Joy Godfrey
Farmers Market uttapam cooked with seasonal vegetables
>> READ MORE: 2019-2020 Restaurant Guide >>
Paper Dosa is a distinctive experience, in part, because owners Paulraj Karuppasamy and Nellie Tichsler have elevated South Indian cuisine on their menu. Also, they do it extremely well. That means lots of lentils and stews, and spices that are often refreshingly different from the North Indian fare that dominates "Indian food" in America. A dosa, the namesake dish, is a giant crêpe-like pancake made from a fermented, lentil-based batter. Here, it can be filled with ingredients from Indian to Italian to French and New Mexican. The classic ($10.50) is a good place to start. Uttapam are similar, but thicker and smaller with the ingredients baked in. The prawn moilee ($18) is a thin curry stew in which flash-fried shrimp are immersed, quickly taking on the rich flavors. The inspired watermelon and paneer salad ($11) is among Santa Fe's best and features warm chunks of Indian cheese and cool cubes of watermelon tossed in a slightly spicy dressing with spinach and sprouted mung beans. Dessert has nods to local faves paletas ($4) and La Lecheria's coconut sorbet ($8). The wife-husband pair have carved out what's fast becoming a Santa Fe institution and you'd do well to try it. Many dishes are or can be prepared vegan. And though the always-lively space off Cordova Road fills up fast on weekend nights, smaller parties can often find space at the bar.
551 W Cordova Road, 930-5521
Dinner Tuesday-Sunday
paper-dosa.com
