Adai is a traditional south indian breakfast dish often served with aviyal. Its so easy to make and rich in protein and doesn’t even need fermentation and can be made the same day. Though typically served as breakfast, at our home we have it dinner too. I usually soak the rice & dal in the morning and when i get back, grind and make it instantly and so so life save for busy weekdays.
You can make it with either plain raw rice or idli rice or combi of both mixed with array of dals of your choice. Make it much more healthy but sneaking in millets or brown rice or quinoa…. the possibilities being endless. Here is the traditional recipe with rice and dal that i make often at home, hope you all like it!
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| Ingredients for the batter | |
| Rice (idli rice / parboiled / pachai arisi / raw rice) | 1 cup (You can use 1/2 idli rice 1/2 raw rice) |
| Tuvar dal / Thuvaram paruppu | 1/4 cup |
| Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu | 1/4 cup |
| Yellow moong / Paasi paruppu | 1/4 cup |
| Black gram / Ulutham paruppu | 1/4 cup |
| Dry Red chilies | 4 |
| Ingredients for the adai | |
| Onion | 1/2 cup (finely chopped) |
| Green chili | 1 (finely chopped) (optional) |
| Ginger | 1 teaspoon (finely chopped) |
| Cumin seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Fresh grated coconut | 2 tablespoons |
| Asafoetida / perungayam | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Coriander leaves | 1/4 cup (finely chopped) |
| Curry leaves | 10 leaves (chopped) |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon (or to taste) |
| Oil | as needed (for making dosa) |
Lets see how to make this Adai
Grind the dry red chillies to coarse powder in a mixer.
Pulse a few times to powder them lightly.
Add soaked rice and grind adding little water.
Rice takes little longer to grind, thats why we grind that separate until it turns like a light rava consistency.
Now add the soaked dal and grind using little water.
We want to grind this to a coarse texture.
The consistency should look slightly thicker than idli dosa batter. (This batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days)
When you ready to make it, add in chopped onion, ginger, green chili, cumin, grated coconut, coriander leaves, curry leaves, asafoetida and salt. Add little water to make a thick batter.
Scoop a ladle full of this batter and pour on a hot iron tawa or dosai kal and slightly pat or swirl to form a circular pan cake. You can make it thick or thin depending on your preference. We at home like it thick, hence a smaller one like shown above.
Add some oil around and cook over medium flame.
Cover it for a few seconds to cook them through.
Then flip it the other side.
Once cooked with light brown marks, the adai is all ready to be served.
Traditionally adai is served with avial, we had it with spicy chutney and some idli podi.
Check out our 45 + collection of chutney recipes
Notes
- Makes 10 adais
- I ve used 1/2 idli rice and 1/2 pachai arisi for this recipe. You can use either idli or plain raw rice or substitute with millets or brown rice.
- Adding turmeric gives a yellow tinge to the adai but is only optional.
- Do not skip the grated coconut which does play a part in flavoring the adai.
- Fermentation is only really necessary, if you wish you can for few hours.
- Adai batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days with adding any onion and salt.
- To make a thin dosa, dilute the batter with some water.
- Batter should be of coarse texture and cannot be too thin or fine texture.
- The main picture is edited, have adjusted the color with grey finish, just was trying out a photo editing. The original picture is also given at the bottom of the recipe.
24 Comments
My fav dinner.. I m yet to cook dinner send few few adai pls
Split black gram means with skin r without skin???
Aruna,
Its split black gram without skin. Thanks.
Hey thanks …
didnt except a prompt response…but i guess, this is what separates this website from the others…
good work…keep it going….
Noobody answered the previous 2-3 questions….
For how long can u store the ground batter?
Kindly enlighten us….
This batter does’nt require any fermentation and can stay good for couple of days if refrigerated. Thanks.
Hi Mullai,
I would like to know whether this batter requires any fermentation and also how long can this batter be stored in the refrigerator?
Your answer will be helpful.
Thanks
hai mullai can u plz tell me how long we can store the batter in fridge?
Thanks a lot again suganswami….
I’m tryng this for the first time….
