Bites Nearby: House of Dosas

Intriguing names like dosa, idly, vada and uthappam jot the menu at the House of Dosas restaurant in Hicksville. For the uninitiated to this type of vegetarian cuisine, a dosa is a filled pancake, idly is steamed rice cakes, vada is deep fried lentil doughnuts and uthappam is like an omelet without eggs.

House of Dosas – In order to make the dosa, a huge crepe is stuffed with a spicy potato/onion mixture. Dosa flour is made from rice and lentils. The crepe – very crisp with a slightly sour taste – is filled and offered with coconut chutney and sambar, a spicy soup. The mixture of textures, tastes and aromas all blend together to create the unique dish.

The same flour is used for idly and uthappam. Idly dough is formed into small cakes and steamed. Uthappam has the look of a thin omelet or small pizza and it comes plain or with additions of hot pepper, peas, onion, tomatoes, chilies or coriander.

The House of Dosa also serves an assortment of vegetarian curries and rice dishes. Spice levels can be adjusted to fit your heat tolerance.

A nice way to balance out the spices is with lassi, a yoghurt drink that is served sweet, salty or with mango pulp.

416 South Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801, 516-938-7517
www.houseofdosas.com
Hours: open seven days, 11:30 am to 10 pm.
Prices: range from $3.50 to $5 for appetizers, $5 to $11 for entreés.