PHOTO courtesy Saffron Valley
Savory, crispy and buttery comfort
This month, I’m crushing on an old favorite that I just fell back in love with: the Ghee Dosa from Saffron Valley in Utah are Southern India’s answer to crepes. But really, the phrase “comparing apples to oranges” should be changed to “comparing dosas to crepes.” While both are thin batters cooked on a piping-hot griddle, the similarities end there. You won’t find flour, eggs or milk in the dosa batter.
Dosas are made with fermented rice and lentils and are naturally gluten-free, vegetarian and nutritious. The grains are soaked for a day, blended and left to ferment until the batter is light and frothy. Unlike the Ethiopian injera (a tartly fermented, springy teff crepe), the Indian dosa has sweet undertones. Once the batter is ready, it is poured off onto a hot, round griddle (called a tava). The chef spreads it uniformly with a ladle, often leading to ‘stripes’ in the finished dosa. It is typically cooked in ghee, with the clarified butter infusing it with a rich flavor and creating lacy edges. It is served stuffed with a savory filling or rolled into an inverted waffle cone.
Saffron Valley serves its dosas four different ways and my favorite is the Ghee Dosa. It is cooked and served plain, painted with extra ghee for a rich blank canvas. If you love anything crispy, you too will crush on this. It comes to the table—show-stopper style—smelling like the griddle and ready to break apart. Eat the first bite plain and let the dosa dissolve in your mouth. It is thin and delicate enough that it borders savory cotton candy, leaving a toasty flavor.
When you order a dosa at Saffron Valley, it’s not just the dosa you’re getting. It’s a complete sensory experience. The dosa is typically served with small dishes of fresh coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar (a lentil and vegetable dipping soup with a hint of tamarind). The coconut chutney is a sweet and cool contrast, the tomato chutney is an umami bomb with a hint of heat, and the sambar adds some density. It’s the perfect shared appetizer.
Saffron Valley has three stuffed dosas, each a unique culinary adventure. The Masala Dosa, a traditional favorite, is filled with spiced mashed potatoes. The Paneer Spring Dosa is a medley of seasonal vegetables, Indian-style cottage cheese and sautéed spiced potatoes. For a heartier option, there’s the Chicken Tikka Dosa, stuffed with pulled chicken in a flavorful tikka sauce. Each portion is perfect for one or two people and comes with the chutneys and sambar.
If You Go
SAFFRON VALLEY
Downtown, Sugar House,
South Jordan and Riverton
saffronvalley.com
