ADAI or MIXED LENTIL DOSA - a nutritious and high protein savory pancake traditionally enjoyed by south Indians for breakfast with their favorite coconut chutney.
South Indians love making dosas (rice-lentil savory crepes) and idlis (steamed rice-lentil savory cakes) for breakfast; our staple morning treat with our favorite coconut chutneys.
Traditional dosas and idli batters are made by soaking lentils and rice/millets for a few hours, blending in a table top blender or in a grinder to a smooth batter, fermented overnight and then made into dosas or idlis.
But sometimes, I become a big fan of instant dosas which need no fermentation and this is happening more often now during this pandemic what with keeping up with the chores, hobbies, exercise which is of utmost importance even more so now and blogging to be done in between!
This Adai dosa or dosai is one such easy yet healthy, healthy dosa which I love! I remember, when I used to have my husband’s cousin and her family over for the weekend during our stay in Denver, USA, this was our favorite breakfast to wake up to!
WHAT IS ADAI?
This instant crepe like dosa (rice-lentil batter) has origins from Tamilnadu, a southern Indian state. It is a protein rich mix of lentils and rice, soaked and blended to a fine paste with chilies (traditionally dry red) and then made into dosas or thin pancakes.
Every household has its own variation. Although I started using dry red chilies in the batter and the red color of the batter sort of resembles our Konkani savory pancake Sanna Polo (with almost similar ingredients) which we normally eat with rice and dal, my husband was not too fond of the same color and almost same flavor in his dosa!
Then a big switcheroo and I used green chilies. Voila! No more sanna polo like look; but a green dosa!
Traditionally, moong dal is used (the yellow split variety), but I am not a stickler for anything that everyone makes; hence substituted it with whole moong beans; more nutritious and our favorite legume!
So, as you see, the dosa turned out totally green which we love; #gogreen!!!
Feeling adventurous and want to secretly sneak in more veggies in your family’s diet? Then stir in grated carrots, beetroots, chopped greens like spinach, moringa leaves, methi leaves or cilantro in the batter!
This is such a forgiving dosa batter; substitute the types of lentils a bit and it still comes out delicious!
Make it thin, thick, crispy or soft; you will be able to satiate the whole family’s whims and fancies as far as their choice of texture is concerned!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Adai or for that matter any south Indian dosa or idli tastes best with some delicious, freshly made coconut chutney!
My current favorite is freshly made coconut chutney using grated coconut, roasted dry red chilies, a handful of freshly chopped mangoes and a dash of dry coriander seeds!
Being mango season, I used chopped raw mangoes in the place of tamarind in my coconut chutney. If you cannot find mangoes, then use tamarind; fresh or in paste form.
Recipe for coconut chutney is given below.
But if you do not have grated coconut in your home, then feel free to enjoy these green, delicious, healthy south Indian delights with your favorite Indian pickles, molaga podi/chutney powder or even sambar if that is your thing!
Do give this easy, nutritious, protein-rich, south Indian delight Adai a try and I am sure this will be a permanent fixture in your recipe repertoire to make again and again for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!
If you are a dosa lover (or anyone in your family), then do peep into these too:
- Healthy Brown Rice and Quinoa Dosa
- Ragi Rava Dosa with Dill Leaves
- Paneer Uttapam
- Surnali Dosa (savory and sweet)
Now, do check out how I made this delicious, instant and super easy Adai:
A nutritious and high protein savory pancake traditionally enjoyed by south Indians for breakfast with their favorite coconut chutney.
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice (any variety of rice)
- ¼ each green moong whole
- ¼ cup urad dal (split and deskinned or whole deskinned)
- ¼ cup chana dal (split bengal gram dal)
- ½ tsp hing powder
- Salt to taste
- Oil for shallow frying the dosa
- 1 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
- 3 to 4 pieces of chopped raw mango (peeled)
- 5 to 7 dry red chilies lightly roasted. I have used a mix of fiery red chilies and byadgi chilies which ihave less heat or spice (you can use 1 tsp of red chili powder instead too)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp coconut oil (or any cooking oil)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Few curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash rice and lentils thoroughly and soak overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.
- Drain and blend with 2 green chilies until smooth with a little water.
- Transfer the batter to a bowl, add hing powder and salt to taste. Adjust consistency of batter to make a runny but thick batter (you can use the water that is used to rinse the blender jar).
- Heat an iron or non-stick griddle pan until hot.
- Spread ladles of batter on the hot griddle, in a circular pattern and make thin or medium thick dosa/crepes.
- Drizzle oil on top and around the dosa; cook covered on medium heat.
- When the top is almost dry and the bottom of the dosa is light brown, flip the dosa and cook again for a few seconds.
- When both the sides are cooked and light brown, remove using a spatula and serve hot with your favorite coconut chutney!
- Make as many adais as you like and refrigerate leftover batter for later use.
- If using dry red chilies, roast them in a small saucepan on medium heat until lightly roasted.
- Add all the ingredients for chutney into a blender jar.
- Using a little water, blend to a fine paste.
- Once done, remove from jar to a serving bowl.
- Add salt to taste and adjust consistency to make a flowing thick or thin chutney.
- Heat oil in a small saucepan and once hot, add the mustard seeds.
- As soon as they almost stop spluttering and popping, add the curry leaves, sauté for a few seconds on medium heat and pour the tempering over the chutney.
- Mix well and serve.
- Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Notes
We love whole green moong beans but you can use moong dal too instead.
