Adai
Multi-lentil rice crepe — raw rice, toor dal, chana dal, and urad dal soaked together for four hours, ground coarsely with dried red chilli, asafoetida, and curry leaves into a thick, rough batter unlike the smooth idli-dosai batter, poured onto a hot tawa in a thick disc and cooked in sesame oil on both sides until the exterior is crisp-edged and nutty while the interior remains soft and slightly dense. The adai is the protein-dense alternative to the plain rice dosai; it is eaten for dinner as well as breakfast, traditionally with aviyal or white butter and jaggery (the combination of hot crispy adai with cold white butter and dark jaggery is considered one of the most satisfying Tamil food experiences). The coarse grind means the adai has a distinct grainy interior texture.
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Recipe
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 | dried red chilies |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | black peppercorns |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | carrot, grated |
| 1/4 cup | curry leaves, chopped |
| 1/4 cup | coriander leaves, chopped |
| 1 teaspoon | asafoetida |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 2 tablespoons | oil |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the rice and all the dals together in water for at least 2 hours.
- 2 Drain the soaked rice and dals, and grind them with red chilies, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns to a coarse batter, adding water as needed.
- 3 Transfer the batter to a bowl and mix in the chopped onion, grated carrot, curry leaves, coriander leaves, asafoetida, and salt.
- 4 Heat a tawa or non-stick skillet over medium heat and grease it lightly with oil.
- 5 Pour a ladleful of batter onto the tawa and spread it into a thick circle.
- 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 also golden brown.
- 8 Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.
- 9 Serve hot with coconut chutney or jaggery.
Tips
For a spicier adai, increase the number of red chilies. You can also add finely chopped spinach or cabbage for additional nutrition.