There’s nothing better than a home cooked meal.
In almost any country I visit, there’s one (or more) of those sweet lady’s that serves a dish where the power of their motherly hands radiates with love through their irresistible cooking.
Mama Chapati in Morogoro, Tanzania had seduced me and Mama Mumtaz with her Zanzibari Mix had filled me with joy that could only be the result of a freshly prepared recipe by a motherly figure.
Mama Dosa – Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)
It was almost a torturous personal moment as I waited on a plastic stool on the street of Yangon and watched Mama Dosa as she spread a ladle of batter on the flaming iron skillet and let it linger.
The painful test of patience was merely 20 seconds yet as the smoke billowed from the charcoal and the smell drifted towards my nose, it felt like an eternity.
I was so excited I couldn’t control myself, vainly attempting to ease my restless legs with my mouth already watering.
Part of the reason Burmese cuisine is so fascinating is because of its unique mixture of food that includes many Indian and Bangladeshi specialities.
A dosa is basically a thin pancake that is cooked on a griddle and served along with an array of curries for dipping flavor. This dosa on the streets of Yangon came with a little bit of daal, a creamy spiced curry and a little bit of Indian style pickles.
As soon as the dosa was brought to the little plastic table, nothing else really mattered. The boisterous calamity of the streets of Yangon went silent as my eyes focused on the piping hot dosa laid before me.
It was more than I had expected. The dosa, along with the street atmosphere and the expert cooking technique all added up to a dosa that was truly magnificent.
After licking my metal plate clean, I knew what I absolutely had to do: Order another round!
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Gerard ~ GQ trippin
12 years ago
So glad I found this site because I love street food. Can’t wait to try some good streets eats all over Asia next year.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Hey Gerard, glad to hear you are also a street food fanatic! Though there is good street food all over the world, the Asian continent really stole me heart for food!
Mica
12 years ago
I had one of these in Kuala Lumpur, at a ferry terminal. It was a sweet one, filled with strawberry jam and another one with chocolate…so yum!!!!! Yours looks amazing! Were the curries spicy? My spice buds are so underdeveloped!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Hey Mica, those sweet ones sound good too. The curries were not overly hot, but they were well spiced. This was sort of a morning dosa, so I think it was quite mild to start the day off!
Arti
12 years ago
Hi Mark,
Coming from India. I love Masala Dosa, its one of my favorite dishes! Crisp and light, its a great dish to have at any time of the day.
My first visit to your blog, look forward to many more.
Have a fabulous Sunday:)
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Hey Arti,
Thanks for the comment. I haven’t been to India yet, but I’m sure the masala dosas there are truly amazing as well. Thanks for visiting my blog and look forward to checking yours out as well!
Traveling Ted
12 years ago
I love the way your writing captures the anticipation of waiting for the food. It is also contagious as now I want a dosa.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Haha, thanks so much Ted!
jenjenk
12 years ago
that looks seriously amazing. it is just my style!! love street food!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Awesome Jen, I know you love street food as well!
Alex
12 years ago
Mark I should never read your blog right before dinner. Now Im craving for this delicious meal and i have no idea where to find it in Berlin!!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Haha, thanks Alex – hope you can find something good in Berlin!
flipnomad
12 years ago
looks delicious! i think it’ll taste good with some sweet spreads like peanut butter or chocolate
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Definitely would Flip!
Nomadic Samuel
12 years ago
Nothing beats a good Dosa!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
For sure Samuel!
Gladys | ByahengBarok.com
12 years ago
looks delicious… it’s street food, so it must be! 🙂 i love ’em 🙂
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks Gladys, definitely delicious!
Nicole
12 years ago
We have the best dosa place by our house here in Vancouver. On monday night they offer all dosas for $5.99!…..we spend a lot of our Mondays eating there 🙂
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Sounds great Nicole – I would be there on Monday nights too!
Claire
12 years ago
Somehow, I clearly missed this delightful little snack when I was Burma. Burma for me marks the first and the last time that I ate dog meat. Where was this slice of heaven when I was staring at that plate??!! Seriously, I wish I had better food memories of Burma, because I left there both times thinking the food sucked. Glad to hear it’s not true!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks for the comment Claire. I didn’t even see dog meat when I was there… I only spent time in Yangon though, haven’t been to other parts of the country, but I was able to find some really great food in Yangon. Hope you’ll find some “dosas” next time!
Jim
12 years ago
Street food, no matter what, has to be the best, cheap, tasty, fresh and right in the heart of all that’s going on.
Christy @ Ordinary Traveler
12 years ago
I really want to try this now!
Fida
12 years ago
Dosa’s are my all-time favored food. I could eat them morning, noon and night. At the moment I have to do with my own, though I NEVER mange to make them as thin as they should be.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Awesome to hear that Fida, I’m sure you make a delicious dosa!
The Travel Chica
12 years ago
I’ve never eaten food like this, but it looks fantastic. I have come to discover that street food is usually the best.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Right about that – eating street food around the world is probably my all-time favorite activity in life. Hope you get to sample a dosa soon!
Manoj
9 years ago
Chika wouldn’t have visited India. Mark was here!
Jeremy Branham
12 years ago
The dosa looks delicious!
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks Jeremy!
robin
12 years ago
Yummy!
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy
12 years ago
The dosa looks enticing. I would probably like the pickle sauce best.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks Scott!
Renee King
12 years ago
There is something special about eating food that you know was prepared with love and you can taste it! There are so many competing flavors that you can’t decide which one your taste buds like better. Yum! It does look delicious, Mark.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks Renee, the love from food really comes through! I love the competition of strong flavors all combined into a single meal!
Michael Figueiredo
12 years ago
That looks delicious! 🙂
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Thanks Michael!
Technosyncratic Travel Blog
12 years ago
Cool little tables (and delish food, of course). Were there only two tables? Do most people sit at them to eat or stand around and then return their platter afterward?
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
I think most people were either sitting down, gobbling their food in a hurry and then leaving or getting it for take-away. I was shooting some video there during and after eating, and I know people were waiting for my seat…
Annie – FootTracker
12 years ago
mmmm, I love food like that (bread/or crepe like stuff and comes with sauces). Thanks for sharing, now I am hungry DX.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Haha, various breads dipped in spicy sauces around the world is a recipe for delicious!
Sophie
12 years ago
Asian street food… nom nom!
Is there any Thai influence in Burmese cuisine as well?
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
Hey Sophie,
I think from what I ate in Burma was mostly Indian and Chinese, maybe with a few Thai additions as well (though I’m not sure if the Thai influence would have originally been Indian). Burmese fusion of cuisine is fantastic!
Caanan @ No Vacation Required
12 years ago
Looks absolutely delicious.
Mark Wiens
12 years ago
It sure was tasty!