I had a gigantic dosa at Hull's new Sri Lankan restaurant and it made my week

If you consider yourself a fan of spicy foods but you've never had the pleasure of eating a dosa, I pity you.

A dosa is a savoury pancake made from a batter of ground lentils and rice. But comparing it to pancakes is a bit like comparing lard to freshly whipped butter - the dosa is on another level.

Straight out of the pan, they’re alluringly crispy on the outside but melt-in-your-mouth fluffy on the inside. They are often flavoured with delicate fenugreek and are one of the most popular street foods in south India and Sri Lanka.

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A dosa is one of my all-time favourite foods and it's what I have missed the most after leaving my hometown some 12 years ago. I have spent many sad nights in Googling the words "dosa" and "Hull".

You can imagine how happy I was then, when one day I hit the jackpot and Ceylon Kitchen in Holderness Road popped up on my map. The Sri Lankan restaurant and takeaway opened about two months ago and serves a range of authentic meals.

I ordered a masala dosa - it is stuffed with a delicious spiced potato mix and rolled up like some incredible 2ft-long cigar. You tear off chunks of this delicious crepe and dip it into coconut chutney.

The dosa at Ceylon Kitchen absolutely hit the spot. It was flawless, fried to a deep golden colour and caramelised to perfection. There is also a tureen of a hearty curry on the side, which I also regularly dipped my dosa into.

The potato filling was incredibly moreish and I devoured both pancakes like I hadn't eaten for days. I love coconut chutney and, as an accompaniment to spicy potatoes, it just works.

Next up was dessert. My second weakness after a good masala dosa is the Sri Lankan custard pudding known as Watalappam. In England, it's quite common to spice egg custard tarts with just a hint of nutmeg to enhance the flavour.

But in the beautiful Watalappam, you also have cardamom, cloves, sweet jaggery and cashew nuts. I eagerly waited for it and wondered if my expectations could be set too high.

Happily, my Watalappam was as gorgeous as the one I remembered from many years ago. It was truly decadent and I felt like a king. The ambience in the restaurant could be a little more cosy, but I can't wait to take my family here.