If you prefer the traditional variety of red adai, use dry red chilies instead of the fresh green chilies. You can add it while blending the batter or soak along with the lentils.
Adjust the amount of chilies according to your taste.
When mangoes are not in season, use tamarind (fresh or in paste form in the chutney)
For a lovely and interesting variation, stir in grated veggies or finely chopped greens in the batter.
Stir in cumin seeds, ginger or even garlic for a different taste and aroma to the batter while blending.
Have fun making and enjoying this super easy dosa!
STEP-WISE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE MULTI-LENTIL ADAI DOSA:
TO MAKE THE ADAI BATTER:
Wash rice and lentils thoroughly and soak overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.
Drain and blend with 2 green chilies until smooth with a little water.
Transfer the batter to a bowl, add hing powder (optional but helps in easy digestion of lentils) and salt to taste. Adjust consistency of batter to make a runny but thick batter (you can use the water that is used to rinse the blender jar).
TO MAKE ADAIS:
Heat an iron or non-stick griddle pan until hot.
Spread ladles of batter on the hot griddle, in a circular pattern and make thin or medium thick dosa/crepes.
Drizzle oil on top and around the dosa; cook covered on medium heat.
When the top is almost dry and the bottom of the dosa is light brown, flip the dosa and cook again for a few seconds.
When both the sides are cooked and light brown, remove using a spatula and serve hot with your favorite coconut chutney!
Make as many adais as you like and refrigerate leftover batter for later use.
TO MAKE MANGO-CORIANDER CHUTNEY:
If using dry red chilies, roast them in a small saucepan on medium heat until lightly roasted.
Add all the ingredients for chutney into a blender jar. If using tamarind (fresh or in paste form), use that instead of mangoes.
Using a little water, blend to a fine paste.
Once done, remove from jar to a serving bowl.
Add salt to taste and adjust consistency to make a flowing thick or thin chutney.
TO MAKE TEMPERING FOR COCONUT CHUTNEY:
Heat oil in a small saucepan and once hot, add the mustard seeds.
As soon as they almost stop spluttering and popping, add the curry leaves, sauté for a few seconds on medium heat and pour the tempering over the chutney.
Mix well and serve with dosas, idlis, uttapams, appes etc.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
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Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!!
Adai is such a healthy breakfats dish, loaded with carbs and protein makes it a wholesome meal.
Absolutely!! So filling, delicious and healthy too 🙂 Thanks so much dear!
Adai is one of the healthy, nutritious and protein packed breakfast. Never added green gram dal. We add split moong dal. Will try your version next time. We would love to have them with aviyal and jaggery.
Avial and jaggery combo sounds yummy!!! Will try next time 🙂 Thanks so much dear!
We make idly and dosa, but must try our hands on making adai too, as I have noticed two benefits here. First adai batter does not require any fermentation and second is that these pancakes are packed with protein! Whats not to like in this 🙂
Absolutely!!! It is so filling, nutritious and delicious too! Give this a try soon dear!
Adai is one of my favourite breakfast...vey healthy and filling...Your looks so nice with perfect crisp and texture. I'm drooling over that mango coconut chutney!
Thanks a ton Padma 🙂
Adai is the best south Indain breakfast you can have. Loaded with protein , heathy and delicious.
Absolutely!!! So healthy and filling too. Thank you dear 🙂
What a wonderful breakfast to wake up to Vanitha. Love how this adai or dosa batter doesn't require any fermentation time. You've made an equally delicious chutney to go with it as I usually don't add tamarind or mango to the it.
Thanks so much dear 🙂 We cannot do without our chutney and tamarind is a must in our chutneys. Mango was a good healthy substitute for the mango season 🙂
We have many combinations fo adai in my house, it is a favorite sunday brunch. I have to try this with green gram like in your recipe.
Thank you dear 🙂
We love adai in our house and use many different combinations of lentils and grains to make it. I love adai with jaggery and butter. Love how crispy your adai looks.
Thanks a ton dear sandhya 🙂 Enjoying with jaggery and of course butter sounds heavenly!
I love the dosa. Love the fact that it can gulp so many days in it and yet become crisp too. Adai is one of my favourites.
it is grains and not days. grr auto correct.
I am a big fan of South Indian food and your recipes always make me hungry. Great recipe, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much dear <3
I love the idea of #gogreen Vanitha! Adais are a favorite for me too. It is such a versatile dish. And so nutritious too. I like your idea of using whole mung.
Haha, true!!! We love whole mung, so decided to add this to adai instead of regular moong dal and it turned out yummy!
Adai with mixed lentils is so healthy and nutritious breakfast option. I am yet to try this. It looks crisp and perfect with that delicious chutney.
Thanks so much dear <3
We love adais as it's a healthy breakfast packed with protein. I love the interesting mango coconut chutney recipe. I am bookmarking it...
Thanks a ton dear 🙂 Do try that mango coconut chutney! I cannot wait for the next mango season to make it.
I love adai dosa with coriander seed chutney! one of the best and protein packed breakfast!
Coriander seed chutney is my favorite too! Thanks so much dear <3
Adai is something I have been wanting to make for a long time just because it is loaded with lentils, but never got over to making it. Love the way it looks nice and crispy with that delicious looking chutney...
Thanks so much dear 🙂 Hope you get to make this delicious dosa soon!
How healthy it is can be assessed from the list of ingredients. This recipe is truly a gem and not to be missed in any case. Just superb.
Thanks so much dear <3 One of my favorite quick dosas to enjoy for breakfast!