POEM: ODE TO DOSA

• Ranga Sitaram
• ——————————-

The sudden surge of saliva

That seethes in and suffuses

The South Indian tongue

And blurts the Dravidian speech

At the the very thought of Dosa,

Oh, the Dosa!

.

Savory pancakes

Made from fermented batter

Of blackgram and rice,

Devoured thin and crisp

Or thick and fluffy

With Chutney and Sambar,

Oh, the Dosa.

.

Call it dōse, dōsai, 

Or even dōśa,

The variegated names 

Are only to worship 

The supreme tiffin,

The crêpe of all the crêpes,

Oh, the Dosa. 

.

It could be just the plain dosa,

Served without any filling,

The set dosa, spongy and soft,

Ghee roast for the Tamilian tongue,

The punchy Pesarattu of green grams,

Or one may fancy a melange 

Of other mesmerizing possibilities…

.

Egg dosa, Paneer dosa, 

Palak dosa, Adai dosa, 

Rava dosa, benne dosa, 

Takkali uttapam, neer dosa,

Wheat dosa, Ragi dosa,

Kadapa dosa, and so forth.

Oh, the Dosa.

.

An assortment of dosas satiate 

The varied palates of the Indian people,

Yet all swear by Mysore Masala Dosa.

Oh, the golden red crispy outside

Tucking within spiced sautéed potatoes

On a soft fluffy inside. 

Oh, the Dosa!

~~~***~~~~