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My first tryst of ‘set dosas’ is fairly recent. It was three years ago at a tiny South Indian shack situated in Okhla, Delhi. I went I search for idlis at around 10 a.m. in the morning. But they were already out of it. I began trudging back with my growling tummy when I heard a voice from the back, “How about a dosa, madam?”, “But won’t that be too heavy”, I argued. “You can have some set dosas” said the owner of the stall. I instantly took a seat, however I had told my friends that I would be back in 10 minutes, “I hope they make it quick,” I mumbled to myself. And guess the universe heard it, within 5 minutes, on my steel plate I see three dosas with sambhar, coconut chutney, tomato chutney and some podi with ghee. These were 'mini' dosas, white, soft and pristine.
Slightly thicker than the plain, masala or rava dosa, these set dosas are meant to be crisp from outside, and hot and spongy from inside, almost like a perfect pancake, but with a porous texture. Like most dosas, set dosas are also made with traditional rice batter that is left to ferment overnight, adding that lovely, sourish depth to the dosas.
But why are they called ‘set dosas’ you ask? ‘Set dosas’ are popular breakfast of ‘tiffin foods’ of Karnataka. They are quicker to make, and even easier to pack and serve. Since they are typically consumed in a ‘set’ of three. If not sambhar, these dosas can also be served with veg sagu, stew-like dish made with combination of chana dal, urad dal, potatoes, ginger and mustard seeds.
As we said, set dosas are incredibly easy to make at home, so what is stopping you from trying them out. Here’s a lovely recipe you will thank us for!
