By Jasmine Kaur
A crispy South Indian crepe made with fermented rice batter and stuffed with mashed potatoes is what masala dosa is all about. Here’s a quick story of how it was invented.
One legend suggests that masala dosa was a creation of a Brahmin from Udupi who wanted to get high and deviate from his religious ideologies.
It is said that while the Brahmin was trying to make beer from fermented rice, he failed and then utilized the same batter to make crepes.
Alcohol consumption is considered a sin in religious terms and since the batter was made with that purpose, the crepes were named dosha or sin which later transformed into dosa.
Another story entails that it was invented in the courts of the King of Mysore. The leftovers from a grand buffet were turned into crispy crepes that gave way to masala dosa.
Today, dosa has become a breakfast staple not just in South India but many others parts of the country too and is usually paired with coconut chutney and sambhar.