For everyone who enjoys a meal at one of Plano’s many Indian buffets, it’s time to talk about Indian street food. While we didn’t find Indian food on the streets in Plano (the health department would frown on this), Steve and I did find a remarkable place to enjoy dosa, a southern Indian specialty.
Many of us are familiar with chicken tikka masala, naan and palak paneer—typical northern Indian cuisine, characterized by rich and creamy sauces, tender meat and tandoori baked items. Southern Indian food trends primarily vegetarian, with rice, lentils and seeds taking center stage. It’s also quite common to eat light meals and snacks throughout the day.
Steve and I were interested in trying a light meal, so we headed out for dosa, a favorite southern dish.
A dosa is a crepe made from a fermented rice and lentils batter. But this crepe is like none you’ve seen before. It’s a giant, filling a platter even when folded in half. You can easily understand why dosa cost around $8 each.
Trust us: There’s just something special about the combination of a crispy, nutty-flavored pancake and its spicy potato filling. You might think a pancake wouldn’t make for a filling lunch, but you’ll quickly reconsider when said pancake arrives, filling an entire serving tray.
Three different chutneys (sauces) accompany the dosa, along with a small bowl of sambar—a lentil-based stew, with a tamarind-based broth. The chutneys range from mild to spicy. It was hard for us to pick a favorite! The mild white chutney is made with coconut, the medium green chutney features mint/coriander and the spicy red chutney makes the most of its red chili base.
I ordered a masala dosa; Steve enjoyed a butter masala dosa. Both came stuffed with lightly curry-seasoned, slightly-mashed potatoes and fried onions. The difference between the two was the way Steve’s crepe was prepared. His was lightly buttered before stuffing, giving his crepe an even more tender flavor.
Rajula’s serves 13 kinds of dosa. Our stomachs only had room for one, but others included:
- Plain – just the crepe, thankyouverymuch
- Cheese – filled with melted mozzarella cheese
- Chili Cheese – add some chilies to your mozzarella cheese and chow down!
- Mysore Masala – just like a masala dosa but with a layer of red chutney
- Paper Roast – the extra crispy version of dosa, featuring a very thin crepe
While purists would tell you to eat a dosa with your hands, you should feel perfectly free to use cutlery if you prefer. No matter your eating style, make sure to dunk pieces of the crepe into the chutneys and sambar.
Rajula’s Kitchen
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Where: 820 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas 75023
More: 972.895.4644 | rkusa.com
Originally published in Plano Profile‘s December 2016 issue.
