Some restaurant secrets are about ingredients. Malgudi’s is about equipment, specifically, a 500 kg tawa so massive it needed a crane just to get into the kitchen. Shankar Mahadevan takes host Bianca Saurastri into Malgudi’s kitchen to reveal exactly what goes into the restaurant’s most talked-about dish in our latest In Your Neighbourhood episode, Curly Tales Middle East.
The 500-Kg Tawa Reveal By Shankar Mahadevan At Malgudi, Dubai
Right at the start of our latest In Your Neighbourhood episode, Shankar Mahadevan opens with a question for viewers: “Do you know how much this weighs? 500 kilos. You need a crane to get this inside here.” He’s talking about the tawa used to make Malgudi’s benne dosa, and it sets the tone for an episode that’s less about celebrity name-dropping and more about an actual hands-on food obsession.
Inside the kitchen, Shankar puts host Bianca Saurastri to work as his “assistant”, walking her through the process step by step. The scale of the tawa isn’t just for show. According to Shankar, the secret to getting the benne dosa right comes down to “experience and doing it again and again and again”, alongside his head chef, whom he refers to simply as Chef Riyaz.
Not Just A Face, But A Curator
What separates Shankar’s involvement from typical celebrity branding is how specific his knowledge of the menu actually is. “I’m not a brand ambassador at all,” he says plainly. “I’m part of the restaurant as much as these boys are, as much as the kitchen, the chef is… because I know how much salt is in the chutney and I know how much spice is there in the sambar.”
That level of involvement extends to the benne dosa itself, right down to the butter application. In the video, Shankar personally instructs the team not to “leave any white spot” while applying ghee podi to the thatte idli, at one point telling Bianca to “take the ghee and paint it red,”.
Why The Tawa Matters
Talking through the Mulbagal Dosa as well, Shankar makes a point of noting that it’s the tawa and specific technique, more than the recipe itself, that make Malgudi’s dosas hard to replicate elsewhere. “I don’t think this dosa is available anywhere,” he says, “it’s not that complicated, but the tawa is different, the way it’s made is different.”
For a restaurant that’s already drawing queues of people waiting in 50°C heat for a dosa, the equipment clearly isn’t incidental; it’s the whole point.
Cover Image Courtesy: Internal
For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.
FAQs
What makes Malgudi's Mulbagal Dosa unique?
According to Shankar Mahadevan, it's the specific tawa and preparation technique, more than the recipe itself, that makes the dosa hard to find elsewhere.
Who helps Shankar Mahadevan in the Malgudi kitchen?
He works alongside Chef Riyaz, who he credits for perfecting the benne dosa through repeated practice.
How much does Malgudi's benne dosa tawa weigh?
The tawa weighs 500 kilograms and had to be installed using a crane.
