There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”
~
>Ever since Eve succumbed to the wiles of a serpent who moonlighted as a used car salesman, humankind has been easily led into temptation. As playwright Oscar Wilde once jokingly remarked, “I can resist anything except temptation.” We can all relate. We all face temptations of one sort or the other. Like the forbidden fruit of Eden, temptation can be very attractive and very difficult to resist. Though technically sin–actions or offenses that are offensive to God–is a concept to which only Christianity and Judaism subscribe, most of the world’s religions do believe in the concept of right or wrong–as defined by the laws and rules set forth by their respective gods and as interpreted by religious leaders within the respective faith.
Sometimes (or quite often as has recently been revealed) those religious leaders are also led astray. One of the more benign examples involves a Brahmin, a member of the priestly class in Hindu society’s caste system. Since alcohol was forbidden to Brahmins, one tried to ferment his own with rice. When his efforts failed, he poured out the contents onto a pan and made a crepe out of it. The name given to the Brahmin’s attempt at sinning by drinking alcohol was “dosha” which later became “dosa,” a term which translates to “sin.” To compound the transgression, dosha was eaten with “chata” (what we call chutney today), a term which referred to a bad habit. Essentially, dosha mattu chati (dosa with chutney) translated to “sin accompanied by a bad habit.
There are a number of “origin” stories for dosa and chutney, but since culinary historians can’t agree on one definitive version, the raconteur in me hopes you enjoyed the one with which I introduced this review. Though consensus doesn’t exist as to the origin of dosa, one indisputable fact exists–dosa is one of the most popular of all Indian foods. Renowned for a slight tangy taste (due to fermentation), the thin, crisp crepe is savory rather than sweet. It can be eaten with a number of curries and vegetables. If you’ve never had dosa, why not see what you’re missing at an Indian restaurant where “dosa” is on the marquee–Albuquerque’s Naan & Dosa.
Naan & Dosa is ensconced in a mixed use property on Wyoming almost halfway between San Antonio and Academy. It doesn’t have prominent street-facing signage, but you shouldn’t miss it if your car windows are open and the distinctive aromas of Indian cuisine waft into your vehicle. Those aromas are like the beguiling song of the sirens though Indian cuisine isn’t one temptation that will lead you to a catastrophic end. Quite the contrary, Indian cuisine will likely awaken you to the realization that you should enjoy it much more often–especially when a trusted blogger reminds you frequently how wonderful it is.
Alonna Smith, the brilliant blogger behind My Indian Stove advises “Naan & Dosa is a very good restaurant to learn more about Indian food. Their South Indian dosa is a flavorful, no-too-hot, and crispy treat. I can also vouch for their tandoori dishes, which are cooked in a real wood-burning tandoor oven. And their garlic naan is not to be missed.” Though Alonna has mastered the art of cooking Indian food (much to the delight of her husband Eric) and shares it with the world on her fabulous blog, she’s a regular at Naan & Dosa. After repeated invitations, we finally found our way to Naan & Dosa, alas on a day in which Alonna and Eric couldn’t join us. As my Kim said after our inaugural visit “Phooey on you! for not having brought me here sooner.”
Though Naan & Dosa has been delighting Duke City diners for just over one year (as of June, 2022), there’s a familiar element to the menu and the fabulous dishes you’ll enjoy. That’s because Naan & Dosa was founded by the same great family who launched and operated Curry Leaf from 2006 through 2021. Curry Leaf remains in the family; it is now owned and operated by one of the founder’s brothers. As with Curry Leaf, there are two defining elements to Naan & Dosa. First is the hospitality which extends far beyond the typical politeness you experience at most restaurants. From the second you’re greeted to the time you leave, you’ll be treated in a familial manner. Courtesy and kindness are hallmarks. The second defining element, of course, is the food. It’s fabulous!!!
As with many Indian restaurants, Naan & Dosa offers a buffet. There’s no better introduction to Indian food than a buffet which offers so many options. My Kim would tell you I’d just as soon line up to get the Cabrona virus as to stand in line for a buffet, any buffet. Even if the lavish buffet at Naan & Dosa offered diamonds and gold, I’d pass and order off the menu. It’s a weird food snobby prejudice, I know, but I’ve never been accused of following any crowd. Fortunately my Kim doesn’t share my prejudice toward buffets and will typically make at least two trips. Of course, she lords it over that she’s usually eating merrily while I’m still studying the menu.
