Dosa-vada combo is a sell-out in Mysuru

When Javed, a mechanic on Benki Nawab Street in Mysuru, breaks his fast in his shop along with shopkeepers in the vicinity, dosas and vadas are among the most sought-after of the delicacies that are spread out for the occasion.

“Ever since I started fasting decades ago, dosas and vadas have been integral to iftar ,” said Mr. Javed.

Though dates, samosas, fruits and a variety of bakery items are sold in the evenings in various localities and outside mosques here, dosas and vadas are the first ones to get sold out, he said.

Three dosas and three vadas are each sold at Rs. 10.

Though a combination of dosa and vada during iftar is unique to Mysuru, a few could trace the origin of the culture.

Asna Urooj, chairperson of the Department of Studies in Food and Nutrition, University of Mysore, said dosa is a high glycemic food item, which digests fast due to faster release of glucose into blood, while vada is a deep-fried item made out of pulse, which is moderately glycemic. “Probably, they work well in combination after people break their fast,” she said.