Michelin-starred chef, Hemant Mathur, has recently opened Dosai NYC, a new South Indian kosher vegetarian eatery in Midtown. Helming the kitchen is Chef Hemnath Nagarajan, who has headed kitchens at multiple hotels in India.
Dosai NYC focuses on dishes from Tamil Nadu, a region famous for its vegetarian cuisine. The food utilizes rice, lentils, and other legumes, making it not only delicious but healthy, gluten-free, and high in protein. Other key elements in Southern Indian cuisine include spices like curry leaves, dried chilies, green cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, and rosewater. Unique vegetables like lotus root, snake gourd, and white pumpkin also feature heavily.
As the name suggests, Dosai is on the menu. Traditionally a breakfast item, these thin, crispy crepes have become a popular choice for any meal. They can be filled with a multitude of ingredients from spiced vegetables to chutneys or simply smothered in ghee (clarified butter). One of the house specialties are the Saffron Dosai, which are dipped in a sweet molasses-like syrup and ghee, mixing sweet and savory. Other dishes include unique items such as Banana Varuval (crispy sauteed green bananas with a house blend of spices), Bean Poriyal (green beans tossed with fresh coconut and dry red chilies), and Bisi Bela Huilana (rice cooked with tamarind infused lentils and yogurt). There is also a selection of Thalis –a variety platter featuring curry, rice, lentils, vegetables, sambhar, Indian pickle and raita, fresh baked bread, and dessert –to give an idea of the typical complete Southeast Indian Meal. The menu also features a few popular North Indian dishes, for those looking for the staple favorites.
104 Lexington Avenue
Lauren is a New York based actor/singer/writer. She is a graduate of the American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theater School Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University as well as the College of the Holy Cross. She’s a fan of beer, pasta, and academic establishments with unnecessarily long titles. Find her on stage, or online– she’s there often.
