Soaking time- 4 hours

Preparation time- 20 minutes

Cooking time- 10 minutes

The flavourful and nutrient-rich Adai, is a traditional South-Indian lentil crepe, that holds a classic place in Tamil Nadu cuisine. The aromatic dish is rich in proteins and carbohydrates that make it filling and delicious. In this blog, let’s explore the simple recipe to make the perfect adai, using Stealth Elite mixer grinder for the batter preparation.

Health Benefits of Adai

  • The fibre-rich adai can improve digestive health and can alleviate digestive distress.
  • The rice is a great energy source and keeps us energetic and full for a long time.
  • The pulses help in maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol at bay.
  • The lentils are a fair source of protein that improves muscle health.
  • The multigrain goodness of adai is a healthier alternative to the regular dosas.

Ingredients:

For soaking

  1. Idli Rice – 1 cup
  2. Toor dal – ¾ cup
  3. Chana dal – ¾ cup
  4. Moong dal – ¾ cup
  5. Urad dal – ½ cup
  6. Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  7. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  8. Methi seeds – ¼ tsp
  9. Dried red chillies – 10

For grinding the batter

  1. Hing – ¼ tsp
  2. Turmeric – ½ tsp
  3. Ginger – 1 inch
  4. Salt – 1 tbsp
  5. Water – as needed

After grinding the batter

  1. Onion – 1 (finely chopped)
  2. Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
  3. Coconut pieces – ¼ cup – thinly sliced and chopped
  4. Ghee or oil for seasoning

Cooking directions:

For Soaking

    • Take idli rice in a bowl and wash it to remove impurities. Drain the water and pour enough water to soak the rice.
    • To this, add dried red chillies without the stalk.
    • Keep it aside and let it soak for 4 hours.
    • Simultaneously, in another bowl, add all the lentils and seeds, wash them and pour water for soaking.
    • Let both soak for 4 hours or more.

For grinding the batter

    • Drain the water from the soaked rice and lentils and add them to Stealth Elite mixer grinder.
    • Add hing, turmeric, ginger, salt and water to the rice and lentils.
    • Grind the ingredients in batches to a thick coarse consistency.
    • Check the consistency of the batter and add water if needed. The batter should neither be very thick, nor runny. The traditional method suggests a little thick adai, while if one prefers thin and crispy crepes, the batter can be diluted.
    • Mix the ground batter well and adjust salt and consistency as required.
    • The batter can be very well used immediately. Though resting it for an hour or two can enhance the aroma and taste of the adai.
    • To the batter, add finely chopped onion, coriander leaves and sliced coconut pieces.

For cooking Adai

  • Heat the dosa tawa or skillet on medium flame until hot.
  • Pour a ladle of batter on the tawa and spread it into a dosa.
  • Add ghee or oil around the adai and cook until crisp and fully cooked.
  • Flip the adai and cook the other side. Add oil or ghee after flipping, if needed.
  • Adai is best served with thick fresh coconut chutney.