India has a masala dosa problem. This folded potato-filled fermented-rice flat circular piece of deliciousness has overtaken the world. The problem is that equally good variations of this form get lost in the focus on this one type of dosa.
So go ahead and have your Mysuru masala dosa, but please also spare a thought for other kinds of dosas. Consider, for example, the khali dosa. This was how it was described, “a pillowy soft dosa that melts in your mouth.
You will be amazed by the deliciousness, especially since they use no oil in their preparation.” The writer of these words was Nishanth Shamanna, who graduated with an MBA from Stanford this year. He was leading a group of Stanford alums on a breakfast walk through Basavanagudi.
I was the interloper who joined them, just for the food. We began at Hotel Dwarka, iconic in South Bengaluru. We Indians still continue to call small restaurants “hotels” probably because it is easier on the tongue.
Over 50 years old, Hotel Dwarka is famous for many things including its masala dosa. Our group however opted for the khali dosa which was indeed fluffy. Two soft dosas with “aloo palya” on the side, some butter on top and liberal amounts of green chutney.
It was fluffy, light and tasty, which is perhaps why Kannadigas opt for this dosa all the time. When I had breakfast with Kannadiga friends recently at MTR (Mahalakshmi Tiffin Room), they all chose the khali dosa over the masala dosa. Why, I asked, because to me, the khali .