Love is.... A dosa

Oil simmering on the griddle, reflecting the lights off the surface.

The muffled sound of stirring... the dull, chalk coloured batter.

The pour; the batter touching the griddle, the release of breath... shshshshhshshshsh... 

The warming of the heart as the dexterous spiraling hands, construct the perfect oval.

Oil...of indulgence and the hedonistic justification...

The wait, arduous, lecherous; impatient.

The dollop of potato...deliciously yellow, mashed and mellow. 

A flick here, a flip there and the final fold; a brazen exhibition of practiced nonchalance...

It's poetry in motion, it's an art... The Masal Dosa served with chutney, fresh and chill and sambar, hot and spicy. 

Some of us gobble up masal dosas and order another; realizing none of the existing metaphors have anything on the warmth coursing through the veins as one piece follows another. One wants to hug it, kiss it, serenade it, but the plate is already empty.

Masal dosa is a very spiritual experience.... the composition calls you and you just surrender yourself (to it). Now, if you ask me about the best I've had.... hmmm... how do I say this... it is very difficult to choose one... It is like asking me who's the favorite among my children -ARR on masal dosa.

The oldest memories of masal dosa are of my mom's 'kal' masal dosa. The homemade varieties never taste the same as the hotel ones. This is because the temperatures generated  and the size of these 'kal's' at home are different; nevertheless they become extremely irresistible when served with a dash of love... 

I have had a lot of masal dosas, a number big enough to write my will for posterity in the next near or two (about 20rs; in my pocket, planning to write it off to charity) and some of these dosas have a distinct taste One remembers them with what might be called as a 'tongue memory'(partly gastronomic, partly psychological).I've listed some memorable ones off the top of my tongue... 

Trivia: A number of dosas eaten by an average addict in his lifetime is enough to cover the globe, if spread across the surface of earth!!

Hotel Sangeetha,(any outlet):

Specifically in the early 2ks, Mylapore, when it was establishing itself; I have fond memories of the family dinners, perched on the roof garden, eating masal dosas... These were always followed by the blissful 2km walk back home in the night breeze. The standard of dosa is still pretty good. I've had pleasant experinces with the Guindy and the Mandaveli outlet too...  

Hotel Surya, Trichy, (near rock fort):

The rava dosas are also equally tasty here... Some claim that the vasanta bhavan nearby is better, maybe, but I believe Surya has better chutneys and sambars. This is also one of my grandpa's favorite haunts.

Hotel Shri Sangeetas, Trichy, (near main bus stand):

These two places in Trichy, the one above and this are close to my heart because of my Alma mater. For an eatery that anyway gets patronage from the transient population around the bus stand, the quality and standards maintained in this place is exemplary. The masal dosa here is simple, tasty and served in the 'street' ambiance...  

I'm not against masal dosas in movies; I believe they are effective tools in taking the story forward. They bring out the character of the character in a very short span of time... - Mani, overheard, in conversation with BR

Hotel Saravana Bhavan (any outlet): The HSB bug bit me late; I've been smitten ever since...  HSB is snobbish, HSB is rude, the service is pedestrian, the place is over rated, blah blah blah... who cares... I believe they serve one of the best masal dosas in Chennai... also they have one of the best filter coffees (that's another list all together).The potato pieces in the masala if not mashed uniformly, turns me off. At HSB they get this right and I'm rarely disappointed.

hmmm - MMS,UPA II after HSB

IIT Madras: I have listed this in the chronological order. The various eat outs mentioned above kindle memories of the corresponding stages in my life. The Campus Cafe in IIT. served me a masal dosa that was hard for the puritan in me to get used to initially-the masala used is different. But in time, I got hooked to this new taste.. many of my lunches were just a masal dosa with a fresh brew of their awesome tea...

Nala's mother fondly recalls the delight in her son’s eyes as they rested on the griddle. A prodigious talent who took to eating at a tender age of 1, he could make dosas on his own and eat it too unlike his cakes which he couldn't eat... his grandfather, watching his 5 year old  grandson playing with potatoes, remarked "dei thambi, you will one day make a great cook and cook the best masal dosas in the kingdom". - from the documentary "The life of Nala" on Nala, King, Executive Chef, Nishadha Kingdom.

****** (Ending it here for the post script to actually function as a post script)

PS : There is another variety that is dear to me. The Mysore masala. Most places in Bangalore offer tasty mysore masalas. The street ones are kickass though. More on this later. Also the Murugan Idly Shop almost made it to the list… somehow I have never been able to connect with it emotionally. But I love them nevertheless and the chutneys are awesome…….

.....Imagine all the people eating masal dosae...... - Lennon