BWW Previews: DOSAI NYC for Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Dosai NYC South Indian Kosher Vegetarian offers exotic dishes rarely seen in New York City restaurants. While Manhattan's "Curry Hill" has become home to several South Indian vegetarian restaurants, the newly opened Dosai NYC concentrates on dishes from Tamil Nadu. The region is justly famous for its vegetarian cuisine, characterized by the use of rice, lentils and other legumes to create delicious, healthy, protein-rich, gluten-free vegetarian dishes.

Michelin-starred chef/partner Hemant Mathur--called one of the top five Indian chefs by GQ magazine-is the executive chef/co-owner of the restaurant group that includes Chola, Malai Marke, Chote Nawad, Kokum, Haldi-and now Dosai.

To helm the kitchen at Dosai, Mathur has selected Chennai-native Chef Hemnath Nagarajan, who is certified from the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He has headed kitchens in notable hotels in India including Hotel Western Park in Chennai and The Oberoi in New Delhi.

Once known only as a humble breakfast item, the dosai-a thin, crispy crepe made from lentil and rice flour, has risen in status, becoming a popular staple for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dosai can take a multitude of forms-lacey or long and paper thin, rolled or folded. It can be filled with spiced potatoes or vegetables, or served plain, typically accompanied by housemade sambhar (a lentil-based and tamarind-flavored vegetable stew) and a variety of chutneys (coriander, coconut, mango pickle). Traditional versions include paper dosai, a long, thin crispy crepe, masala dosai filled with spiced potatoes, or ghee sada dosai, smothered with clarified butter or Chettinadu masala dosai, a hot pepper-infused dosai inspired by the house of the Chettiyars. House specialties such as spring dosai are filled with fresh vegetables, and saffron dosai are an invention of the house, tinged with saffron, to be dipped in a syrup of sweet molasses-like jaggery and ghee (clarified butter), for an intriguing mix of savory with sweet.

Tamil cuisine relies on just a few ingredients, which produce a surprising variety of textures and flavors, achieved by the use of spices including curry leaves, mustard seeds, a variety of dried chilies, pepper, green cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, coconut and rosewater, and vegetables such as the rarely used but very nutritious snake gourd, lotus root, white pumpkin and drumstick, a root vegetable specific to South India. Starters include traditional Southeast Indian appetizers such as springy, soft steamed idlis (spongey cakes made with lentil and rice flour) that can be dipped in sambhar and chutneys or soaked and served in a clear rasam soup (tamarind-based with tomato and chili) in the case of rasam vadai.

But there are also some starters, not typically seen in NYC restaurants, like the onion pakora, crispy, fried, onion fritters that are not at all oily, and the chili bhaji, long hot green chilies that are batter-dipped and fried, with a surprising freshness and pleasant spicy kick. Pancake-like uttapam are topped with spiced vegetables, or tomatoes and onions, for example. Housemade breads such as whole-wheat chapati are cooked on an open fire, while parotta is a pan-grilled bread.

The dishes at Dosai use varied and eclectic vegetables such as green bananas, gherkins, bitter gourd, snake gourd and pumpkin. For example, for entrees, you'll find deeply flavored curries, such as banana varuval, crispy sautéed green bananas with a house blend of spices, and red pumpkin thoran with black chickpeas, and bean poriyal, green beans tossed with fresh coconut and dry red chilies. Rice dishes are quite striking as well: bisi bela huliana is rice cooked with tamarind infused lentils and yogurt, while tamarind; lemon; or tomato rice each have a striking, individual flavor that will make you want to try them all.

Thalis (for lunch or dinner) are a complete meal, designed to give guests the variety that goes into a typical complete Southeast Indian meal. Each thali platter features a curry served with rice, lentils, vegetables, sambhar, Indian pickle and raita, fresh baked bread and dessert. The region of Tamil Nadu is also known for its deep belief that serving food to others is a calling and a service to humanity; it is this belief that has inspired Dosai NYC to raise the level of service to a higher standard, under the guardianship of Senior Manager Govindarajan Navaneetham, who has been a manager with the restaurant group that include includes Malabar Hill, Jaipore, Bombay Bar and Grill, Kokum and now Dosai-for 15 years.

The vegetarian cuisine at Dosai NYC is also suitable for a Kosher clientele-and the restaurant has taken the extra step of qualifying for rabbinical certification. The menu even has a few popular North Indian dishes to round off the menu.

Dosai NYC is located at 104 Lexington Avenue between 27th and 28th streets, (212) 684-4010. Hours of operation: Sunday-Thursday noon-10pm; Friday-Saturday noon-10:30pm. Takeout and delivery available. Please visit www.dosainyc.com or www.fineindiandining.com.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dosai NYC

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