Recipe for Adai

Adai/Adai dosa is a South Indian recipe in which rice and different lentils are soaked and ground into a batter. Then they are combined with some spices and herbs. The batter is then spread on a Tawa ( a flat pan) and fried using oil. It is usually accompanied by butter and chutney. It is traditionally eaten for breakfast as it is high in proteins and nutrient dense. This wholesome breakfast keeps you energetic for a long time and ready for the day ahead. 

Recently I found fresh moringa leaves in an Indian store near me. Most of my readers know that I live in Germany. Here, getting some of the native vegetables and fruits from India is sometimes hard. So, whenever I find something I long for, I pick it up immediately. On one such visit to the Indian store, when I found fresh moringa leaves, I got reminded of Adai and decided to make it.

Here is a picture of moringa leaves:

Let’s start with the recipe:

Ingredients needed for making Adai:

1. Parboiled rice: 1 cup
2. Raw rice: 1/2 cup
3. Chana Dal ( split Chickpeas): 1/2 cup
4. Toor Dal( pigeon peas): 1/2 cup
5. Moong Dal without skin (split green gram without skin): 1/2 cup
6. Urad Dal without skin ( black gram without skin): 1/2 cup
7. Dry Red chillies: 3-4
8. Salt: 2 teaspoons
9. Curry leaves: About 15-20
10. Onions: 2 big, chopped
11. Moringa leaves About 2-3 cups of separated leaves. 
12. Water: For soaking and grinding
13. Sesame oil: for frying

Here is a picture of all the grains and lentils that I used in this recipe:

Method for making Adai:

1. Combine raw rice and parboiled rice in a bowl. Wash thoroughly and soak overnight. Similarly, combine all the lentils in a bowl. Wash thoroughly and soak overnight along with the red chilies.
   
   
   
2. Grind the rice with water. The resulting dough should not be very smooth. It should be slightly grainy. Transfer the batter to a big mixing bowl.
   
   
   
3. Grind the lentils and red chillies with water. Again, the resulting batter should not be smooth. It should be slightly grainy. Transfer the batter to the same mixing bowl.
   
   
   
4. Now mix the rice batter and lentil batter.
   
   
   
5. Add salt, chopped curry leaves, onion, and roughly chopped moringa leaves. Rest the batter for about 15 minutes.
   
   
   
6. Now, heat the pan. Take a ladle full of batter and spread it gently on the pan. The Adai should neither be too thick (like a pancake) nor thin( like a crepe or dosa). Make a small hole in the middle with the help of a spatula. Put a teaspoon of oil along the edges, in the hole, and on the surface. Keep the heat on medium. 
   
   
   
7. Now turn the Adai and apply some oil on the surface. On medium heat, cook it. Once it is cooked and the surface gets a bit brown, remove it from the pan.
   
   
   
8. Serve it hot with butter or chutney.
   
   

You can pair Adai with any chutney of your choice. You can check out these 11 Chutney Recipes.

Some additional tips:

1. The ratio of rice to lentils is 3:4, i,e for every 3 cups of rice, you need to take 4 cups of lentils. You can change the quantity of each lentil according to availability and preference, but keep the overall ratio of rice to lentil as 3:4.
2. The recipe uses a generous quantity of curry leaves and onions. Both are very important if you want to achieve authentic taste. Traditionally, fresh curry leaves and shallots ( also known as Sambar onions in south India) are used in this recipe. If these are unavailable, replace them with dry curry leaves and purple onions.
3. If you don’t get moringa leaves, you can make Adai without them. You can replace moringa leaves with finely chopped spinach, fenugreek leaves, dill leaves, or any other herb you choose.
4. Always cook Adai on medium heat. Since Adai is not thin, it takes time to cook in the pan. If you keep the heat high, it will brown from the outside but remain uncooked inside.

If, after making the Adais, there is some batter left, try out my recipe for Muttai Adai Kolumbu. It is a gravy dish made with Adai and pairs well with steamed rice.

About Ingredient sourcing in Germany:

While you can get some of the ingredients needed for this recipe from a German Supermarket, you can get all of these ingredients from any Indian shop near you. Alternatively, you can check the online store for Spicelands. They are a big store in Frankfurt, delivering all across Germany.

You can also buy these ingredients from amazon.de. Links are given below:
Parboiled Rice: https://amzn.to/3owp0Ez
Raw Rice: https://amzn.to/42eXQj2
Urad Dal:https://amzn.to/3MQHPLV
Curry Leaves:  https://amzn.to/3WvOSg3
Salt: https://amzn.to/3ACstDM
Sesame Oil: https://amzn.to/3qbrqsF
Chana Dal: https://amzn.to/3BKOVLL
Dry Red Chillies: https://amzn.to/3O8CMrf
Toor Dal: https://amzn.to/45EvG48
Red Onions: https://amzn.to/43vhtof

Equipment needed for the recipe:
Please note that I use all these in my kitchen. I am happy and satisfied with these products, and hence, I recommend these to my readers.
Mixing Bowl:https://amzn.to/3V8ZPU
Mixer:
Option 1 Bosch:https://amzn.to/3LzMbGF (Perfect for Indian cooking, with great reviews)
Option 2: Preethi:https://amzn.to/3n9XCLH ( I use this. It is perfect for Indian cooking, but priced higher than Bosch)
Dosa Pan: https://amzn.to/41rC8Im

Check out the recipe in printable format:

Please note that this article contains affiliate links. If you buy using these links, I receive a small commission. This has no effect on the price for you.

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

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