Dosa gone digital

Making the perfect dosa is nothing short of an art form From grinding the batter to the right consistency to the satisfying sizzle of oil hitting the hot tawa to carefully rolling one out onto a plate every step is a tradition in itself A joint serving South Indian staples like idlis dosas and uthappams in Borivali mdash Dosa Anna mdash is shaking things upand might just be the biggest challenger yet to the ageold dosa ritual With an automatic dosamaking machine the joint claims to be able to dish out 2000 dosas in a day all automated We decided to check out this new techpowered innovationOutdoor seating at the restaurant PicsDevashish KambleWe are welcomed by the sight of an operator standing tall alongside the machine almost as tall This is the contraption that has set the neighbourhood abuzz Locals from the foodloving suburb have labelled it the lsquodigital dosarsquo lsquonotouch dosarsquo and even lsquodosa printerrsquo Founder Rohit Mendon settles the debate ldquoItrsquos an automatic dosa making machine Thatrsquos about it People love putting together creative names based on their observations and honestly we donrsquot mindrdquo The dosa machine lets out a sustained sizzle possibly in agreementAn operator initiates the processWe learn that the sizzling sound in fact is the machine cleaning the tawa before its next task ldquoCleaning is often the most tedious and contactheavy task You might have seen some stall owners cleaning the tawa with a wet cloth risking contaminating the tawardquo a staff member points out A couple of minutes later the machine is ready to dish out our order of a crispy masala dosa Rs 90 The batter is poured out through nozzles onto the temperaturecontrolled tawa Like clockwork a roller swings out to spread the batter And now we waitThe batter turns golden brownWe strike up a conversation with Mendon a trained chef again to unveil the story behind these automated dosas ldquoThe world is embracing automation Multinational food chains have been using it to standardise their offerings for decades Being a South Indian I often wondered why such automation doesnrsquot exist for our own cuisinerdquo he reveals adding that the machine was procured from a Bengalurubased manufacturer as an experiment in FebruaryBack inside the machine things are turning golden brown The operator scoops a generous portion of premade potato masala onto the tawa right in time Another automated hand scrapes the dosa off the tawa rolling it out onto our plate We learn that while plain dosas can be dished out with zero contact more complex orders require manually adding masalas podi or chopped vegetables Does it justify the lsquoautomationrsquo tag then We leave it up to you For us itrsquos time to tuck inThe dosa is rolled outThe dosa has a uniform consistency of goldenbrown crispiness and is sprinkled with a special podi that has hints of garlic and chillies reminiscent of the Mumbai vada pav dry chutney Served alongside three other chutneys mdash mint coconut and tomato mdash and a Keralastyle sambar it doesnrsquot take us long to get to the last biteAll in all if yoursquore looking for a quick convenient snack and all things tech amuse you Dosa Anna has all the makings of your new haunt For this writer who still believes that making a dosa by hand mdash the sizzling spreading and rolling all included mdash is a labour of love itrsquos a fun innovation at bestDosa AnnaAT Lotus Building Pranay Nagar Vazira Borivali WestTIME 8 am to 10 pm dailyLOG ON TO dosaanna_indiaDosa the quirky wayA curated list of other innovative dosas that city foodies can tuck intogtgt Pizza burst dosa If the thinnest crust on a pizza still isnrsquot quite crispy for you try this pizza that uses a dosa as a thin base with traditional pizza toppings to bring the best of both worlds to the tableAT South Tiffin House Borivali Kandivali Malad Andherigtgt Burj Khalifa dosa Call it the heights of culinary innovation this dosa built using four layers of dosa with oodles of cheese rolled and stacked is a hat tip to the Burj KhalifaAT Angel Dosa Center Vikas Complex Runwal Nagar A Plot Norilipada Thane Westgtgt Matka dosa This dosa comes with a side of chopped veggies and paneer in a creamy gravy served out of a traditional clay matka AT Avantika Chennai Cafeacute Raj Arcade Mahavir Nagar Kandivali Westgtgt Masala dosa waffle No tawas in sight here Head to this unique stall where dosas are made in waffle makers and maple syrup gives way to desi gheeAT Rangjo 461A near Maheshwari Udyan Matunga East Exceptional Excellent very Good Good Average Dosa Anna didnrsquot know we were there The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals