When the waiter in a Canberra Indian eatery asked me if I wanted my dosa “soft or crisp”, it took me a moment to consider. It was a question I had not been asked before. I queried him about it, and he said, “People are fussy about their dosa and complain otherwise”. I have eaten dosa all across south India: soft-thick ones in Mysuru and Bengaluru; thin and crisp in Udupi, Chennai, Rameswaram, and from the 66 different types at Pai Brothers in Ernakulam. In Delhi, my second home, Chidambaram and Karnataka Food Centre are my go-to for what I consider the ‘best’ dosa in town, but I am not finnicky about ‘soft or crisp’. I love dosa any way they come and often, when eating one, think “whoever invented this is a genius”. the melanger’s Indian origins
Despite my musings, it is doubtful the dosa was the brainchild of a singular cook. With at least a 1500-year history in India it likely emerged from collective innovation. However, there is an identifiable individual who invented a machine that modernised dosa production, and this same piece of equipment, intended to produce an ancient food, has been integral to the development of the contemporary global artisanal chocolate movement.
Inventing the dosa batter grinder
Two processes are key to making dosa: grinding rice and dal to a thick fluffy batter and leaving it to ferment overnight. The fermentation produces its delectable ‘sour’ flavour and is naturally catalysed by the ambient environment, but the grinding of the constituent cereals required manual labour with a weighty stone mortar and pestle. In a traditional south Indian household grinding dosa batter was women’s daily work (no need for these ladies to go to the gym). In 1955, P. Sabapathy of Coimbatore was reportedly denied his breakfast dosa because his mother had a sore back, rendering her unable to grind the requisite batter. This critical culinary situation inspired him to invent a motorised grinder. In 1963 fellow Coimbatorean, P.B Krishnamurty, began commercial manufacture of electric dosa grinders there. the melanger’s Indian origins
There was resistance to this innovation; people decried the taste of machine ground dosa, declaring those made with hand-ground batter superior. This may have been true, but the electric grinder saved women hours of work. It soon became a coveted kitchen item, an essential wedding gift for southern brides, with its production centred in its city of origin, becoming known as the ‘Coimbatore wet grinder’ (later simply ‘grinder’).
In 2011, when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa promised a free grinder for every household in her constituency it sent the industry into panic. It was not considered possible to produce the numbers required so quickly, despite hundreds of manufacturers operating in Coimbatore, still the capacity to supply the pledged machines was built. Other politicos continued to hand out grinders, until one day every household in the state had one, some more than one. Demand fell. The grinder industry now had an oversupply and needed to find new markets, but one came to them. the melanger’s Indian origins
Extending the concept to chocolate
European chocolate makers had recognised the grinder’s potential for small batch production, albeit with some adaptations. As it was, the grinder could only safely operate for the short time required to prepare dosa batter, but cacao beans need 24-48 hours of continuous grinding to achieve the smooth mouthfeel of chocolate. This necessitated the development of a motor with greater capacity, along with a gear box to allow different speeds and tensions to be applied to the beans. With these modifications the grinder took on a new name, the ‘melanger,’ and a new role as a key instrument in the booming global craft chocolate industry, as these are affordable, easier to clean and operate, and foster experimentation. Coimbatore remains the centre of manufacture of grinders, aka melangers, exporting these across the world.
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The melanger’s role in shaping India’s chocolate revolution
Naturally, India’s artisan chocolatiers use the indigenous grinder technology that has been eagerly adopted by their international fellows. Their products are also beginning to stand out on the world stage. At the 2024 International Chocolate Awards Kerala-based Paul & Mike won gold for their chocolate coated salted capers – the cacao from the Western Ghats, the capers from Thoothukadi. I like their desi flavoured bars such as gin and ginger, Alphonso mango and jamun, which have also won international awards. Hyderabad’s Manam won 11 medals at the same 2024 awards including three for its Indian-origin tablets and one flavoured with local Chakkarakeli banana. Both brands have won awards in previous years, along with a growing coterie of Indian chocolate makers including Kocoatrait, La Folie and Bon Ton. Classic Indian chocolate confectionary such as Five Star and Nutties are available in Australia, but I haven’t seen any of her contemporary artisan chocolate here as yet. So, stock up on it on your next trip to India to bring back to share with, and wow your family and friends. the melanger’s Indian origins
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