25 June 2022: Naan & Dosa immediately earned our high esteem when our mango lassi beverages were served on the rocks. At most Indian restaurants in the area, mango lassi tends to be served at room temperature. We were surprised at just how much better mango lassi over ice is. Especially in the summer, this is the very best way to enjoy mango lassi. Strangely when you study the world’s earliest or best bread cultures, India isn’t always listed. Considering how absolutely wonderful naan (not to mention other types of Indian bread are) is, any omission is a travesty. Naan & Dosa’s naan and garlic naan are both superb, especially when paired with one of the terrific chutneys.
25 June 2022: My Kim and I haven’t always agreed on the concept of the buffet. To her, a buffet is an opportunity to have as much of the one or two items she really likes. To me, a buffet is an opportunity to diversify–to try as many different things as possible. Since she’s the only one of us who partakes of the buffet line, the only opinion that matters is hers. As is usually the case, she piles as much tandoori chicken onto her plate as she can carry. Then, to appease me by diversifying her plate, she added a small portion of butter chicken and possibly the most popular dessert in India to her plate. That dessert is called gulab jamum and it’s akin to eating syrupy pancake orbs. They’re super sticky, sweet and irresistible…even to her.
25 June 2022: Tomato soup is considered one of the ultimate in comfort foods across the fruited plain, especially when served with grilled cheese and particularly during a winter cold snap. More and more Americans are adding basil to their tomato soup, a combination which not only smells and taste great, it just belongs…like fries and ketchup only better. Madras tomato soup one-ups any tomato soup you’ve ever had. Imagine tomato soup seasoned with exotic Indian spices and coconut milk. Yes, coconut milk which lends a bit of sweetness to the tangy, seasoned tomatoes. Now, if only Naan & Dosa offered grilled cheese sandwiches.
25 June 2022: If you’re served most of the dosas on Naan & Dosa’s menu you might find it hard to believe dosa is typically a street food. The one dosa you might conceivable take and eat on the go–and eat with your hands–is the cone dosa, a A cone shaped crepe made with fermented rice and lentil batter. That one you can tear and eat in small bites or dip it in a chutney before eating it. You can also leave it whole and dip as you go. Alternatively, you might order one of the seven other dosas on the menu. These are stuffed then plated vertically with two chutneys on the side. It may be one of the most pulchritudinous platings you’ve ever enjoyed.
That may especially be true if you order the Jindi dosa (rolled crepe topped with chopped onions, cabbage, bell pepper and homemade Szechuan sauce all garnished with homemade farmer’s cheese. Farmer’s cheese, of course, is paneer, a fresh cheese requiring no aging or culturing. It’s one of my favorites even though it tastes a bit like cottage cheese (which I dislike intensely). Though the Jindi dosa may look too good to eat, after your first bite you’re not going to want to put them down. The Szechuan sauce is one of a few Indo Chinese items on the menu, a mash-up of two of the world’s oldest and best culinary cultures.
22 September 2023: According to an article on Time Magazine, “Only about 20% of U.S. adults say they have a best friend at work.” The article goes on to state that: “Research on the topic is clear: having friends in the workplace can not only boost job satisfaction and performance, but also improve wellness. It’s linked to a lower risk of burnout, better mental health, fewer traumatic experiences, and maybe even a longer lifespan. At the University of New Mexico, I was blessed to find two best friends, Elaine Rising (my work wife) and Nader Khalil. Our friendship is more than commisserating about work woes and celebrating job accomplishments, it’s about sharing confidences, laughs and family. It’s about really enjoying one another. We’re the three amigos at UNM.
Our friendship is also about sharing meals. Indian cuisine is something we all enjoy so our only challenge is deciding where. I always recommend an Indian restaurant they’ve not visited before. For the most part we all have the buffet. That’s an easy choice at Naan & Dosa which usually has Elaine’s favorite (saag paneer) and always has Nader’s favorite (everything). They sometimes have choices I’ve never previously had–such as egg curry, hard-boiled eggs in a curry sauce. It’s all delicious! A visit to an Indian restaurant without my Kim means I’ve got to ferry home an order of tandoori chicken. Instead of plucking a few pieces from the buffet tray, Naan & Dosa prepared a tandoori chicken meal for royalty: leg, thigh and breast. My Kim loved it!
