South Indian · Breakfast
Adai (Tamil mixed lentil dosa)
Adai is a thick, crisp dosa from Tamil Nadu made with rice and a mix of lentils, ground coarsely with red chillies, ginger and asafoetida. It is filling and full of protein, and the batter can be cooked right after grinding, with no fermentation. Chopped onion and curry leaves add crunch and flavour.
- Prep15 min
- Cook35 min
- Waiting3 h
- Servings5
- Total3 h 50 min · Per serving≈340 kcal
Ingredients
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Method
Waiting: Soaking rice and lentils (3 h)
- Rinse the rice and all the dals together. Soak them in plenty of water with the red chillies for 3 hours.
- Drain and grind with the ginger, asafoetida, salt and about 1 cup water to a slightly coarse, thick batter, like fine semolina in texture.
- Stir in the chopped onion and curry leaves. The batter can be cooked straight away.
- Heat a tawa over medium heat and grease it lightly. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it into a round slightly thicker than a regular dosa.
- Make a small hole in the centre with the ladle tip. Drizzle 1 tsp oil around the edge and a few drops into the hole.
- Cook for 3–4 minutes until the underside is deep golden and crisp. Flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes, adding a little more oil.
- Serve hot, and repeat with the remaining batter.
About this dish
Adai, also called adai dosai in Tamil, is a traditional breakfast and evening tiffin in Tamil Nadu, especially in Tamil Brahmin homes. Its best-known pairing is avial, a coconut and yogurt vegetable dish, along with a piece of jaggery and white butter. Cooks make a small hole in the middle of each adai so it cooks evenly and crisps up right through.
The batter is ground coarse rather than smooth, which gives adai its rustic texture and crunchy edges. The usual lentils are chana dal, toor dal, urad dal and moong dal, but the mix is flexible. Some families add drumstick leaves, grated coconut or shallots. A related Kerala dish, adai pradhaman, is a sweet payasam made with rice flakes, not this dosa.
Tips
- Cook adai on medium heat, not high; the thicker batter needs time to cook through and crisp up.
- Grind coarse for crisp adai; a very smooth batter makes it soft and chewy.
- For a fuller flavour, rest the ground batter for 1–2 hours before cooking.
Serve with
Serve hot with avial, a piece of jaggery and butter, or with coconut chutney.
Goes well with: Coconut Chutney, Tomato Chutney
