Adai / Paruppu adai / Special paruppu Adai

Introduction:

Adai is a protein rich, highly nutritious, South Indian breakfast recipe. It is made with rice and a combination of dals. The proportion of rice and dal I have used in this recipe yields adai which is crisp outside and soft inside. Adai tastes delicious when served hot with vegetable aviyal or chutney or jaggery and butter. Do try his recipe and give us your feedback...

	Cuisine: South Indian
	Recipe category: Breakfast
	Prep time: 3 hours 15 mins
	Cooking time: 20 mins
	Serves: Makes around 6 to 7 adai
Ingredients:
For grinding:
Pigeon peas / Toor dal / Thuvaram paruppu	1/2 cup
Split chickpeas / Chana dal / Kadalai paruppu	1/2 cup
Idli rice / Parboiled rice	1/2 cup
Dried red chillies	4 to 5
Water	a little
For tempering:
Oil	1 tbsp
Mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
Black gram / Urad dal / Ulutham paruppu	1 tsp
Split chickpeas / chana dal / Kadalai paruppu	1 tbsp
Garlic	10 small cloves (sliced)
Asafoetida powder / hing / perungayam thool	1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts (finely chopped)	2 tbsp (optional) I have not added
Onion (medium)	1 chopped
OR
Small onions / shallots	10 chopped
To add to the batter:
Drumstick leaves / Moringa leaves	a handful
Coconut (cut into very small pieces)	2 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Water	as needed
Sesame oil / gingelly oil / til oil	1/4 cup (for cooking adai)

Method:

1. Wash and soak the two dals together for atleast three hours in water .Wash and soak rice separately
2. After 3 hours drain water and add rice to a blender/mixer jar
3. To it add dried red chillies and a little water
4. Grind to a coarse paste (rava)
5. Add the soaked dals to the same jar and grind to a coarse paste
6. Transfer it a bowl
7. In a kadai /pan add 1 tbsp oil .When hot add mustard seeds, black gram, split chickpeas,  crushed jeera & pepper, sliced garlic cloves, asafoetida powder and onions
8. Fry until onions are cooked (turns soft)
9. Add the tempering to the rice and dal batter
10. Add drumstick leaves, coconut pieces and salt. Pour water as much as needed (the batter must be thicker than idli batter) and mix well
11. Heat a dosa tawa and grease it. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread like dosa (a slightly thick dosa)
12. Pour a tablespoon of sesame oil around the adai
13. Make a small hole in the center and pour a little oil
14. Once it turns golden brown and crisp flip to the other side
15. Cook until done and remove from tawa and serve hot
16. Repeat the same with the remaining batter
17. Serve hot with vegetable aviyal or idli podi & oil or coconut chutney or jaggery and butter

Notes:

• You can ferment the adai batter for 1 or 2 hours or you can pour it straight away
• Adai takes a little longer to cook in comparison to normal dosa
• You can cook adai with ghee or butter instead of sesame oil
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