Today’s Kitchen Adventure: Dosa vs. The Pan That Stopped Giving

Gather around, my curious readers, for today’s story isn’t just about dosa—no, it’s about life, change, and yes, crispy surprises that show up when you least expect them. So grab your tea, coffee, or masala chai, and let’s dive in!

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It was a regular evening in my kitchen (recently I have been spending more time in my kitchen again and enjoying being creative and trying new things or  combining different things for a unique spin for myself), and I decided to make dosa. Now, I have done this before. Heck, I am no newbie. I had this trusty old nonstick pan—a pan that has seen its fair share of golden, crispy dosas. You know, the kind of dosa that gives you that satisfying crunch when you fold it over. Yeah, that pan!!!!

The batter was store-bought, but I knew it worked because I had used it before and got dosa perfection. Today, I was confident. So, I heated up the pan, poured the batter, and...

Well, the first dosa turned out like a sad crumbling pancake. But hey, the first dosa always has some issues, right? It’s like the test run. I wasn’t too worried. I got back at it, but—oh no, the second one? That didn’t just fail. It stuck. It curled up like mini dumplings, taunting me as I stood there, spatula in hand with all the force and pressure I could gather, wondering what cosmic force had betrayed my perfect dosa dreams.

Now, here is where my inner innovator kicked in. I thought, “It can’t be me, right? Must be the batter. It’s always the batter.” So, I pulled out a trick from my old playbook and added some rava. If you have ever cooked Indian food, you know that rava (semolina) is the magic dust that fixes all. Crispy dosas? No problem! I was certain it would work now. I stood there, smug as a dosa pro, ready for redemption.

And what did I get?

More mini dumplings. ;)

I was frustrated. My dosa dreams were crumbling faster than I could fix them.

Then it hit me—maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the batter. Maybe the old nonstick pan had finally given up on me. I looked around the kitchen and spotted this shiny new pancake pan that I had bought a while back, inspired by my mom's collection in India, but not used much. It had these cute little four slots, usually used for—well, pancakes. But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, I had already given up on dosas and figured I could at least make uttapam (the chunky cousin of dosa) by adding some onions, tomatoes, and green chilies to the batter. What did I have to lose?

So, I poured the batter into those slots and braced myself for more failure.

But then, as if the universe finally decided to stop messing with me, out came four perfectly golden, crispy uttapams. Voila! I was back in business.

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Now, what’s the lesson in this crispy catastrophe?

1. Just because something worked well before doesn’t mean it will work forever.
My old pan had served me well in the past, but today? Not so much. Things, tools, and even people sometimes stop working the way they used to. And that’s okay. It’s a sign to move and change things up.

2. Don’t bang your head against the wall (or pan) when things aren’t working.
I was convinced the batter was the problem, but it wasn’t. Sometimes, you’re focusing on the wrong issue. A change in tool—or even environment—can be the breakthrough you need.

3. When life gives you dosa batter, but no dosa, make uttapam.
Or at least try. Don’t be afraid to adapt when things don’t go as planned. You might just end up with something even better than you expected.

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So, the next time you’re frustrated that something isn’t working—whether it’s a work project, a relationship, or your beloved dosa recipe—take a moment to pause. Maybe it’s time to change the tool. Or maybe it’s time to change you.

After all, life’s big lessons come in small crispy packages—even if they sometimes look like mini dumplings at first. 😜

Stay curious, stay crispy, and keep innovating!

Mixed Emotions and Story of Change in a Foreign Country

Most of my friends, who have known me from India, believe I have changed a lot. Ofcourse they say its all for the better...I feel this change myself noticeably evident in my thoughts and actions...The once shy, quiet and traditional girl now reflects an aura of confidence and independence....This must have been a smooth transition process because I hardly realized this happening....

When I first came to USA in August 2004, I had hardly gone to the bank about couple of times in my life (the last one being to get the travellers cheque's since they require your presence and signature to issue those cheques), had never written a cheque, had never used a credit card or an ATM, had never filled petrol in my activa or kinetic, had never driven car in the traffic areas like the city, had never made my own bed, had never washed my clothes or cleaned my utensils, had never made any buying decision alone, had never been confused on what to cook etc.. and the list goes on and on....I remember when my uncle first took me to a bank, I asked them how to write a check..My uncle and aunt showed me to how to use the ATM, to withdrawn the cash or deposit the cheque(Depositing a cheque is still something I prefer doing at the bank in front of a live person)...When my uncle took me to the shopping mall to buy comforter set for my bed in my new apt, I asked him which one should I buy and there he taught me an invaluable lesson for life. He teached me, now that I was in a country, where everyone is independent, I should be making my own decisions...and thats how the process of own decision making started in my life...Still, sometimes I would call up my parents or my friends and ask them what they think about the things I buy...I remember buying my first own 60$ camera, not a branded one, and I had emailed my old friend in india back and forth, just to make sure I was making the right decision.....so the change was not all of a sudden atleast I would think....But then the number of decisions to make kept on increasing from buying an ipod to driving to canada to visit an old friend and see niagra falls, to present at a SWE conference in Anaheim california, to work as a intern, to take up research, to visit india, to graduate, to look for a job, to deal with customers, to live in a foreign country called slovenia (whose name I had never heard before)for 3 months, to travel in Europe, to rent an apartment and the time available to make these decisions kept on decreasing...forcing me to making my own life decisions fast...taking full responsibility of my actions...

I don't know when I changed from the Bhumika, who thought its ok for a girl to live at home and not work, to bhumika who believes every individual is responsible for their own self and can make their own decisions on how they choose to live their life. Gender should have no influence on whether you want to work or cook!! If I was still living in India, I would have considered divorce is wrong, that should never happen, being in the independent land, my views have changed to, you live once, if both of you are not happy in the life you are living, it is better to separate and live a happy life rather than live under the same roof in pain for the sake of others( the society), who are not even your family and have no right to interfere in what you do is your personal matter. These views might be considered too modern and liberal by the still conservative, male generation of my birth land..

I wish friends and families in my home country, India, become more respectful of girls and encourage them to acheieve their dreams...The culture of a country is never lost by individuals voicing their opinions....Infact, the spirit of culture becomes more strong when you have the liberty to decide what is right and what is wrong for self.....