Adai
Veg
Vegan
Thick, unfermented multi-lentil and rice crepe — a batter of raw rice, toor dal, chana dal, and urad dal ground together with dried red chilli, curry leaves, and shallots, spread thickly on a tawa and cooked in sesame oil. Denser and nuttier than dosai, with a characteristic crispy, lacy edge and soft centre. Eaten with aviyal or coconut chutney.
Cuisines
Chettinad
Tamil Brahmin
Kongunadu
Madras
Best for
Breakfast
Lunch
Recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | raw rice |
| 1/4 cup | toor dal |
| 1/4 cup | chana dal |
| 1/4 cup | urad dal |
| 1/4 cup | moong dal |
| 4 tablespoons | grated coconut |
| 4 | dried red chilies |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | asafoetida |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 cup | water |
| 2 tablespoons | oil |
| 1 cup | chopped onions |
| 1/4 cup | curry leaves |
| 1/4 cup | chopped coriander leaves |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the rice and all dals together in water for at least 2 hours.
- 2 Drain the soaked rice and dals. Grind them with red chilies, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and salt into a coarse batter, adding water as needed.
- 3 Mix in the grated coconut, chopped onions, curry leaves, and coriander leaves into the batter.
- 4 Heat a tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat and grease it lightly with oil.
- 5 Pour a ladleful of batter onto the tawa and spread it in a circular motion to form a thick pancake.
- 6 Drizzle a little oil around the edges and cook until the bottom is golden brown.
- 7 Flip the adai and cook the other side until it is golden and cooked through.
- 8 Repeat with the remaining batter, serving hot with chutney or sambar.
Tips
For a spicier adai, increase the number of red chilies. You can also add finely chopped vegetables like spinach or grated carrots to the batter for added nutrition.