COMMENTARY, Nov. 2 -- A freshly made thosai (or dosa, as it's also called) is a beautiful thing.

I learned this from my friend M. who has also taught me the difference between a benne dosa and a podi dosa. (A generous amount of butter, accompanied by a coconut chutney, for the former; a vibrant dusting of chutney powder and moreish spiced potatoes for the latter.)

She'd go through the assortment of dips that arrive with the plates of thosai, telling me which goes with what. To be honest, I oftentimes still struggle to remember which goes with the lentil sambar and which with the mint chutney, but only so I can listen to her melodious voice repeating her lesson yet again.

It has been some time since we last shared one of these delicate ...