Ada (Adai)

Eat these ada (adai) rice and lentil crêpes (dosa) with podi (south Indian spicy chutney powder) and mango pickle (avakkai) for an Indian-style breakfast.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 177 Calories

Ingredients

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

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine chana dal, urad dal, moong dal, and rice in a large bowl; cover with several inches of cool water. Soak 8 hours to overnight.

Step 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.

Step 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 tawa; 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.