#100 Favorite Dishes 2015: Chettinad Dosai at Woodlands Vegetarian South Indian Kitchen

This year we're marking the hundred-day countdown to Best of Phoenix 2015 by sharing some of our favorite dishes at restaurants all over the Valley. Have a suggestion for a dish you'd like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email lauren.saria@newtimes.com.

48. Chettinad Dosai at Woodlands Vegetarian South Indian Kitchen

I f the folks behind the counter at Woodlands Vegetarian South Indian Kitchen think you're a first-time diner and you try to order the Chettinad Dosai, they're probably going to try to dissuade you. "It's spicy," the man behind the register warned me on my most recent visit. "Do you like spicy food?" he pressed, even after I'd said it was okay.

To be fair, it is a pretty spicy meal. The dosa is a staple dish in South India, an extra-crispy crepe made with rice and lentil batter. It can be stuffed with any number of ingredients at the Chandler restaurant and, in the case of Chettinad dosa, the filling includes onion, cauliflower, tomato, and Chettinadu spice.

That last ingredient is what makes this dish so hot. Chettinad cuisine comes from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India and is known for being spicy and extra aromatic. The flavor of the vegetables is both pungent and rich, and can be complemented nicely by any one of chutneys provided by the restaurant's free chutney bar.

The 100 Favorite Dishes so far. .

98. Beef Roll at Taiwan Food Express

97.  Zinc Burger at Zinc Bistro