Adai Dosa: A Crispy, Golden, And Delicious Dosa

Talk about South Indian delicacies and one of the first things that come to our mind is the dosa. The crispy and healthy Indian pancake is what we call a perfect meal that can be devoured at any time of the day. And those tasty accompaniments in sambar and coconut chutneys make dosas even more desirable. 

So, Monday mornings, when you are slightly feeling blue, a good crispy Adai Dosa, a tumbler of filter kaapi and a side of chutney will get all your batteries recharged. Dosas are a South Indian-style crepe made of rice batter and served with different chutneys or bhajis. Adai Dosa is a twist on the traditional dosa. A south Indian savoury pancake recipe prepared mainly with a combination of lentils and spices. 

It is a healthy and protein-packed dish which can be enjoyed for morning breakfast with coconut chutney. Unlike the traditional dosa recipes which are thinner and prepared with rice and urad dal, Adai dosa is thick and heavier with rice and a combination of lentils with spices. Also, unlike a dosa, adai does not go through the fermentation process. This delicious crepe can be made crispy or soft, depending on your preference.

Leading food historian KT Achaya of Tamil Nadu, says in his 2003 book, titled The Story Of Our Food, that dosa (as dosai) had been in Tamil culture since the 1st Century AD. He believes it was part of the ‘ancient Tamil territory’ that includes Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Lakshadweep Island, and only parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, as is dictated by the Sangam literature - the earliest form of Tamil literature available.

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Here’s the recipe for Adai Dosa.

Ingredients:

For soaking:

• 1 cup sona masuri rice or dosa rice
• ¼ cup toor dal
• ¼ cup chana dal
• 2 tbsp urad dal
• 2 tbsp moong dal
• ¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
• 5 dried Kashmiri red chilli
• Other ingredients:
• 2 tbsp onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp leaves (roughly chopped)
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp cumin/jeera
• pinch of hing/asafoetida
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil for roasting

Method:

• Put all the ingredients required for soaking in water for 5 hours.
• Blend to a slightly coarse paste adding water as required.
• Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl.
• Add in 2 tbsp onion, 2 tbsp coriander, 1 tbsp leaves and ½ tsp ginger paste.
• Also add 1 tsp cumin, a pinch of hing and 1 tsp salt.
• Mix well making sure everything is combined well.
• Check for thick flowing consistency, add more water if required.
• Further, pour a ladleful of batter onto a hot tawa and spread gently.
• Pour a tsp of oil over adai.
• Allow cooking on low to medium flame.
• Now, flip the adai and cook both sides by pressing gently.
• Finally, fold the adai dosa and serve with green chutney or coconut chutney.