Naan & Dosa is an exemplar of the tremendous cuisines of North and South India. Both the naan and dosa are among the very best you’ll have anywhere. Whether you’re hoping to learn more about Indian cuisine or are intimately familiar with it, Naan & Dosa is an outstanding option.
Naan & Dosa
6501-B Wyoming Blvd, N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 797-4243
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 22 September 2023
1st VISIT: 25 June 2022
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 22
COST: $$
BEST BET: Jini Dosa, Naan, Madras Tomato Soup, Buffet
REVIEW #1290
Gil, I need to urge you to check out Royal Hyderabad. Naan & Dosa is a WONDERFUL addition to our culinary landscape and I take nothing away from your observations, I’ve deeply enjoyed the dosas, the flavors are especially homemade. Go get a curry at Royal Hyderabad. I’ll meet you there.
If you like fish, I recommend the Tandoori Fish. A white fish with a strong flavor and much spicier than the Tandoori Chicken (as offered in the buffet anyway.) Eaten together with the fresh grilled onions, it’s quite a burst of piquancy.
I would like to pose a question of what is kosher regarding sharing when some diners at the same table are eating from the buffet and some are ordering from the menu? My fish was ordered from the menu, yet I nibbled on the naan and dosa brought to the table for the buffet patrons. I also ate some idli brought from the buffet. Should I have ordered my own dosa and/or idli? It seemed innocent enough at the time as I was also sharing my entrée, but now I’m wondering if it was a breach of etiquette. One of the owners seemed to frown when she passed me, but she is always less than welcoming anyway so I wasn’t sure what to make of it. The gentleman that checked us out was very friendly and appreciative of the tip we added to the bill. All opinions welcome!
If there’s an Emily Post of Indian restaurant etiquette, I couldn’t find it. I’ve often pondered the propriety of partaking of naan from the buffet when ordering off the menu. As you observed, some restaurateurs don’t seem to mind. My advice would be to ask when you’re ordering off the menu. Invariably most servers will say yes–especially if the entree you request is more costly than a trip to the buffet.
I’ve posed your question to other bloggers in hopes one or more of them might actually have better advice than I do.
Hi Lynn G,
I thought I’d chime in with my two cents. The server’s expression could have nothing to do with your sharing some naan and dosa. I think it comes down to two things: 1) you spent more money ordering from the menu and 2) you shared your entrée. I wouldn’t worry about it. I think restaurateurs are just happy for your patronage.
Alas and my fifty-cents: when I catch my physiognomy in a mirror or reflective window…de pasada, of course…, I literally have to remind myself to smile. Fortunately, I’ve had the pleasure of finding some gals are apparently attracted to a dour/sour appearance and I don’t scare everyone off with my, for example, deep-set eyes…Fortunately, Antony came to my defense when he exhorted Ceasar as in: “Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. ANTONY: Fear him not, Caesar; he’s not dangerous.” Per my own personal and dining experience, I tend to side with Lynn.
Elsewise, it is so “neat”/upbeat…i.e. in what many fear today is a nefarious world…when an unknown Gal passes by in public and beams a friendly smile…for no apparent reason.
Perhaps be Polly Anish for a moment:
https://tinyurl.com/2s3vj7a9 and then https://tinyurl.com/2scev9mt
After reading your post and following the links, I proceeded to peruse the daily news headlines. (A habit I can not seem to stop, although it is often distressing.) True to form, I was assaulted by an ad for a movie previously unknown to me and quite opposite the positive spin in your redirects. Indeed once you see it maybe it is too late, but unfortunately you cannot unsee it. The only question remaining is, why. A smile should be a beautiful thing.
Aha…The Smile poster…How clevaah! using a body bag as a juxtaposed play on Jack’s ad-libbed “Heeere’s Johnny!” iconic bathroom-door ‘opening’! e.g. https://tinyurl.com/mrnkthpr Alas, I won’t be ‘contributing’ to the $200+ million ‘take’ @ a cost of only 17 million ‘make’ of the movie.
