Adai recipe

Adai is a healthy, protein-rich and nutrient dense lentil crepe from Tamil Nadu cuisine. These are made with spices, rice and various kinds of lentils like Toor dal, chana dal and urad dal. Adai is super flavorful, delicious and makes for a great breakfast or meal anytime of the day. It is served with a chutney or avial, a mixed vegetable dish. Making adai is quicker and easier than making dosa because adai batter does not need fermentation.

Indian crepes known as dosas are a very popular food from the South Indian cuisine. We make many kinds of dosas using lentils, rice, grains and even with flour. Adai is one such variation and is similar to the Andhra Pesarattu which is made with green moong dal and spices.

Whether you are looking for healthy meal option or trying to include more protein in your diet, these are simply great for you! You will love these adai for everything – for the flavour, texture and for the fact they are nourishing.

About Adai Recipe

My adai recipe needs rice, chana dal, toor dal, a small portion of urad dal and moong dal. Rice is used to give the adai dosa a slightly crisp texture and various lentils impart different flavours.

Ginger, red chilies, hing and cumin seeds are the spices used for extra flavour and heat. These spices are very essential and without these your adai will be just bland.
Every Tamil speaking household may have a different recipe with varying proportions of rice & lentils. The proportions I have used go well with my family.

However you can substitute one lentil for the other without affecting the texture but the flavour changes. For more details on substitutions check my pro tips section below.

This family favorite adai recipe uses very little urad dal and we personally prefer a small portion of moong lentils which actually improves the flavour profile.

Adai dosa is usually made slightly thicker than the thin dosas.

For similar recipes check
Mixed dal dosa
Ragi dosa
Wheat dosa
Neer dosa

Process of making adai batter

All the lentils, rice and chilies are soaked for 4 hours and ground to a slightly thick coarse batter. The batter is ready to use instantly. However it can be rested for 2 to 4 hours to enhance the flavors.

I usually soak, blend, rest and then keep the batter in the fridge the previous night to prepare the next morning’s breakfast. Sometimes I also soak them the previous night (for 8 hours), blend them in the morning & use the batter directly without resting.

For more breakfast recipes, you can check
Poha recipe
Rava uttapam
Upma
Medu vada

How to make adai (stepwise photos)

Soaking lentils & rice

1. Firstly add ¾ cup rice to a large bowl and wash at least 3 times. Add fresh water and soak for at least 3 to 4 hours.

2. Remove the stalks of 4 to 5 red chilies & add them to the rice.

3. Next add all the lentils to another bowl. ¼ cup chana dal, ¼ cup toor dal, 2 tbsps urad dal and 2 tbsps moong dal Wash them well and soak in enough water for at least 3 to 4 hours.

Making batter

4. Drain water and add rice, red chilies, ¾ to 1 ginger (peeled) and ¾ to 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to a blender jar. Also pour ¼ cup water to make a thick and slightly coarse batter.

5. Make sure all the rice grains are crushed. If your blender jar is not big enough transfer the batter to a large bowl.

6. Drain water from the dal and add it to the blender jar. Then pour little water enough to make a batter. Start with ¼ cup water and add more as required to make a thick batter.

7. Blend to a slightly coarse & thick batter.

8. Transfer adai batter to the batter bowl. Mix well if you have kept the rice batter aside. Cover and rest for 2 to 4 hours. You can also make the adai right away. I feel resting the batter brings a good aroma and taste.

9. When you are ready to make the adai, add 2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves, 1/8 tsp hing, 1 small onion fine chopped and salt. Do not add lot of onions it becomes difficult to spread the adai batter.

10. Mix everything well. You can add water to bring the batter to consistency. To make crisp and thin adai dosa, the consistency must be slightly thin but not very runny. To make thick once you can keep the batter slightly thick.

But traditionally adai is made slightly thick. However it is a personal choice.

How to make adai dosa

11. Grease a pan with little oil and heat it. The pan must be just hot enough and not very hot otherwise it is difficult to spread the batter.

If you are not using a non stick pan, then grease the tawa well and rub it with a cut onion. This prevents the adai from sticking to the pan. Pour the batter in the center of the pan.

12. Spread the batter quickly to a dosa, thick or thin to suit your liking. Add ghee or oil as desired. When it is cooked, the edges loosen from the pan.

13. Turn it and cook on the other side. Turn again and cook till the adai turns crisp.

Adai is best served hot with chutney. I have served them with this garlic chutney. But coconut chutney or onion chutney makes a great side. You can refrigerate the left over adai batter and use up in the next 2 days.

Pro tips

• Reducing rice will give softer adai. The quantity of rice mentioned in the recipe gives you slightly crisp adai.
• You can substitute toor dal and chana dal one for the other. Substituting toor dal with chana dal makes delicious and super flavorful adai but doing it the other way won’t give you the best flavour.
• Using more urad dal in the recipe gives you a raw flavour of urad dal in the adai because we don’t ferment the batter. You may skip the urad dal or substitute it with any other lentils.
• You can use only masoor dal (red lentils) to substitute all the lentils in the recipe. It turns out delicious but it won’t taste the same as traditional adai.
• The batter can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before using it. If required add little water as the batter turns thick upon resting.
• For best results bring cold refrigerated batter to room temperature before making adai. Trying to cook cold batter often discolors/ browns the adai without cooking it well.
• If you want crisp adai, add some rice flour to the refrigerated batter.

Recipe card

Adai recipe first published in September 2017. Updated and republished in July 2021.