Adai Dosa is one of the simplest South Indian dishes that you can make at home. With just a few ingredients and some basic kitchen tools, you can whip up a batch of crispy, flavorful Adai Dosas in no time. It is a traditional South Indian dish that is believed to have originated in Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India.
Preparing Adai dosa is a simple process that requires soaking the lentils and rice overnight, blending them into a batter, and cooking them in a skillet. Here’s a detailed recipe on how to make Adai dosa at home.
You can serve the Adai Dosa hot with Coconut chutney, Onion tomato chutney or Sambar for a delicious and healthy meal.
What is Adai Dosa?
The word ‘adai’ comes from the Tamil language, and it refers to a thick pancake or crepe made from a mixture of rice and lentils. It is a popular breakfast or snack in Tamil Nadu, and it is often served with coconut chutney, sambar, or jaggery. It is also a popular dish in the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Kerala, where it is known by different names.
In the olden days, Adai Dosa was considered to be a simple and easy-to-make dish that could be prepared with easily available ingredients. It was also a great source of nutrition, as it contains a good balance of carbohydrates and proteins. The dish was often served to travellers and guests, and it soon became a popular staple food in South Indian households.
Today, Adai Dosa has gained popularity in other parts of India and around the world, thanks to its unique taste and health benefits.
Expert tips to make Adai Dosa (Beextravegant’s Tricks)
- Soak the lentils and rice: Soak the lentils and rice for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. This will help to soften them and make them easier to blend.
- Use a good blender: Use a high-speed blender to blend the soaked lentils and rice into a smooth batter. The batter should not be too thick or too thin. It should have a pouring consistency.
- Add vegetables: Add chopped onions, green chillies, grated coconut, and other vegetables of your choice to the batter so as to enhance its taste and nutritional value.
- Add spices: Add spices like cumin seeds, black pepper, and salt to the batter for a flavorful Adai Dosa.
- Let the batter ferment: Leave the batter to ferment for at least an hour or close to 6-8 hours. The more you let it ferment, it will help to improve the taste and texture of the Adai Dosa.
- Cook on medium heat: Cook the Adai Dosa on medium heat so that it is evenly cooked and crispy.
Here are some tips to help you make Adai Dosa in colder regions:
If you live in a colder region, it can be challenging to make Adai Dosa due to the colder temperature.
- Soak the lentils and rice in warm water: To speed up the soaking process, you can soak the lentils and rice in warm water. This will help to soften them faster, and makes it easier to blend them into a smooth batter.
- Use a warm place for fermentation: In colder regions, it may take longer for the batter to ferment. So, you can place the batter in a warm place like the oven or near a heater.
- Cover the batter: Retain the warmth and humidity required for fermentation, cover the batter with a clean cloth or lid.
- Add fenugreek seeds: Adding fenugreek seeds to the batter helps attract good bacteria.
Steps to make Adai Dosa (Step-wise recipe)
- In a bowl, add Toor dal, Chana dal, Urad dal, and Rice. Rinse them in water until the water runs almost clear.
- Soak them in water overnight or at least for 5 hours. Drain all the water (you can use it to water your plants like the good and eco-friendly person that you are). Drain and then add the soaked lentils and rice to a blender.
- Take the soaked dal and rice, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red dried chillies, green chillies, salt, and ginger along with the water in a blender.
- Blend the ingredients to make a smooth paste. (not very smooth, slightly coarse). Set the batter aside and let it rest for about an hour.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium to high heat. Pour one big ladle-full (preferably round in shape) full of batter and spread it into a thin crepe.
- Apply oil or vegan ghee on the sides of the Adai Dosa. Cook it until golden brown from the bottom. Carefully remove it from the skillet with the help of a spatula. Serve Adai Dosa hot with any chutney of your choice.
Why you should try this recipe:
The best part about this recipe is its efficiency. Unlike traditional dosas, Adai Dosas don’t require much preparation or fermentation time. All you need to do is soak the lentils and rice, blend them into a smooth batter, and add some spices and herbs for flavour.
The result is a tasty and nutritious dish that you can enjoy any time of the day. So, don’t be intimidated by the thought of making dosas at home. Give this recipe a try and you’ll be amazed at how easy and delicious it is! If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below. Lots of love and happy cooking!
Give my other batter-based recipes a try:
- Homemade Coconut Chutney – Easy South Indian Dip
- Onion Tomato Chutney
- Best Sambar Recipe – How to Make Sambar
- Idli Podi Recipe – Mini Podi Idli Recipe – Milagai Podi
- Paniyaram Recipe (Kuzhi/Kuli Paniyaram or Paddu)
Adai Dosa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Toor dal or Pigeon Pea lentils
- 1/4 cup Chana Dal split chickpeas
- 1/4 cup Urad Dal
- 1 cup Rice
- 10 Curry leaves
- 2 Dry Red Whole chilies
- Salt to taste
- Oil or ghee
- 2- inch ginger
- 2 green chilies
- 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 3 cup water for soaking (Keep 1 cup water aside for grinding)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add Toor dal, Chana dal, Urad dal, and Rice. Rinse them in water until the water runs almost clear.
- Soak them in water overnight or at least for 5 hours.
- Drain all the water (you can use it to water your plants).
- Take the soaked dal and rice, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red dried chilies, green chilies, salt, and ginger along with the water in a blender.
- Blend the ingredients to make a smooth paste. (not very smooth, slightly coarse).
- Set the batter aside and let it rest for about an hour.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium to high heat. Pour one big ladle-full (preferably round in shape) full of batter and spread it into a thin crepe.
- Apply oil or vegan ghee on the sides of the Adai Dosa.
- Cook it until golden brown from the bottom. Carefully remove it from the skillet with the help of a spatula.
- Serve Adai Dosa hot with any chutney of your choice.
Sharayu Satpute says
Loved the recipie !!
Such a healthy option and quick one π
Beextravegant says
So glad you tried and loved it!!!
Kitchenhutt Spices - whole methi says
very nice !! i loved it …
Beextravegant says
Awesome! Thank you so much!!
Lisa says
Is it possible to omit the chillis
Beextravegant says
For sure! Make it work for you π
Johannes says
Hello,
This recipe sounds great. Can i swap the legumes for any other lentils/chickpeas?
Viele GrΓΌΓe aus Bonn
Johannes