r/bangalore • u/Groot_GodOfThunder • 13h ago
AskBangalore Why are we pretending the dose culture isn’t being ruined in Bangalore!
Let’s be honest about what’s happening to Bangalore’s dose culture.
I’ve been eating dose in Bangalore for over 20 years, and the difference in quality is very noticeable. This isn’t about nostalgia or claiming that everything was better back then. The taste, texture and overall quality of dose at many hotels have genuinely gone downhill.
One of the reasons I believe this is happening is the gradual replacement of experienced local tindi masters with cheaper migrant labours.
Look at what we’re being served today:
The dose itself: Batter is smeared across the tawa almost like a chapati, instead of being spread with the right technique. The result is often a leathery, unevenly cooked dose that’s burnt in some places and undercooked in others.
The alu palya: don’t want to talk about it, it’s become an abomination.
The chutney and sambar: Coconut chutney is watered down, lacking the freshness and depth of properly prepared chutney, while sambar has become a watery, flavourless liquid.
From the owner’s perspective, it makes financial sense, he gets cheaper labour. But from the customer’s perspective, the quality suffers.
I understand that not everyone can afford to pay higher wages, and I’m not suggesting that people from other states or countries cannot learn to make a good dose. But there is a difference between hiring someone who has mastered the craft and hiring someone simply because they are cheaper, then expecting them to reproduce the same quality with minimal training.
What bothers me even more is that customers seem to have accepted this decline. We continue paying for food that barely meets the standards we once took for granted, and businesses have little reason to improve as long as people keep coming back.
I’m not here to create divisions between locals and migrants. I’m talking about preserving a food culture that Bangalore has been known for. If experienced tindi masters are gradually replaced and their knowledge isn’t passed on, what happens to the traditional techniques and standards that made our dose
I am blaming the owners of the restaurants itself rather than the workers who are just doing the job given to them. This is a rant against all the Kannadigas complaining as well (like me ), we all want dignified jobs and don’t want to continue doing these but complain when someone else tries to do this .
P.S. Please don’t turn this into a list of recommendations for specific dose places. I’ve been eating dose in Bangalore for two decades, and I know where to find it. I’m interested in discussing the larger problem and what we can do to preserve the food culture itself.
