Think of the dosa, and instantly, Chennai or Bangalore comes to mind. But when I think of dosas, I think of Jamshedpur.
Every year, when I head to my home-town-in-law, there is just one thing on my mind — food. While the town gives access to the best of food from all over the country — Litti-chokha from Bihar, puri-aloo from U.P., rolls, noodles, puchka, rasgulla and sandesh from Bengal — it is the dosa here that is closest to my heart.
The dosa arrived in Tata Nagar back in the 19th Century, along with its workforce from the southern states. In the last 100 years, however, it has acquired a character of its own. The dosas here are triangular and stuffed with salad, apart from the potato mix; the chutney is made with dal, not coconut, and the sambar is watery, with barely any vegetables. But one thing hasn’t changed: it still feeds the large, hungry workforce of the Steel City every morning.
And so, one morning, we join them too. At 8.30, our favourite dosa cart, called Raja Dosa Centre in Kadma, is overflowing with people. We look longingly at the griddle, which is at the centre of all the action.
On it is batter, spread with a generous helping of onions, carrots and beetroots. Then come the potatoes, followed by a huge ladle of oil. The result is a triangle of crispy heaven, served on a battered steel plate.
