Brown rice Adai (Brown Rice Lentil Crepes)
Adai is a specialty in many Tambram houses, especially during the festival of Karthigai.
During Karthigai, which falls mostly in the month of November, after a day's long work of decorating the house with beautiful kolams and lamps that are carefully preserved all through the year to brighten the house just this day, mom treats us with this feast.
Yes, sometimes a single dish like adai with the right accompaniments can serve as a feast by itself.
This is traditionally made with lentils and raw rice. They do add the leaves of drumstick to this, makes it healthier since its a good source of iron and also much tastier.Adai is a very good source of proteins since its made with all lentils. My kids love it too, so an excellent protein and iron rich food for the kids it serves as !
In my version of adai,I have replaced white rice with brown and also added peanuts and made it with onion. I would love to make it with the leaves of drumstick, but it's not very easy to get them where I live.
Here's the recipe,
Serving - Makes 14-15 Adais.
Ingredients :
Toor Dal - 1 1/2 Cup
Channa dal - 1 1/2 Cup
Moong Dal - 1 Cup
Peanuts - 1/4 Cup (Optional)
Urad Dal - 1/4 Cup
Brown Basmati Rice / Brown Raw Rice** - 1 1/2 Cup
Chili Red - 2
Green Chili - 2
Curry leaves - 1 Sprig
Coriander leaves - to Garnish
Onions - 3 (finely chopped)
or Drumstick Leaves - 1 Cup (Washed and finely chopped.)
Salt - to taste.
hing - 1 Tbsp.
Oil - for making the dosas
Preparation :
Soaking Time : 5 hrs.
Grinding time : 10-15 mts
Cooking Time : 3 to 4 min each dosa.
1. Soak all the lentils in water along with the chilies and curry leaves for 5 hours.
2. Grind them adding salt and hing , not to a very fine paste, but to a coarse batter.
3. Grind the batter using wet grinder for best results, mixers do a decent job as well.
4. Add the coriander leaves to the batter.
5. Let it rest for half an hour, it can also be made immediately.
6. Heat the pan on the stove and add a spoon of oil.
7. Sccop out a ladle of the batter and spread it evenly on the pan.
8. If its thick, make a small hole in the middle, to aid it getting cooked in the centre.
9. Sprinkle the chopped onions on this and add a generous spoon of oil.
10. Turn it over to the other side and let it cook for 2 more min.
Take it out and Serve it hot with butter/ jaggery/ avial or any chutney.
Notes :
1. Adai takes a lot more time to cook than the normal dosas, needs a little patience :)
2. White raw rice can substitute brown rice in this recipe.
3. Onions dont beat the drumstick leaf flavor anytime, so if you have access to it, you should give it a try with drumstick leaves.
