Adai | Adai Dosa

Adai is a traditional & popular South Indian crepe made using a combination of dals, rice & chillies. Adai is a tasty alternate to idli & dosa and is commonly relished with avial, coconut chutney & jaggery. Adai Recipe is explained in this post with step by step pictures and video.

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Adai Recipe is easy to make but takes little bit of effort & time to prepare the batter & make adai. Adai means thick / dense in Tamil – from which the name had originated. Adai is a protein packed breakfast recipe, I’ve shared a recipe with which you can make both Adai and Adai Dosa, do try out and enjoy!

About Adai

Adai is thick, flat, round crepe prepared by grinding dal, rice, spices, onion into a batter and then cooking it on a dosa pan like uttapam. Adai is prepared for breakfast or dinner with avial, coconut chutney, jaggery, butter as side dish. Adai is healthy as it is protein & nutrient rich with different dals like toor, urad, moong & chana dal.

Most restaurants serve adai with aviyal but I havent tasted that combination. To me adai with coconut chutney is the best combo with little sugar….hmmm heavenly! It is protein packed wholesome for breakfast/dinner. You can check out oats adai for an alternate.

Adai needs no fermentation so it is instant just soaking takes time, once the batter is ready you can make adai immediately.

Adai Batter

Adai Batter is prepared with various proportion of dal & spices in different regions. This proportion for Adai is from ammas recipe book which I am following for years now and it is our family favourite.

Adding small onion is usual for adai but adding garlic makes adai very flavourful adn tasty so do try and let me know.

Is Adai & Adai Dosa different?

Adai and Adai Dosa are same basically. However the thickness of it makes the difference. Adai is usually made thick but Adai dosa is made thin more like dosa. Both tastes good in its own way. I love thick version of adai but kids love the crispy thin version. I have given a batter with which you can make both Adai and Adai Dosa.

I can have adai(adai dosa) even daily, I love it so much. This version amma makes – the dosa style is my fav not to thick not too thin.

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Adai – Which one do you prefer ?

Adai gets yellow colour & mild taste with the addition of turmeric powder and with the addition of 2-3 red chillies. In Brahmin style of making Adai, turmeric powder is skipped and the adai is made spicier with 12-15 red chillies. This gives reddish tint to Adai and is called Urappadai meaning “Hot adai”. Both the Adai are equally good and are must try at homes.

Adai & Murungai Keerai Adai Adai is made extra healthier with the addition of Drumstick leaves or murungai keerai (in Tamil). 1 cup of Drumstick leaves is sauteed till it shrinks & the raw smell leaves and are added to the batter to make Murungai Keerai Adai. This is a tasty way of adding greens in your diet!

Adai Ingredients

• Dal : Toor Dal, Urad Dal, Chana Dal & Moong Dal is used in this recipe. You can replace any of the dal with other dal if you do not have stock. Also you can skip urad dal or any of the dal & add masoor dal in its place. Soaking 2-3 hrs along with rice is needed for getting perfect adai both texture and tastewise!
• Rice : Idli Rice, Raw rice is used in this recipe. You can alternate the entire quantity with Idli rice or parboiled rice.
• Spices : Turmeric powder is added for medicinal value & colour, red chilles for spiciness, hing, fennel seeds & garlic are added for digestion and flavours. You can add a little amount of crushed ginger additionally.
• Basic Veggies : Big onion chopped fine, curry leaves, coriander leaves are used in this recipe.

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📖 Recipe

Adai Step by Step

1. To a mixing bowl add 3/4 cup raw rice, 3/4 cup idli rice, 1/4 cup chana dal, 1/4 cup toor dal, 2 tbsp moong dal and 1/4 cup urad dal.

2.Soak in water till immersing level for 3 hrs atleast minimum.

3.Keep covered and undisturbed.

4.After 3 hours rice and dal must have been soaked well.

5.Now rinse it well atleast twice then drain water completely.

6.Add it to a mixer jar along with 1 and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds and 6 red chillies, 1/2 tsp ginger along with required salt.

7.Add water little by little to grind.

8.Grind it to a thick slightly coarse batter. It should be flowing but thick kind of idli batter consistency. Also you should feel the rice and dal texture while touching the batter it should be slightly coarse as shown below.

9.Transfer batter to the mixing bowl, rinse mixer with 1/2 cup water and add it.

10.Mix this well first. Add water if needed.

11.Add 3/4 cup onion, 1/4 cup garlic, 2 tbsp curry leaves, 2 tbsp coriander leaves, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and required salt. We have already added salt while grinding so add accordingly.

12.Mix it well. Adai batter is ready.

13.Heat dosa tawa – pour 2 laddles and spread it slightly thick.

14.You can either cook covered or cook it open. Drizzle oil generously.

15.Once the edges start to turn golden and the top looks cooked, you can flip over.

16.Flip over to cook other side.

17.Slightly press it with a laddle.

18.Once both the sides are cooked turn over and remove.

19.To make Adai Dosa : Heat dosa tawa pour 2 laddles of batter and spread it slightly thin like shown. If the batter is too thick to spread sprinkle little water to the batter and then make adai dosa.

20.Spread it slightly thin.

21.Drizzle oil and cook until it turns golden.

22.Flip over and press slightly cook for 2 mins.

23.Flip over fold and serve!

Expert Tips

• If you want adai to be more spicy, add 5 more red chillies while grinding.
• Grind it coarsely not too smooth. Once the batter is ready after grinding, fermentation is not needed like Idli / Dosa batter. You can make adai right away.
• This batter helps in making both thick Adai and thin Adai Dosa.
• Incase if you want to make only thick adai you can grind the batter little more coarse but it will be tough to spread easily just pat it with laddle.
• Make sure not to grind the batter fine the adai will turn out hard. Adai batter is meant to be slightly coarse to get perfefct crisp textured adai.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

Serve hot Adai with avial, coconut chutney, jaggery, butter, idli podi as side dish!

For later use, store the batter in refrigerator & it keeps good till next day. I usually grind Adai batter in the noon to make it for dinner and keep the remaining batter for next day use (keeping it refrigerated).

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FAQS

1.What is Adai?

Adai is a thick, flat, round crepe prepared by grinding dal, rice, spices, onion into a batter and then cooking it on a dosa pan like uttapam. Adai is prepared for breakfast or dinner with avial, coconut chutney, jaggery, butter, idli podi as side dish.

2.How to make Adai?

• Soak the rice & dal in water and rest for at least 2-3 hours
• Grind it together with red chillies,ginger, salt and fennel seeds to a coarse paste.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, hing, onion, garlic,curry leaves & coriander leaves and mix well.
• Heat the dosa pan, take 1-2 ladle full and spread the batter as we do for dosa. Drizzle little oil and once it is cooked turn to other side and cook till golden brown.
• Adai is ready – serve it hot! with butter, jaggery or coconut chutney.

3.What type of pan is best for making adai?

With no doubt iron dosa tawa is best for making adai crisp and tasty however you can make adai in a nonstick tawa too.

4.My Adai is not spreading & forms into lumps – What can I do?

If your batter is too thick, it may not spread evenly and tend to form odd shapes. Add little bit of water to make it slightly thicker than dosa batter consistency & try.

5.Can Adai batter be stored / freezed?

Adai batter can be stored in fridge and can be used for 2 days but fresh batter always tastes best. I would not suggest the batter to be freezed, you can refrigerate and use.