The Capital Hotel is paying tribute to our culinary heritage by organising a dosa festival to celebrate the delightful, ubiquitous dosas. An array of dosas is on offer, ranging from the traditional plain dosa, thattudosa and ghee roast, to the more innovative dosas such as Chettinad chicken dosa, Squid dosa and Mutton saag dosa. A variety of 30 dosas are on the menu, with three special dosas introduced daily.
The dosa festival is at the rooftop restaurant, which allows one to indulge in hot crispy dosas with the cool breeze flowing in the background. The chief chef, Lal, welcomes us with a warm smile even as he effortlessly cooks dosas with the perfection of a trapeze artiste.
“I have tried to mix and match the traditional varieties with new flavours and have come up with some special in-house delicacies,” says Lal.
With so many varieties of dosas to choose from, we decide to follow the chef’s recommendation. First in line is the cocktail dosa, which is a visual delight; shades of edible red paint on a white canvas with the occasional sprinkling of green break the visual monotony.
All the dosas are accompanied with a variety of sambar and chutneys, which the hospitable staff keeps replenishing. Although other chutneys such as coconut, tomato and pudina are served, the flavourful Tamil ‘vengaya chutney’ made from pearl onions steals my heart. Four types of sambar- Kerala style, Mysore style, Shallots and dal are served along with the dosas.
The Mysore sambar catches my imagination as it is a little sweet. When asked, Lal says a small helping of jaggery lends to the dish’s unique taste.
The Chettinad chicken dosa is a culinary marriage between the crisp dosa and tender, juicy chicken. The finely grated stuffing of chicken blending into delectable dosa is easily the best choice of the day, with its medley of flavours. The Squid dosa is a treat for the eyes but the taste buds are not equally enthused as there was no blend between the batter and the stuffing.
Duck mappas is available as a ‘special’ curry and we decide to try pairing the curry with the humble, plain dosa. It was a success.
The dosa festival is on at the hotel till May 3, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Prices range between Rs. 50 and Rs. 150. Contact: 9995809888
