Adai (அடை)

Adai is a thick, robust lentil-and-rice crepe from Tamil Nadu, made by fermenting a batter of several varieties of dal and raw rice together. Unlike its delicate cousin the dosa, adai is hearty, nutty, and speckled with whole peppercorns and red chilli — typically eaten at breakfast or as an evening snack, served with coconut chutney and avial or a smear of butter and jaggery.

Serves: 4 (makes 8–10 adai)

Ingredients

Batter

• 150g (¾ cup) raw white rice (or parboiled rice)
• 80g (⅓ cup) chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 60g (¼ cup) toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 40g (3 tbsp) urad dal (split black lentils, hulled)
• 40g (3 tbsp) moong dal (split yellow mung lentils)
• 4–5 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp (3g) whole black peppercorns
• ¾ tsp (3g) salt
• ½ tsp (2g) asafoetida (hing)
• 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves, roughly torn
• 1 small onion (shallot), finely chopped

For cooking

• 2–3 tbsp (30–45ml) sesame oil or neutral oil

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice and all four dals together, then soak in cold water for 4–6 hours. Drain.
2. Grind soaked rice and dals with dried chillies and peppercorns in a blender, adding just enough water (about 150–200ml / ⅔–¾ cup) to form a thick, coarse batter — coarser than dosa batter, more like hummus.
3. Transfer to a bowl. Add salt and asafoetida. Leave to ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours or overnight. The batter should bubble gently and smell slightly tangy.
4. Before cooking, fold in torn curry leaves and chopped onion.
5. Heat a cast-iron tawa or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Brush lightly with oil. Ladle 80ml (⅓ cup) batter into the centre and spread in a circular motion to a 20cm (8 in) round — thicker than a dosa.
6. Make a small hole in the centre for even cooking. Drizzle a little oil around the edges. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the underside is deep golden and crispy. Flip and cook 2–3 minutes more.
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

Cook's Notes: Adai batter does not need as long a ferment as idli or dosa batter; even 6–8 hours gives a gentle tang. The batter keeps refrigerated for 2 days. The coarser grind is intentional — adai should have a rustic, textured bite.