Once the pancake is browned on both sides the filling is parceled up inside and it is served with a curd and spiced soupy chutney.
They made it right in front of us which was cool to see, a wheat and potato batter is made into a large pancake on a hot griddle then next to it a mix of potato with masalary spices is heated up - coriander, cumin, chilli, etc. We took Jole's advice and opted to each have a Masala Dosa.
The dosa is a traditional southern Indian breakfast item and there are so so many varieties that you can get (as we discovered later when we went to a whole restaurant dedicated to dosas, with about 100 different ones to order!) Jole from Sweden told me that his favourite food was the Masala Dosa so off we went the next day down to a sweet little cafe on the street just after the police bollards on the nice side of the river in Rishikesh (can't for the life of me remember what it was called) I have been asking a lot of people that I meet what their favourite Indian food to eat has been so far as I think it is always interesting to hear other people's opinions and sometimes you don't read the menus fully (the menu's are HUGE over here!) and you are unsure whether to order things just for the hell of it or whether it'll not fill you up or taste good. Over the next few days we frequent Hasty Tasty quite a bit! They have a north and south indian thali which we also try, it doesn't quite match up to the monster greatness of the special thali but it is a less greedy, more modest option and is still filling and delicious! I am absolutely stuffed by the time we finish. Also we have a paneer masala, veg curry, aloo gobi, etc. As well as the standard dal the thali here has a 'dal fry' which is a thicker dal which I probably prefer. This thali has curd, pickles, roti, papad, aloo gobi, veg curry, rice, dal and a very spicy channa masala (chickpea curry) Everything in this thali is a bit spicier than probably any of the thalis we have had anywhere else but the curd (yogurt) is good for cooling your palette.īy the time we get to Hasty Tasty in Darjeeling we are craving some more Thali after a day or two without any!! (there's probably worse things to get 'addicted' to, right?!) We both order the special thali which comes on a primary school dinner esc tray but there is an amazing array of curries. Thali is so variable place to place but you are always guaranteed to get a really filling meal of good tasting local curries. The next day we pop into a Lonely Planet recommended eatery for lunch, the place is jam packed with locals and tourists so obviously very popular but we get seated at the far back corner and our order is taken promptly by a smiling guy all bundled up in a coat and hat! This one is massive in comparison to the one the night before. It is well seasoned and spiced and we chill out in the restaurant for quite a while with a good cup of tea after food. The thali is more simple than the one in Rishikesh and consists of rice, roti, dal, a veg curry and curd. In Varanassi we have another couple of thalis, one in a nice upstairs roof restaurant with colourful floor cushions and a nice local vibe. I am really getting the hang of eating thalis and curries with my hands I like to think! We are served a jeera rice - which is a cumin fried rice, salad, pickle, curd, chapatis, a muttar paneer and a vegetable based, aloo gobi esc curry. We go up to the back of the wooden cafe and sit on cushions on the floor, after a few minutes we realise that what we thought was a starting car or bike outside is actually the mound of blankets next to us which has someone asleep underneath snoring loudly! This amuses us greatly! We order our thalis and whilst waiting for them to be prepared monkey sneaks into the cafe and steals a sugar pot, scampering away with his winnings to the roof top where a lot of bashing about occurs between the cafe workers t\and the monkey trying to retrieve the sugar pot! There is never a dull moment here! Our thalis arrive and they are even bigger than the previous one at the hotel. We quickly have our second Thali the very next day after wandering around Rishikesh town we come across this small organic cafe at the far end of town.