December 22, 2008

Breakfast Lentil crepes - Traditional Adai made easy

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This recipe was requested by a co-blogger. And here it is!

Adai as we traditionally call it, is basically a mix of lentils and rice ground together to form a batter. And then formed into crepes on a griddle and cooked on both sides.

And what makes my method easier? Here is why...
Originally, rice is soaked along with the lentils and ground together, there are specific grinders that are used for this purpose.
Since I don't have the heavy duty grinder, I use the normal blender.
Now, here is the problem with using normal blenders... it might be too much stress on the machine to grind soaked rice, and also if you are using a very powerful blender, it produces heat (you can feel the contents warming up) which eventually cooks the batter even while it is grinding. Not good!

To avoid the problem, I used "Idli Rava" - Cream of Rice instead of the actual rice.
There is no need to grind this. The only grinding you will be doing is for the soaked lentils (which is relatively easy on the blender)
Also remember to add enough water, so the blender does not heat up.
(Detailed instructions below in the recipe)

I have used four different types of lentils for this recipe. All of them can be found in an Indian grocery store. Mung and Split chick peas (Channa dal) can be found in the bulk section of your regular grocery store (if it has one).
You may use whole or split Mung beans for this recipe. Both give a different taste and are both great. I personally like the whole green mung dal for this.

There is no need to ferment the final batter, you may proceed making crepes as it gets done. And not having to grind the rice saves on a lot of time and energy.

Breakfast Lentil crepes - Traditional Adai made easy

Ingredients:

Idli Rava - 2 cups
Mung Dal - 1/4 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Thur Dal - 1/4 cup
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Dried Red chillies - 4 (you may add more if you like)
Curry Leaves - 8-10
Hing/Asafoetida - A couple of pinches
Salt - To taste
Water - 4 cups (To mix with Idli Rava)

Method:

Wash and soak all the four varieties of dal with red chillies and curry leaves for at least 4-6 hours. I soak them overnight.

Next day, just before grinding the lentils together, mix the Idli Rava with 4 cups of water to form a batter (it will absorb the water when you let it sit while you grind the dals, and that is okay). There is no need to add more water.

Grind the lentils, chillies and curry leaves in a blender in batches. Add enough water to get the machine running. Grind till smooth.

Add it to the Idli rava that has already been mixed with water. Mix well.

Add Hing/Asafoetida and again mix thoroughly.

Cover with a lid and let it sit for a couple of hours. Or you can prepare crepes immediately if you are in a rush. Does not alter the taste very much, and both ways are great. The batter would look like this. Add water before preparing crepes just enough so that it resembles a pancake batter.

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To prepare crepes... Check out this step-wise pictorial. The picture below is from my earlier post which I made for regular dosais, but "Adai" follows the same method.

steps

You will need a smooth non-stick griddle on medium heat.
Step 1: Pour a small ladle of batter in the center, and spread out in circular motion till you get a thin layer. Drizzle oil.
Step 2: Flip over when the bottom side starts browning, and cook on other side.
Step 3: You may leave it on the griddle for a little longer to get crispier crepes, or take it off the heat as soon as it starts browning to get a softer crepe.
Step 4: For this particular dish, I would suggest softer crepes, as that is how it is traditionally prepared.

Variations include:
Grinding garlic and ginger along with the batter.
Adding cilantro and or onions just before making the crepes.

Enjoy with Chutney or Molagai podi (which is basically a mixture of chillies and lentils ground together, mixed with oil and dipped into)

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60 comments:

  1. H Divya,
    This is a great recipe :)
    I am always looking to make dosai without having to grind as I don't have a grinder and my blender sucks :(
    Thanks a ton for posting this.

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  2. wow..loved that adai..reminds me of my amma's dosa..:)

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  3. hey, that sounds cool. Dosa using 4 types of dals is completely new to me. looks yummy too!

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  4. its been a month since i made adai. thanks for tempting me with nice pics:)

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  5. The Adai and molaga podi together are soo inviting! I love the batter pic.

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  6. Divya.. looks delicious.. & crispy as well. looks perfect & nice click..

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  7. adai is my fav and my husband hate it...i rarely make these at home....makes me drool though

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  8. Thanks for the tip on idli rava. I soo badly miss my Sumeet mixie. The mixers here just dont do the trick!

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  9. I have never made adai, & have eaten it only once & loved it. Why I never made it? I don't know. I loved the way yours came out...so much like a net!

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  10. Thanks a lot Anu! Such good step by step instructions. Adais look so tempting!
    Does the batter rise if you leave it for a few hours?

