Ada (Adai)

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 15
Yield: 15 servings

Description

This ada (adai) rice recipe for lentil crêpes (dosa) is usually served with podi (south Indian spicy chutney powder) and mango pickle (avakkai).

Ingredients

1 cup split Bengal gram (chana dal)
1 cup skinned split black lentils (urad dal)
1 cup rice
1/2 cup split yellow lentils (moong dal)
water, as needed
2 dried red chile peppers, or to taste
salt to taste
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions

1 Combine chana dal, urad dal, rice, and moong dal in a large bowl; cover with several inches of cool water. Soak 8 hours to overnight.
2 Grind soaked dal-rice mixture, chile peppers, and salt into a paste using a mortar and pestle; transfer to a bowl. Add enough water to make a batter just thin enough to spread; stir in cumin seeds.
3 Heat a griddle (or a tawa) over medium heat; lightly grease with oil around edges and in the middle. Ladle some batter on the griddle; spread into a thin circle using the back of the ladle or a large spoon. Cook about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook about 3 minutes more; transfer to a plate and serve immediately. Adas are best eaten hot off the griddle. Repeat with remaining batter.