Dosa

Rice and urad dal are soaked separately, ground to a smooth batter and left to ferment overnight. Natural fermentation gives the dosa its faint sourness and the airy structure that turns crisp on the griddle. A ladle of batter is spread outward in a spiral, oil is drizzled at the edges, and within a minute the base lifts away golden and brittle.

The taste is mildly tangy and toasty, with a crackle at the rim and a softer centre. It is almost never eaten alone — coconut chutney, tomato chutney, milagai podi mixed with gingelly oil and sambar form the standard accompaniment.

Masala dosa is stuffed with turmeric-yellow potato masala. Ghee roast is a long conical dosa cooked in generous ghee. Podi dosa is sprinkled with lentil-and-chilli powder, while Rava dosa uses semolina for a net-like, extra crisp result.

Madurai serves the thick, soft kal dosa in stacks with chicken or mutton salna. In Kongu Nadu you will find ragi dosa and kambu dosa made with millets, and in the Kongu and Chettinad belts dosas are often paired with fiery kara chutney.

Old-school tiffin rooms in Chennai's Mylapore and T. Nagar serve dosa from early morning. Madurai's night-food streets around the Meenakshi temple are known for kal dosa with salna. Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy mess halls serve dosa with strong filter coffee, and hill-station towns such as Ooty and Kodaikanal serve it hot through the cold mornings.