Not anyone has visited South India without trying a Masala Dosa, and we celebrate this iconic dish with a fun Paper Masala Dosa Craft that kids can put together in no time!

India is a land of varied cuisines, and while each region has it’s own set of delicacies, there’s something to be said about South Indian food. The fermented dishes, with that nutty aroma and fresh vegetables – yum!!

The most popular dishes are probably idlis – soft fluffy steamed rice cakes, and dosas – fermented, crispy pancakes. There are so many kinds of idlis and dosas, but ask any Indian and you’ll see that the maximum votes go to the Masala Dosa!

This is one mouth watering dish that you simply cannot afford to miss! If you’ve already tried it, you know what I’m talking about. Living in Bangalore gives me an extra advantage, with so many restaurants around. However, we’ve got something that you can make wherever you live – a paper masala dosa craft – one that looks as good as the real thing!

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Pretend Play Food – Paper Masala Dosa Craft

Materials Required:

Craft paper in green, brown
Thick white textured paper
Crepe paper in white, red and orange
Green pom poms (small)
Yellow pom poms (large and small)
Colored Markers
Scissors
Glue

How to make Masala Dosa Paper Craft for Kids:

1. Let’s get our leaf platter ready, so that once the masala dosa is done, we don’t waste any time! Use a slightly darker green color paper for the banana leaf, and cut out a leaf shape that is long, without being too symmetrical.

2. Now, add details to our leaf to make it look like the real thing. Banana leaves have a stiff central ‘spine’, which you can replicate by folding the leaf in half vertically, and then reinforcing the central fold line with pencil. Use colored markers to add veins and borders.

3. Let’s get on to the main star of the dish – the dosa! The dosa for a masala dosa is roasted till crisp and brown, which is why we use brown craft paper. Cut out a rough circle from brown paper, and give the edges a jagged, crisped-out look. Use colored markers, pencils and more to add fried spots to the dosa – dosas have lots of texture!

4. When making a masala dosa, the chef places the masala along the center of the dosa and folds it from either side. However, we’re going to do things a little differently today! We’re going to fold first, and stuff later. Place the dosa, crispy brown side down, and fold towards the center gently, making a cylinder. Glue to keep the shape.

5. Gather the filling, which in this case is going to be cooked potato in the form of yellow pom poms and peas represented by green pom poms. Stuff a mix of the pom poms at either end of the rolled dosa, gluing everything in place.

6. Just like the dosa, the idli is another iconic South Indian delicacy, and they’re often had with the same accompaniments. Let’s have some idlis too for our craft, by cutting out white circles from textured paper.

7. We’re almost done! All that’s left now are some delicious chutneys. There is a huge variety of chutneys in South India, made from red/green chillies, coconut, ginger, garlic and pretty much any other ingredient! Cut out thin strips from crepe paper to resemble a yummy chutney.

8. Okay, everything’s set – time to assemble! The arrangement of food on the banana leaf is a big part of South Indian meals, and we’re going to respect that here too! Place the masala dosa first, giving it prime focus and not cluttering it with anything else. Place the idlis together and arrange the chutneys side by side.

I am this close to salivating over my keyboard – this paper masala dosa craft is so tempting! This craft is ideal for children who are just starting out on scissor skills. You don’t need perfect shapes for anything, and the kids can try snipping different kinds of paper and see how easy or difficult each one feels. So while you’re sitting there and cutting away, please excuse me – I’m off to find the nearest South Indian restaurant for a mouth watering masala dosa!