Definitely give it a try. It is a very tasty, rich( we make it rich in our house) and filling dish. U r always welcome…
hey thx suganswami,
i hv heard that moong dhal is also 2 b added with the other dhal…
Could someone help me out in this,if yes,then how much should i add…
You are welcome, Riya. I saw your question about 'pasi dhal' in a different page. It is nothing but moong dhal. You can checK the measurement there. But, moong dhal is optional for adai…
Hi mullai,
would like 2 know spilt black gram also in kannada…waiting for ur reply…
Thx in advance
Hi Riya,
Red gram-thuvare bele black gram-uddhin bele
Hi mullai,
your receipes r awesome….my fav passtime is browsing this site and trying out receipes,where i don’t hv 2 think whether it’ll come out good or not…coz all the dishes turn out amazingly good…Thanks very very much…I hv one doubt,wat is spilt red gram in kannada called and is bengal gram- kadale bele in kannada…i need them in kannada as i don’t know tamil or telugu….thx…I’m waiting for ur response…will try this receipe…
Hi Mullai,
I have tried many of your recipes and all of them have come out very well. Thanks for posting such wonderful recipes. The site is very useful for beginners in cooking like me :).
Could you post the recipe for sambar powder asI dont like the store bought ones.
Thx
Valli
HIii mullai,
today i m going to try ur adai. but can u pls tell me how u do the Milk payasam. i used to make it good but after long years gap i just tried but didnt come nice.
pls tell me the recipie for payasam like kalyana payasam.[using rice n milk]
n i need recipie for pakka andhra pesarat. will u pls post me if u find time.
or any friends who read this comments pls let me know.
Thanks in advance.
Gayathri Karthik
HIII friend
here i m giving u the recipie for making sambar powder at home
Channa dal-1/4cup
coriander seeds-1and half cups
Thuvar or harhar ki dal-1/4cup
Methi-One n half Tspoon.
mustard-1 tsp
curry leaves-few
turmeric-half spoon
hing- a pinch
redchillies-20 [ u better increase or reduce the amount of redchillies according to its quality of spicy]
dry roast in kadai all the ingredients seperately till the flavour comes out from it.finally grind everything into nice powder n u can store in a air tight jar. note: after grinding the powder keep it for getting cool in room temperature after that only u have to store in jar.
when u make sambar add this sambar powder [two spoon] for one cup dhal measurement. first u try n increase or decrese according to ur taste.
now i m going to give u a instant sambar powder we call in tamil
araichi vita sambar or hotel sambar
it goes well with idli dosai n even with rice also,.
Red chillies-4
dhania – two tablespoons
channa dhal-one table sps.
mustard-1/2tsp
methi-1/2tsp
pepper-1/2tsp
jeera-one tsp
curry leaves -few
oil to fry this
fry every ingredients together in little oil. n keep it aside let it cool then grind it add some water n grind into semi liquid
consistency. if u wish u can add two tablespoons of grated coconut when u fry.
instead sambar powder u just add this paste n make asusual how u make the samber.
really superb tatse. try it n let me know.
Gayathri Karthik
Can we make this Idli podi by ourselves….
could u plz send the recipes for it…
Thx
Hello Mrs. Siva, thanks to you for taking efforts to try my recipes and above all that for your courtesy to write to me. I sincerely appreciate that. Regarding idli podi …. you will see it soon, don't wanna to promise anything at this moment, but for sure will consider your request. Please register and post it on the recipe request section, anyone with the recipe might share theirs with you.
Hiii Shiva
here the recipe for IDLI PODI
take equal measurement of Black gram dhal n Bengal gram [each dhal is around one big laddle or one cup]
gooseberrry size Tamarind
Ellu seeds— two table spoons
plus hing a bit
redchillies-6 or 7 [ if u need more spicy u can add some more chillies like to say 12 chillies]
fry everything seperately in kadai with little oil
n finally fry that tamarind. add salt make it cool then grind it coarsely let it cool for some time then u can store in airtight jar.
when u need to have this powder u can add just gingelly oil into this powder n have it with dosa or idli or adai.
Hai Mullai, its really good it came great & we had a nice break-fast. this dish made us to feel as we are in south India…
Hii Mrs Shiva i hope u might have seen my comments here. pls try it n let me know.i used to do the second method [wet grinding] while i dont have powder at home.
all the best.
Gayathri Karthik
Your website is very interesting with mouthwatering pictures.
In the preparation of Adai batter, addition of fenugreek seeds (1/2 tsp) gives good aroma, better taste and also helps to digest “protein rich” adai.