[Review] Madina Desi, Mary Street, Dublin 1

Today's post will be a short one. But it does feature a little restaurant that I love to visit time and time again. It's affordable, tasty and authentic. And in a city full of Indian restaurants, Madina Desi is one of the very few that I know of which serves Indian street food dishes. 

My first favourite dish is the humble dosa. Hailing from the south of India, a dosa is a light, semi-crispy pancake made from a fermented batter, often using rice or black gram. It's considered to be a pretty healthy option due to the increased protein content and the extra vitamins produced by the fermentation. Health benefits aside, it's a satisfying snack, pulled apart piece by piece, dipping each piece into the accompanying sambar and coconut chutney (€7.95). 

The basic dosa served with sambar and coconut chutney

Other variations of dosa are also available, all cooked on the large flat grill and finished off with a variety of fillings. When I'm in the mood for something more substantial, I choose the masala dosa, filled with mashed potatoes, flavoured with mustard seeds and other spices (€8.95).

Another favourite snack is golgappa, or pani puri (€5.50). These little bites consist of a crisp puri (a form of unleavened bread), which has puffed up as a result of being fried. They come filled with a blend of tamarind, chaat masala (spiced potato mix), onion and chickpeas. The finishing touch comes in the form of golgappa water, which is poured into the puri before popping into your mouth and letting the flavours take over.

Golgappa or pani puri

So there you have it. Simple but tasty. And if you know of any other restaurants in Dublin that make dosa or golgappa, please let me know!

Madina Desi, 60 Mary Street, Dublin 1
Tel: +353 (0)1 872 6007
URL: www.madina.ie
Twitter: @madinadesi
Instagram: @madinadesicurry