Fractions of a dosa

In your book, Maths Mela (Chapter 5), Karan makes dosas in a special way: one dosa can have different toppings, as the customer chooses. The toppings are classic potato, spicy onion, chilli paneer and tangy tomato. On one dosa he puts all four, each on 1/4 of the dosa.

Karan cuts a dosa into equal slices. One dosa is cut into 6 equal slices. 4 slices have chilli paneer and 2 slices have classic potato. Chilli paneer covers 4 of the 6 equal slices: 4/6 of the dosa. Classic potato covers 2 of the 6: 2/6. Together, 4/6 + 2/6 = 6/6, the whole dosa.

Another dosa is cut into 8 equal slices: 4 slices of spicy onion and 4 slices of tangy tomato. Each topping covers 4/8 of the dosa. Always count ALL the slices first; that number goes at the bottom.

Now you can make dosas to order. A customer wants 2/3 spicy onion and 1/3 classic potato: cut the dosa into 3 equal slices, put onion on 2 and potato on 1. Another wants 3/8 classic potato, 1/8 chilli paneer and 4/8 tangy tomato: cut 8 equal slices, and 3 + 1 + 4 = 8 slices fill the dosa.