Full of proteins, this savoury lentils pancake is served typically with avial (a yogurt based vegetable gravy). I prefer to have it smeared with butter or with a chutney. You can also make it to a thinner consistency and pour it like a dosa.
Ingredients:
Raw rice/ Ordinary Basmati rice – 1 cup
Tur Dal – 1/4 cup
Bengal gram dal/Chana dal – 1/4 cup
Udad dal – 1/4 cup
Moong Dal – 1/4 cup
Whole red chillies – 8
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Grated coconut – 1 to 2 tbsp or coconut bits/pieces – 10
Drumstick leaves – a handful (optional)
Salt – to taste
Oil- as required
Preparation:
Wash and soak the lentils and the red chillies together in a bowl of water, overnight.
In a mixer, add the red chillies and grind it . Next, add the rice and lentils/dals together with little salt and grind it to a coarse consistency. Add very little water, if you want a thicker version of the adai. If you would like to pour it like a dosa, you can add half a cup of water and grind. To the batter, add the drumstick leaves, pepper powder, asafoetida, grated coconut and mix well. Adjust the salt.
Heat an iron griddle or a non stick pan. Wipe it with a piece of cloth dipped in oil and pour one ladle of the batter and spread it like a dosa. Turn the flame to medium and add a tsp of oil all over the sides of the dosa. When it gets cooked, flip it to the other side and cook. Serve it with coconut chutney or tomato chutney.
If you would like a thicker version of the adai, instead of pouring it like a dosa, take a handful of dough and place it on the griddle and spread it by hand. Or you could spread the adai on a banana leaf and place the adai directly on the pan by flipping the banana leaf. Pour a tsp of oil on all sides so that it is cooked to a golden colour. Flip and cook the other side also. Take it off the fire and serve.
Note: If you do not have drumstick leaves, you can substitute it with mint leaves /coriander leaves or spring onion greens.
Meal Haven 