Indian Explosion Goes Mobile

Nomad Dosa

Nestled among all the mobile options for fried foods, cupcakes, and sno-cones on South Congress is Nomad Dosa, perched a little behind and a little at an angle to all the rest. It's a fitting placement, really, because Nomad Dosa is quite different from its neighbors. In a word: It's healthy, and not traditionally Indian, either. Centered completely around the dosa, a kind of pancake made from fermented lentils and rice, the trailer offers four ways to fill the dosa, lots of ways to top the dosa, and several items to accompany the dosa. Dosas come either crispy or soft. We chose one of each and found out quickly that crispy is the way to go as it held the filling in tight, was more easily dipped, and had a nice texture. The Mumbai Mash-ala was delicious, with spiced potatoes, onions, peppers, and green beans in a tomato curry. The sambar dipping soup with lentils rounded out the plate nicely. The Kerala Kokonut features butternut squash, zucchini, eggplant, and cauliflower in coconut curry. The India Jones includes spinach, paneer, onions, and tomatoes cooked in coconut cream. A smooth cilantro chutney was spicy and yummy, too.

The story behind the trailer is atypical: The owner cured his own poor health with major changes in diet and opened Nomad Dosa as a testament to healthy eating as a lifestyle choice. The menu is cleverly broken down into six steps, and no cash is accepted to keep lines moving as fast as possible. And fast it was. By the time we paid and got our mango smoothie, the dosas were ready. The cook exclaimed as he passed us our plates, "We're dosa ninjas!"