Adai With Mixed Lentils

Adai, as we call it in Tamil, is a pan-fried South Indain dish used for breakfast or dinner. Adai is made with thick batter poured on a flat Dosa making pan and cooked till both sides are fried to a golden brown. There are many variations and combinations of materials used in making the batter. Here I have used all lentils and rice mixed together for the batter to make this delicious dish.

• Take one measure each of Rice, Red Gram, Bengal gram, Green gram and black gram all split and cleaned.
• Mix all together and soak in water for about four to five hours
• After soaking, clean and wash the mixed ingredients
• Using a wet grinder or a mixer - grinder, grind the soaked lentils to form a medium thick batter
• Do not add too much water. the batter should not be runny or too thick

The following other ingredients are finely chopped and mixed with the batter

• Two medium sized onions, finely chopped
• Four or five garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Handful of curry leaves, chopped
• Five to six Red chilies, broken into pieces
• Salt to taste

Add all these ingredients to the batter and mix well

• Heat a Dosa making pan over medium fire
• Take a ladle-full of batter and place it on the center of the pan. See the thickness of batter
• Spread on the pan using the ladle
• Add drops of oil on the sides

• Using a Dosa making spatula, just lift one side and see it is fully cooked to golden brown
• Now using the spatula, turn over the adai on the pan and allow the other side to cook
• Once both sides are properly cooked, remove from pan

Serve hot with coconut chutney.