I love to see a food truck take off and begin to thrive. What started as a van in a dingy square beside Grand Canal Dock is now a veritable outdoor eatery. With seating for 30 or so customers, and neighbouring trucks popping up all around, the little square is well worth a visit. From their own shiny purple box, Dosa Dosa serves up some of the most authentic South Indian food in Dublin.
Dosa Dosa unsurprisingly does dosas, and very good ones at that. A dosa is a style of savoury crepe, golden fried on one side and kept pale and chewy on the other. Fillings like dollops of potato masala, spiced chicken, creamy paneer, sweet fresh vegetables – they sky’s the limit, really – are then folded up inside. This neat little bite started as a breakfast street food, and has rapidly swept through India as a cheap but delicious meal for any time of day.
The star of the show is the dosa itself. I’m told by an Indian friend that they make them the “proper way”. The round crepe hot plates you probably know from Gino’s are where each beautiful dosa is assembled. The fat on the griddle turns the outer surface a sunset gold, getting darker towards the edges where fronds of the pancake crackle like fireworks, with buttery chewy goodness, as satisfying to break apart as bubble wrap – and it tastes heavenly, too.
Each dosa comes with three dips. First, a mild white coconut chutney, not unlike a hummus, pleasantly salty but otherwise plain. Then, a fresh mint chutney with a touch of spice and a lot of zing. Also accompanying the dish – and thankfully in the biggest pot – is a fine sambar: spicy, rich and almost drinkable. It brings the warmth that has been held back from the masala within the fillings, probably to accommodate the traditional Irish palette.
The chicken chettinad dosa is like nothing you’ve ever eaten. The chicken is salty to the point of extravagance, just about kept in check with waves of hot acidity from the masala and generous dunks in the sambar. It has a sticky deep warmth to it, concentrated flavour like the last few sips of hot chocolate. Naturally, when paired with the chewy and crisp dosa it’s impossible to stop eating. If you’re looking for intense flavour, look no further. The mint sauce pairs perfectly with this too as the heavy spice notes of the chicken are slapped by fresh mint, leaving a refreshing balance of flavours.
This place is also ideal for vegans and veggies – their plant based options are every bit as good as their meat ones. One of my favourites is the potato masala dosa. The potatoes are softened gently and add a satisfying substance to the dosa, with each bite being backed up by comforting carbs, intermingled in fresh dollops of the warm spiced masala. The paneer option is packed with fruity flavour – the soft creamy cheese, not unlike chewier scrambled eggs, is a perfect protein for those who don’t eat meat. The sweet bursts coming from peas, corn and carrots are also good enough to make you wonder if your mam had a point trying to sneak them into your dinners.
One special treat Dosa Dosa offers for when you’re in the area is chai masala. For those unfamiliar, this sweet milky drink is more than a punchy cup of flavours to entertain you while waiting for your dosa. Black tea, brewed in milk instead of water, jazzed up with sugar, and just about any spices you feel like: cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seed, you name it. Here, you can get a choice brew, so don’t miss out on a cup.
Some day back on campus you might find yourself yearning for that authentic hit of south Indian cuisine. In that case, there’s really only one question to ask — Dosa? Dosa.
