Adai
The tasty Adai (Dosa or Pancake) is made with varieties of dals, rice and spices and is a wholesome meal by itself.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Soaking time 3 hours
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
Adai batter
- 1 ½ cup Parboiled/ regular rice
- ¾ cup Chana dal
- ½ cup Toor dal
- ¼ cup Urad dal
- 3 Red chilies
- ½ tbsp Fennel seeds
Other ingredients
- 2 cups Shallots/ onion
- 2 Green chilies
- 1/2 inch Ginger
- 1 twig Curry leaves
- 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
- ½ cup Coconut fresh, scraped
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- Hing to taste
- Salt to taste
- Oil
Instructions
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Wash and soak parboiled rice, chana dal, toor dal and urad dal for 2 to 3 hours.
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Add red chilies, fennel seeds and salt to the soaked ingredients grind to a slightly thick and coarse batter in a wet grinder or mixie.
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To the batter add chopped onions (shallots will be more tastier), green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves, scraped coconut, chili powder and turmeric powder; mix well, check/ adjust salt level.
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Grease a dosa pan with 1/2 tbsp. oil and spread the batter into a slightly thicker consistency. Poke 4 or 5 holes in the adai using fingers or wooden spatula (see recipe photo). Pour oil around the edges and inside each hole. Wait for about 2 to 3 mins and once it is browned at the bottom, flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 mins. Flip few times to get consistent crispy browning on both sides.
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Enjoy as such, or with coconut chutney, avial, jaggery or butter. I even like this as a side dish for sambar rice.
Recipe Notes
- You have to cook in medium heat (slow cooking) to get crispy adais.
- The holes in the adais help make the adai cripier throughout. I learned this technique from my mother-in-law.
- If you are an onion/ green chili lover (like me), you can add even more of them and enjoy.
- I have skipped black eyed peas and moong dal (from my grandpa’s recipe) in this version. You can add ¼ cup each of black eyed peas and moong dal if you want.
- You can tweak this recipe (adjusting ratio of rice, various dals) in numerous ways and enjoy unique tasting adais each time.
- Reheating instructions: the leftovers tend to become soggy; can be reheated in bread toaster or oven or even dosa pan to get the crispiness back. Microwaving tends to make them more soggier.
- Best if you have a filter coffee or ginger tea to go with it.