Elsewise…IMHO, we must not avoid the distressing headlines of the day…they being the reality in which we ‘exist’…consider running for office; getting…but now I’m getting astray…LOL
This restaurant certainly does justice to its name. The garlic naan and the dosas I enjoyed there today were the absolute best of any I have ever had, and I am no stranger to Indian cuisine. Admittedly this was only the second time I’ve eaten dosas. The first was at Curry Leaf. And it was good. These were the second, and they were, wow. Very different recipe. I couldn’t stop saying “wow” with every bite! Similarly my first bite of the garlic naan, straight from the kitchen to our table elicited another wow. So hot and fresh and garlicky. I wasn’t planning on eating from the buffet but when I espied Butter Chicken and Idly on offer, along with a couple of my other favorite dishes, I caved in. This was my first time enjoying idly and if there isn’t already a poem titled “Ode to a Dumpling,” I am tempted to write one. There are so many dishes on their menu that I am anxious to try; I will be counting the days until I can return. And dreaming of dosa.
Hey Gil, what a great review, and thanks for the shout-out for MyIndianStove! Now I have to go back to get the Jindi dosa which I missed seeing on the menu. Cheers, Alonna
Bawarchi Biryanis
Just north of Candelaria on Juan Tabo
https://www.bawarchinewmexico.com/
I rarely find a place before Gil knows about it, but apparently this restaurant just opened last week. Naan & Dosa and Curry Leaf (for starters) are stiff local competition, so it will be interesting to see what they bring to the table. I’m all for as many family restaurants of all cuisines in town, though I fear for their longevity in this time of rising prices and supply issues.
My friend Chris, a California native, tells me Bawarchi Biriyanis are “are out of the world good.” It’s a franchise concept he really loves.
Hi Gil, Thanks for all the great food reviews, but the story you publish here about the origins of the word “dosa” and “chutney” are just not true. They’re stories made up by a Twitter user called @peeleraja who has a cult following for making up fictional histories of different things in Indian culture. It comes up first on Google searches, but if you read the link more carefully, you’ll see that even there it’s described as made up. Maybe change that? There’s already enough ignorance out there about South Asians. Thank you.
Hello NI
Because there was no one definitive “origin” for the words which have become “dosa” and “chutney,” the third paragraph in my review includes the following “disclaimer:”
“There are a number of “origin” stories for dosa and chutney, but since culinary historians can’t agree on one definitive version, the raconteur in me hopes you enjoyed the one with which I introduced this review. Though consensus doesn’t exist as to the origin of dosa, one indisputable fact exists–dosa is one of the most popular of all Indian foods.”
The source for this information is a website called “The Socians.” The Socians website indicates “At The Socian, we give endeavours in getting facts and articles flawless to you but in this world of Internet misinformation and hype, sometimes we just don’t catch it all. This is where your precision opinion through the comments can be highly valuable if it’s missing some bits of information. So, do add insightful comments so that we can make The Socian a more interesting place and give the world a better insightful reading experience.
I could not find any indication that any of the information on this article has been made up.
Because the Indian culinary culture is so long and storied, it’s difficult to find agreement–even among culinary historians–on the origin of many of the older dishes. I have several Southwest Asian friends, colleagues and an intern who read my reviews. They would certainly point out any egregious errors or misrepresentations on my part. As always, I welcome your comments in my efforts to accurately represent culinary information.
Best,
Gil
My husband and I went this restaurant for lunch today. It was DELISH! The inside is pleasant and clean, and each table is laid out spaciously. The buffet selection satisfies both carnivores and herbivores. I liked especially tandoori chicken, pakora and a white veggie soupy thing. The only disappointing item is naan – I expected it to be fluffy and chewy, but it was more like a paper dry. For $14.99 per person, it is reasonable.
Living more southerly, we weren’t expecting to try Naan and Dosa since we live so close to Taj Majal which we love, and if Uptown will go to Curry Leaf. We’ve tried probably a dozen Indian restaurants in the area (a few of which are sadly no more) and in the end, we settled on one of those two at any time, depending on what style of Indian food we’re in the mood for.
Well, one day we were up north for another reason and stopped in. Were were thrilled with the detour! Naan and Dosa was a hit, and another three visits later, it has now solidified as one of our “big three.”
Thank you for the Curry Leaf connection, as I was unaware, but now that you mention it, it makes perfect sense as both places have high quality food and gracious service. The food at Naan and Dosa isn’t as spicy as at Curry Leaf though, which was disappointing at first, but they make up for it with truly sublime spice blends where diverse but holistic flavors calmly burst through.
We always leave there with goofy smiles on our faces.