From being smothered with Maggi to bearing the mushy burden of pav bhaji, the humble dosa has withstood more than its share of innovations. Many of these street food inventions would be nothing short of blasphemy for a classic dosa with sambhar and chutney lover. But who cares as long as they're delicious?
Presenting the 10 times the dosa had an identity crisis...
1. When they decided the dosa is just an Indian crepe and could easily be doused in chocolate and cream: Chocolate Dosa
Make it: Slather Nutella over the inside of a dosa, roll and top with a dollop of cream
Find it: Nandu Dosa Diner, Mumbai
2. When the dosa was mistaken for a pizza base and topped with cheese, vegetables and whatnot: Pizza Dosa
Make it: Top the insie of a dosa with sauteed vegetables, pizza sauce and lots of shredded cheese
Find it: Dhiraj Special Sandwich, Mumbai
3. When pav bhaji divorced the pav and had a little fling with dosa instead: Pav Bhaji Dosa
Make it: Spread pav bhaji on the inside of a dosa and top with chopped onions and lime juice. Else, serve dosa with pav bhaji on the side.
Find it: Guru Kripa, Mumbai
4. When some Chinese food lover decided to have his own way with the dosa: Spring Roll Dosa
Make it: Sauteed vegetables, soya sauce, chilli sauce and lots of shredded cheese will go atop your dosa. But ideally, you should use a pizza cutter for good presentation.
Find it: DoAsai 2.0, Chennai
5. When the dosa acquired a meaty twist: Chicken Dosa
Make it: Spread butter over the inside of a dosa and follow with chicken kheema or your favourite chicken curry
Find it: Zambhar, Gurgaon
6. When bread stepped into the scene and turned dosa into a filling: Mexican Bread Dosa
Make it: Honestly, this recipe seems to be a trade secret!
Find it: Kanappa Fast Food, Chennai
7. When palak paneer wheedled its way into the dosa's good graces: Palak Paneer Dosa
Make it: Just make palak paneer and put it over a dosa. To get more creative, add palak puree to dosa batter and make a dosa with that. Use spiced paneer cubes as filling and enjoy.
Find it: Naivedyam, New Delhi
8. When the dosa decided that your diet HAD to be broken: Cheese Burst Maggi Dosa
Make it: Pour cooked masala vegetable Maggi over dosa, followed by tons of shredded and liquid cheese. Top with chopped coriander and tomato ketchup.
Find it: Pure Milk & Snacks Centre, Mumbai
9. When they realised that you wanted both upma AND dosa for breakfast and obliged: Upma Dosa
Make it: Line a dosa with upma and top with chopped, sauteed, spiced vegetables
Find it: Dosa Stori, Pune
10. When the dosa went glam and decided to be semi-precious: 916 KDM Gold Dosa
Make it: Are you kidding?
Find it: House of Dosas, Hyderabad
We get it. Basically, anything delicious can be dumped atop a dosa to create the sort of fusion yumminess that we can't get enough of! Sorry dosa, but we can't just let you be yourself. You're much too versatile for that!
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