99 dosas on wheels

A clever, rational approach to fusion cuisine, adding value to the humble dosa, is what sets this joint apart

Dramatising the humble: One swift, elongated motion of Ramesh’s arm leaves a thin, circular base to be decorated with spices, vegetables and a large dab of butter. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Bannerghatta, Tavarakere and Madiwala, or BTM Layout, as it is popularly known, is just like its name, an eclectic mix of cultures, home to people from all corners of the country. So, the eateries here are also a melee of different tastes and flavours.

A humble joint, located on nothing more than an autorickshaw parked on 7th Main, fuses such a variety of flavours skilfully, to create the most delicious dosas.

Clever spicing

A spread of ingredients is neatly arranged around two large ‘tawas', assembled on the back of a large auto-rickshaw or a minivan.

Standing behind the tawa, busily taking and calling out orders from his evening customers, Ramesh, the owner, claims to serve 99 varieties of dosa in his ‘shop'. Some of his most delicious offerings are mushroom dosa, paneer dosa, Szechuan dosa, and even palak dosa.

For the Chinese varieties, al dente (semi-cooked) hakka noodles are mixed not only with vegetables, soy and chilli sauces, but rather cleverly with a pinch of red chilli powder and Indian chutney as well, so that it blends with the familiar taste of the dosa.

Such a rational approach to fusion is what sets these dosas apart. The toppings add value to the dosa rather than transform its taste.

Mumbai inspiration

“The idea came to me when I was in Mumbai and saw all the experiments being done with street food there,” Ramesh says.

He sets up shop only at 5.30 p.m. every day.

By then, his ingredients — crisp capsicum, red tomatoes, finely chopped onions, boiled cauliflower, mushroom, baby corn and palak marinated in masala — are prepared and ready to be topped on the batter he brings from home.

Successful strategy

It is fascinating to watch the dosa being poured on the tawa. Ramesh dips his ladle into the batter and in one swift, elongated motion, leaves a thin, circular base to be decorated with spices, vegetables and a large dab of butter.

The drama of the process is complete with a liberal sprinkle of oil all over the dosa.

After its initiation in BTM a year ago, the ‘dosa on wheels' roadside eatery has now come up in many other parts of the city such as Koramangala and Indiranagar, all places where recent migrants from different parts of the country vie for tasty food and some adventure.

A dosa with your choice of stuffing and topping would cost you around Rs. 45.