconds for a word.

That exercise stayed me in good stead when I became a teacher. I permitted the students in my school to bring the dictionary to examination hall to refer to words.

Dr. S. Rajagopalan
30, Kamarajar Street
Chennai 600 093

Disappointment

I fully endorse the feelings of R.V. Rajan as expressed in ‘A Sad Split into Two’ (MM, November 1st).

I am not interested in the domestic reasons behind the split. But the split has led to a race to open as many branches as possible. Viewed commercially, this may be fine. But the immediate casualty is the quality of Manoharam and Thattai – to mention just a couple of items that I have become disappointed with.

Large-scale production of different items to cater to the requirements of branches appears to have taken a toll of quality.

Dr. S.R. Krishnamurthy
4 B, Abhinaya Apartments
14, First Avenue, Shastri Nagar
Adyar, Chennai 600 020

A grand story

I had the good fortune to know Natarajan, the founder of ‘Grand Sweets’.

Not many know his story. He left his native place when his father’s business failed and the family owed others a lot of money. He started a canteen for supply of food to Spencer’s staff. He slowly built up the business. He rented the house in Gandhinagar for a paltry sum and started making snacks and sweets. He was obsessive about quality and fixed his price higher than others. There was some resistance in the beginning. But when his customers learnt that he never re-used the oil once it was used for frying, his reputation and sales increased. By very carefully using old and customary habits in his advertisements, he increased the number of his customers and kept his clients not only loyal but also had them singing his praises. His incentive to give one dhonnai of some mixed food as prasadam was a big hit.

One of the most important things Natarajan narrated to me was that he repaid from the profits of his business all the money due to persons his father had owed. He returned the loans with interest. He was indeed a noble soul.

After this wonderful man passed away, the desire to increase the business turnover has seen quality suffer. More money may come, but reputation will take a back seat.

Raghavachari Desikan
An old friend of the late owner of ‘Grand Sweets and Snacks.’
raghavachari.desikan@gmail.com

Correction

‘Freemasons recalled’ in Madras Musings of October 16th was by T.V. Srinivasan and not K.V. Srinivasan as wrongly stated. We regret the error.

– THE EDITOR