<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Image-22.jpg" alt="" />Inspired by Tamil breakfast item, Kuzhi Paniyarams, chef Siddharth Kalyanaraman at NRI gives the Mofo Gasy, a sweet-yeasted pancake from Madagascar, a savoury twist. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Cashing in on the popularity of the flavours of the South, McDonald's has given the good old Mc aaloo tikki a South Indian twist, presenting the 'dosa brioche' or, as we know it, the dosa burger.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/dosa-brioche-22.jpg" alt="" />Dosa Brioche Pic/Datta Kumbhar
The fusion experiment hasn't got the rave reviews the makers were expecting. The dosa brioche has been at the receiving end of an array of memes, tweets and jokes and within less than a week of its debut, it's earned the title of "among the worst breakfasts ever".
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Masala-Dosha-22.jpg" alt="" />
On Thursday, at the Linking Road outlet, it was the one item with few takers. We dug in and found that while it's not as terrifying as the reviews, its sheer ordinariness goes against it. The potato filling is made in typical masala dosa style and is sandwiched between the buns. One gets a hint of the South Indian flavours in the filling but that's all.
Yet, McDonald's isn't the first to experiment. Across the city, pizzas, cocktails and everything in between is getting the southern touch. We experimented a bit for your sake:
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Leonardo-Dra-Vidli-22.jpg" alt="" />Pic/Poonam&acirc;&Acirc;&Acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0080&Acirc;&Acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0088Bathija
Leonardo Dra Vidli Veranda, Bandra West, Rs 300 This dish could well be as dramatic as its name. The makers wanted to give this breakfast classic a Western gourmet twist, serving it with a pumpkin gel, instead of the regular coconut chutney and sambar. The idlis are more like 'cocktail idlis' &mdash; miniature in size and can be popped whole into the mouth. They are steamed and then doused in gunpowder and desi ghee. Then, they are placed on the base of the pumpkin gel, topped with micro-greens and served. On the side is a test-tube of aam-panna to gulp down the idlis. Chef Mohnish Rohra says, "The pumpkin gel, with its sweetness, balances out the acidity and neutralises the spice of the gunpowder. While idlis are a breakfast staple, we serve this for lunch and dinner. It's a hit among vegetarians, especially Jains as this is sans onion or garlic. Sometimes on request we also fry the idlis." What's with the name, we ask. Rohra laughs and says, "All our dishes are named after artists. And since Dravidians are South Indians, we thought why not Dra Vidli!"
WHAT WE THINK: The pumpkin gel maybe an acquired taste for some. Those with a sweet tooth, might enjoy
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Mihir-Bijur-22.jpg" alt="" />Pic/Poonam&acirc;&Acirc;&Acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0080&Acirc;&Acirc;&Acirc;u00c2u0088Bathija
Murgurita Door No 1, Bandra West, Rs 500 A couple of weeks ago, Mihir Bijur, owner of Bandra's new retro bar, Door No 1, overheard one of his patrons talking about wanting a South Indian pizza. "They had ordered the Kerala calamari, and wanted a pizza on similar lines. Initially, the idea sounded like a disaster," he laughs.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Dish-2-22.jpg" alt="" />
However, since the entire restaurant menu was fusion-based, Bijur decided to put the idea to test. Chef Rohit Kanojia says, "Mihir, who is from Mangalore, suggested using the sambar powder. So, we made the base using in-house sambar powder mixed with tomato sauce. As topping, we use chicken chettinad with cheese. Once done, we add a tadka of mustard and curry leaves," he says.
WHAT WE THINK: Not your typical pizza, you may enjoy it for its south Indian element, but, it's an acquired taste.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Rasam-Mary-22.jpg" alt="" />Pic/Bipin kokate
Rasam Mary SamBar, Khar West, Rs 345 This one-month-old place at Khar (which replaced Loca Loca) is all about the South. Not just the food, even the bar menu has been designed keeping the flavours of the Deccan in mind, says Vijay Nair, bartender at SamBar. The Rasam cocktail that he rustles up is already a top favourite. "It borrows from the concept of the Bloody Mary, except that instead of vodka we use tequila," Nair says. Mixing rasam with vodka, he says, results in a rather smooth drink. Since they wanted a kick in the drink, it was best to combine tequila with strong south Indian ingredients. What's in it, we ask? Rasam powder, salt and chilli powder, two drops of Tabasco sauce, 30 ml lime juice, tequila and tomato juice.
WHAT WE THINK: It's not for the faint hearted. It's more like a shot than a cocktail. Go slow and you may find yourself liking it.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/chef-Siddharth-Kalyanaraman.jpg" alt="" />Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Mofo Gasy NRI at BKC, Rs 250 Being a Tamilian, chef Siddharth Kalyanaraman grew up on a good dose of Kuzhi Paniyarams, a Tamilian breakfast dish made with fermented idli or dosa batter. But, a year ago, while crafting the restaurant menu, he came across the Mofo Gasy, a sweet-yeasted pancake from Madagascar. And, the concept struck home. "Since I was looking at a dish with a story behind it, this fit in well because the bread was engineered by immigrants who were taken to Mauritius and Madagascar as cheap labour," he explains.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Dish-22.jpg" alt="" />
However, instead of making it sweet with rice flour as is the traditional recipe, Kalyanaraman chose to make the dish savoury with a mix of rice flour, split and dehusked black gram and Amaranth flour. Tempered with dry red chillies, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger, the dumplings are cooked in ghee, in a special mould with cavities. This, he usually serves with a coconut Rougaille Chutney, again a South Indian twist to the French sauce.
WHAT WE THINK: At first bite, it reminded us of home and mom's appams.

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Mumbai Food: Eating with a southern drawl

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