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  11. My blender too sucks,I still use it tgh :( - ice crush rice actually.I sometimes use idli rava also.Never tried with adai though.The pics looks too tempting -perfect adais

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  12. this looks perfect breakfast....healthy tooo...my mouthwateres..i have bookmarked will try it soon...happy holidays divyaa :)

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  13. Anu,thats a perfect breakfast..healthy and yummy..can i get a plate ? tempting pictures

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  14. Anu,thats a perfect breakfast..healthy and yummy..can i get a plate ? tempting pictures

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  15. anu u r giving feast for only my eyes not for my mouth again....

    pakkum pothe pasikuthu... search for some software n instal in yr PC to get the dish from the screen itself yar...(that too especially for me ok...)we ll get in to a link and deal.

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  16. Adai - love it!! A great start to Mondays:)

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  17. Ok, I have a dumb question. Is an Adai a Dosa? It looks like one..The recipe seems super simple and uncomplicated, would love to try it out.

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  18. Great idea and looks good too!Could be useful to many who dont have heavy duty grinder!

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  19. hi anu,adai looking yum yum n nice colour

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  20. perfect lovely adai....too healthy

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  21. hey that looks yum!!
    never heaad of this before..worth a try!!

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  22. Thts a gr8 recipe..thnks for sharing step by step pics ,they surely help much

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  23. nice idea of using idli rava...looks good..

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  24. great step-by-step pics for making a dosa/pancake/adai. I always struggle to spread the batter. Great recipe for non-heavy-duty-grinder-owner-folks!!

    What with the house-arrest due to snow and all, I might try the recipe soon!!

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  25. Pakkum pothey pasikuthu...delicious..

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  26. The adais look crisp Anu, it has been a long time since I made these, I am planning to make adais for breakfast during the holidays after reading your post :)

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  27. that does look very nice 7 easy to make

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  28. I don't use the grinder for adai and didn't have any problems.. this method sounds great too and your adais look yummy.

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  29. Oh wow! These look so perfect! I have almost stopped making batters that require me to use soaked rice because of my blender. Using idli rava is a great idea! And the use of all those lentils makes this so healthy and nutritious ... love it!

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  30. I also prepare adais like this. Nowadays I'm using grits and finely cracked wheat instead of idli rava.

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  31. The adai's look perfect, the pics are looking great...neat tip about the idli rava.... I use brown rice for adai and use my osterizer blender and it works fine, so I have never needed to look for alternatives :-)

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  32. adai looks wonderful Divya

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  33. Thats a gr8 idea! Thanks for the tip! Looks crispy and nice..

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  34. cool bulls-eye pattern! i've never attempted to make crepes, and i have a feeling it'd take me a long time to get as good at it as you are! :)

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  35. Cool..thanks for the info. Now I feel less dumb ;-)

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  36. Looks so thin and crisp, YUM!

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  37. Adai looks so scrumptious. Nice recipe. Lovely pictures. YUM!

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  38. Wow comforting food. Looks yummy with all those dals the adai rocks.

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  39. Yummy adai n aviyal - deadly combo! ur adais looks lovely n perfect!

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  40. Hi Anu,

    the crepes luks lovely, especially the circular motion marks...and your stove top naan is a must try recipie..thanks for sharing..

    warm regards,

    sona

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  41. Hi, I love this adai! So healthy, and the last picture is so yummy...

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  42. Hi there.. Think of you and thanks for sharing this awesome foodie eye candy.... is that even a word...


    Wanted to say "Happy Holidays"!

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  43. Lovely pic. I have always ground adai mavu in the mixie and never had a problem with it so far.

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  44. These look great - I love lentils and I love crepes!

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  45. I've never had a crepe like this before. It looks and sounds delicious.

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  46. Flavorsome dosa with mixed dals and without need for fermentation,will try this soon:)

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  47. Never heard of this before but it sounds delicious since I enjoy anything made with cream of rice.

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  48. Happy Christmas to you and family dear Anu..

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  49. Great idea and looks delicious.. & crispy as well. nice click..Divya

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  50. Great adai even no need of fermentation in winter! They re crispy ! Happy Holidays :)

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  51. I love adai. The adais made by you look so perfect.Will try the tip to ease the load of my blender. Thanks and Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.

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  52. Wish U a Merry Christmas!

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  53. Looks delicious!

    Merry Christmas!

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  54. Wow! So crispy recipe! have a card for you, do check my blog!

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  55. Adai is a perennial favorite at our home. These look delicious indeed, Divya.

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  56. Looks delicious! and all those lentils make this a very proteinaceous and nutritious delicacy!

    Yaay!

    I'll have four, with some chutney on the side,
    ... please!
    :-P

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  57. Delicious Adai. Very nice clicks. i used to add drumstick leaves whichj is rich in iron with this batter. YOurs looks tempting. Step by step explanation is awesome, Anu.

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  58. hey divya, I did not use rice in my version.

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  59. Can I seriously come over for breakfast soon? ...... your recipe sounds so yummy......

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on this post. I will try to respond to queries as soon as I can. If I miss anything that needs to be addressed... please feel free to ping me again.
Happy cooking/baking or whatever it is you are doing in the kitchen! :)