The chutneys are bursts of fresh flavor in the mouth! My favorites are peanut chutney, mint chutney and cilantro chutney.
Dosas are prepared from a nutritious batter made from fermented rice and lentils. Once the batter is ready, the chef spoons the batter onto a skillet and spreads the thick liquid in circular motions until it thinly covers the entire surface area. When the edges of the circle start turning hard and brown, the chef flips the dosa with a spatula to cook the other side as well. The chef often spreads oil on the skillet before adding the dosa batter to make the dosa crispier and to prevent the dosa from getting stuck to the pan. I appreciate that this particular eatery cooks without using a lot of oil because that means the resulting food is healthier.
The chutneys are made from fresh ingredients sourced from the local market. The chef chops up fresh peanuts, mint leaves or cilantro (according to the type of chutney), adds spices, ginger, salt, chili powder and/or lemon juice for extra flavoring and grinds the ingredients together until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.
Dosas are a staple dish in South India and, as with most traditional dishes, the ingredients are locally sourced. People have been growing rice in India for thousands of years, so it is ingrained (pun intended) in the local cuisine. Indians eat rice in creative ways: mixed with curries, fermented in dosa batter or soaked in lemon juice or other flavors. According to India Today, Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest producer of rice in the country.
