Dosa is a South Indian dish that for a Westerner would be described as a gigantic crepe. It is completely gluten free and very delicious. You may have heard of dosa, but not tried it? The majority of our Lower Mainland Indian cuisine is courtesy of the Northern Punjabi region. You have to give this flavourful South India meal a taste at House of Dosas which best represents this unique ethnic dish.
These dosa are made of rice batter, lentil dhal and some salt. The South India version is light and crispy. There is no sugar or saturated fats so it is fairly healthy. In the state of Kerala in South India where one of the owners was born and raised, it is a staple dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
House of Dosas is a family business run by Marjorie and Raj Muttavanchery. They have owned and operated this restaurant for fourteen years. They utilize traditional recipes and preparation that allows the batter to ferment overnight. They serve their dosa hot and with chutney and toor dhal. The dosa are rich in carbohydrates.
The dosa are made fresh daily. The majority of the ingredients such as rice, dhal and coconut are imported from India. Each dosa can be customized depending on the specific needs of each customer. Because of this, your order takes about ten to fifteen minutes.
You will be surprised at the size of the dosa. Each dosa is very long and quite round. It is intimidating when you first see one. You order different fillings from their extensive menu. The fillings are thick, but do not comprise the entire space. You need to peel off pieces of the dosa itself and then scoop the filling and eat with your hands.
The dosa was like a crispy crepe, although soft on the inside. Light to touch and easy to tear off small pieces to dip into the filling. The dosa itself was tasty on its own, but you need to manage each piece to ensure you have enough to load with the filling.
This filling is Seafood Vindaloo Dosa using mackerel fish. Very flavourful and it is a meal in itself. To change the flavours there are two Chutneys and one Lentil dip. A Tomato Chutney made up of coconut, tomato and ginger. Very tasty and not spicy. The White Chutney is coconut, cilantro and chili. Another excellent chutney with a strong coconut taste and very light. As well, a small bowl of green coloured Toor Dhal made of lentil. You will want to sample all three and then discuss with your friends or family which you enjoyed the most.
In addition to the authentic rolled dosa shape you can order a Special Masala Dosa. This particular order was the Madras Dosa. Shaped like a triangle, but with the same dosa covering except flattened. Again, lots of filling inclusive of potato with many different ingredients including spices. Like the other dosa, there is nothing spicy here. The onions are lightly sautéed so they offer some crunch texture. Another flavourful dish.
House of Dosas is located on the northwest corner of Kingsway and Knight Road. In terms of selection of dosas you have over forty choices of fillings. The average range is between $8.99 and $9.99 so you have good value for your money. In addition, you can order seafood and non-vegetarian curries. Great selection of bottled beer which really pairs well with the dosa.
You can drink lassi, shakes, wine and many non-alcoholic drinks. You can choose from various side dishes, breads, kothu roti and biryani. Given the restaurant is open until around 2 or 3 in the morning, excellent choice for partiers. The owners are passionate about their dosa and take pride in personable and friendly service. Given they have been in operation for fourteen years, they have a large group of loyal followers, including persons from other parts of the lower mainland and south of the border.
Very casual place. On Mondays, you can get all dosas starting at $5.99. What a deal. There are no preservatives used nor any dairy. You will really enjoy the dosa and be completely filled up. Perhaps, you will wonder why it has taken you so long to try this unique dish?
House of Dosas
Address: 1391 Kingsway (@ Knight), Vancouver
Phone Number: 604-875-1283
Hours:
Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 a.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Facebook: House of Dosa
Twitter: @HouseofDosa
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