A well-balanced meal: Palace of Dosas By Sandra Firmin A vegetarian restaurant specializing in South Indian cuisine, Palace of Dosas in Amherst is a welcome alternative. Local restaurants in Western New York are overwhelmingly dominated by bistros, trattatorias, and pubs serving the meat-heavy dishes favored by the first wave of German, Irish, Polish, and Italian immigrants who settled the region in the nineteenth century. In the last few decades, however, a new influx of immigrants from countries as diverse as Puerto Rico, India, Somalia, China, and Myanmar continue to enhance local cuisine, expanding the delectable offerings to be found in restaurants, specialty stores, and even chain grocers like Wegmans and Tops. Palace of Dosas’s menu might pleasantly surprise many people who associate Indian food with tandoori and naan bread. South India is divided into the four states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, and one union territory of Pondicherry, each with their regional specialties. Yet, they all share a tradition of vegetarianism based on ahimsa, which in Sanskrit means non-violence to the environment, other beings, and oneself. South Indian food is famous for its dosas, or crepes. A house specialty, the rava masala dosa is a substantial blanket made out of a dense rice and wheat flour batter fried to a golden sheen. The chewy, perforated skin enfolds a spoonful of potatoes and onions. The meager content is evidently not the point since most of the other dosas on the menu do not include any filling. Rather, the dosa is an elegant vehicle for the accompanying dipping sauces in which creamy coconut chutney, laced with mustard and toasted coriander seeds, contrasts the smoky flavor of a watery sambar. The two sauces are featured throughout the reasonably priced menu that never exceeds more than ten dollars for generous portions. For the uninitiated, the Palace Thali is a good place to get one’s bearings. Chappati flatbread and basmati rice are surrounded by an eclectic assortment of sauces and curries that run the gamut of sweet, tart, and zesty. They are served in small silver bowls with a pickled vegetable and dessert rounding out the meal. The list of ingredients in most South Indian recipes is prodigiously long due to the spices. Hence, trying to decipher what is in each bowl can be an exercise in futility. Better to abandon oneself to a rich banquet of textures, tastes, and sumptuous colors. The Palace Thali includes a number of broth-like sauces in which to douse the rice. Although piquant, this trial plate is dominated by diluted rasams which are not very substantial. The deeply comforting vegetable curries are heartier counterpoints. A dark plum eggplant stew triggers a slow burn while the panak paneer is a tasty standby in which firm morsels of cottage cheese cheerfully dot a tangy spinach masala. The familial service is friendly and relaxed. This is not a place to go in a hurry. Think of it as a long, drawn-out meal at home. If only the ambiance was as cozy—it’s too bad that the quirky décor of cafeteria-style lights, plastic flowers, and slightly askew booth benches distracts one’s attention from a food that requires focused attention and sociability. Even so, the restaurant is redeemed by surrounding laughter, a good-natured wait staff, and food made from natural ingredients on the premises daily. Try experimenting with one item after another to taste their relationship. South Indian food is about balancing textures, flavors, and ingredients. A well-chosen meal will include vegetables, grains, and protein-rich dals typically made from dry beans or peas, which lends a slight crunch to many of the courses. Be sure to ask for a selection of chutneys (generally fruit-based condiments) and learn how yogurt infused with sinus-clearing chili pepper can be extinguished by chunky mango simmered in sugar and spices. And then try a new combination. Palace of Dosas 656 Millersport Hwy., Amherst 834-1800 Sandra Firmin is a University at Buffalo Art Gallery curator and lives in Parkside. Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top