A Hearty, Protein-Rich South Indian Pancake
Adai Dosa (also called simply Adai) is a traditional South Indian breakfast or tiffin dish, known for its dense texture, rich flavor, and high protein content. Unlike the regular dosa, which is made from a fermented rice-urad dal batter, Adai is prepared using a mix of different lentils and rice, often without any fermentation. This makes it a quick, nutritious, and filling option, especially for busy mornings or light dinners.
The classic Adai Dosa batter includes a combination of toor dal (split pigeon peas), chana dal (split chickpeas), urad dal (black gram), moong dal (green gram), and raw rice. The lentils and rice are soaked for a few hours, then ground together with dry red chilies, cumin seeds, ginger, and sometimes fennel seeds or curry leaves, creating a slightly coarse batter. The result is a thick, spicy, earthy pancake that crisps up beautifully when roasted on a hot tawa.
Adai is not just about the base batter-many households enhance its flavor and nutrition by adding grated coconut, chopped onions, moringa leaves (drumstick leaves), or spinach directly into the batter before cooking. These additions add depth of taste and texture, making every bite flavorful and wholesome.
Typically, Adai is roasted with a touch of oil-often gingelly oil (nallennai)-until the edges turn crispy and the center is cooked through. It’s served hot, with a variety of accompaniments. The most traditional pairing is with avial, a mixed vegetable coconut curry from Kerala, or with a simple jaggery and butter combo for a sweet-savory balance. It also goes well with coconut chutney, pickle, or tomato thokku.
Adai Dosa is not just a recipe-it’s a reflection of the traditional South Indian approach to balanced, everyday meals. With its blend of grains and lentils, it delivers both flavor and nourishment without the need for fermentation or elaborate preparation. Whether you’re looking for a quick dinner, a weekend brunch, or a healthy alternative to plain dosa, Adai is always a satisfying choice.
Adai Dosa
Ingredients
Instructions
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Adai Dosa is a Tamil Nadu origin crispy pancake. It can be made without fermentation or with fermentation. The traditional recipe doesn’t demand fermentation.
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First of all, soak Rice, Toor dal, Chana dal, Green Gram and Red chilly for at least 2 hours, in separate bowls.
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Grind everything to a coarse batter
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Add Green chillies, chopped Curry leaves, Ginger, Salt, Asafoetida and mix it well
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Heat tawa, add a teaspoon of coconut oil.
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Just like dosa, pour the batter and shape it disk. but with little thickness
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Pour some oil over dosa and cook both side. Adai Dosa is ready
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You could enjoy it with Jaggery and Butter or Sambar, Chutney powder, Coconut chutney etc