• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Raks Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe index
    • New recipe index
    • Old recipe index
  • HEALTHY COOKING
    • INDIAN OATS RECIPES
    • MILLET RECIPES
    • SALAD
    • SOUPS
    • SUNDAL RECIPES
  • LUNCH MENUS
    • Indo chinese
    • North Indian menu
    • South Indian menu
    • LUNCH PLANNER
    • Lunch box ideas
  • FESTIVAL RECIPES
    • Tamil New Year recipes
    • PONGAL RECIPES
    • VINAYAGAR CHATURTHI RECIPES
    • DIWALI SNACKS
    • INDIAN DIWALI SWEET RECIPES
    • KARTHIGAI DEEPAM RECIPES
    • Gokulashtami Date, Recipes, Guide
    • Navaratri sundal recipes, Navratri snacks
  • COLLECTIONS
    • Kuzhambu recipes
    • Paneer recipes
    • Baby corn recipes
    • Side dish for chapati
    • Side dish for idli dosa
  • Amazon Store
Home » BREAKFAST-DINNER » Adai recipe, How to make adai

Adai recipe, How to make adai

August 25, 2009 by Raks Anand 77 Comments / Jump to Recipe

adai-recipe-raks-kitchen
Adai recipe – How to make Adai – Once you try this traditional way, the recipe followed for many years, you will fall for it. Quick video, step wise pictures.

We also call adai as “orappu adai”(spicy-hot  adai). My mom’s sister’s(periyamma) place is very much famous for Adai . That place is famous for guest. I mean, always somebody will be visiting their home 😊. If no body is there,  neighborhood friends/relatives atleast will come over for lunch/dinner. It’s basically a village and almost the area have more of their relatives only. So the house will always be in a festive mood 😀.

And if somebody visits their place, if they come to know, they will soak for Adai.  But trust me they make the best Adais . May be that’s what they call “graamathu kaimanam”. When we were kids, we long to go there for vacation, for those greenery where ever we look, a house by itself is like a marriage hall, innocent people and the most important reason is the ‘bore set’ which gushes water for the garden and we used to go and take bath in it.

Check out side dish for adai:

Aviyal recipe
Coconut chutney recipe

We think that as a mini waterfall and used to enjoy a lot. Used to take bath for hours and hours. I will be mostly accompanied by my cousin Priya, my close friend those days she too is of my same age so we used to be thick friends. All those days are full of laughter,happiness and we never close our mouth😆.
My mom makes equally tasty Adai, which I am still struggling to get. My MIL makes a slightly different version, but somehow, I love this one a lot.

She just makes perfect tasting Adais, crispy and soft too (meaning not hard), with lots of shallots/small onions. She never makes Adai, if there’s no stock of shallots/small onions. And also she makes thick, how an Adai is meant to be. We always grind rice and dal separately, dal being ground coarsely. As far as I know, if we grind rice and dal together and a bit smooth, make it thin then its called adai dosai. But we all like the Adai version better. You can see a beautiful Adai dosai here. 

adai-recipe


adai-recipe
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Adai recipe

Adai recipe - How to make Adai - Once you try this traditional way, the recipe followed for many years, you will fall for it. Quick video, step wise pictures.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Soaking time & resting time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings 20
Cup measurements

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Raw rice
  • 1 cup Idli rice/ parboiled rice
  • 1/2 cup Chana dal/ Kadalai paruppu
  • 1/4 cup Toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu
  • 1/8 cup Urad dal/ uluntham paruppu
  • 1/8 cup Moong dal/ paasi paruppu -
  • 1 cup Small onions/shallots chopped
  • 4 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped optional
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves
  • 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
  • 15 Red chillies
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Soak rice and dal separately for 3 hrs minimum. First grind the red chillies with salt, asafoetida and then add rice.
  • Grind it to a coarse paste (like rava). Add dal. Use the pulse,inch or juice option to grind this dals coarsely. Make sure to wipe the sides and lids for even grinding.
  • This should be more coarse in texture as shown in the picture. Mix both the ground items well and set aside. You can keep upto 3-4 hours, or even make immediately. But standing time yields better result.
  • Just before making adai, add the onions, coriander, curry leaves and mix well. The batter should be thicker than our idly dosa batter. So adjust water as needed.
  • Heat the tawa and spread little oil and spread one laddle full of batter as thick adais,make a small hole in the middle and again pour little oil around. Let it get cooked for sometime.Turn over the adai and cook the other side too till golden brown. (you can cook covered  with a lid, before flipping )

Video

Notes

  • You can add 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped carrot as my MIL does. Also you can add chopped spring onions ,if you have any in hand.
  • Remember, small onions tastes best, so use lots of onion and if possible fully small onions, if lazy or don't have in stock, mix both and make. More the onion in the batter, more tasty the adai gets.
  • I soak for minimum 3 hours. Mom soaks just for an hour and gives resting time more. It gives really crispier results.
  • Also can add drumstick leaves to this Adai!
  • Don’t be stingy in asafetida and also adding oil to the adai, once in a while its okie right?
  • We usually grind in early evening and make adai in night for dinner.

How to make adai step by step method:

  1. Soak rice and dal separately for 3 hrs minimum. First grind the red chillies with salt, asafoetida and then add rice.step 1
  2. Grind it to a coarse paste (like rava). Add dal. Use the pulse,inch or juice option to grind this dals coarsely. Make sure to wipe the sides and lids for even grinding.step 2
  3. This should be more coarse in texture as shown in the picture. Mix both the ground items well and set aside. You can keep upto 3-4 hours, or even make immediately. But standing time yields better result.step 3
  4. Just before making adai, add the onions, coriander, curry leaves and mix well. The batter should be thicker than our idly dosa batter. So adjust water as needed.step 4
  5. Heat the tawa and spread little oil and spread one laddle full of batter as thick adais,make a small hole in the middle and again pour little oil around. Let it get cooked for sometime.Turn over the adai and cook the other side too till golden brown. (you can cook covered  with a lid, before flipping )Adai recipe step 5

These adais are crispy outside and soft from inside and has an awesome texture as we grind it coarsely. Enjoy with your favorite chutney or avial which is said to be the perfect combo!
adai-recipe-rakskitchen

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: BREAKFAST-DINNER, DOSA RECIPES

Previous Post: « How to puff roti over flame with video
Next Post: Kadai bhendi | Kadai bhindi recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anu

    August 25, 2009 at 11:41 pm

    Wow super adai. Mouthwatering…. Looks so yummy and delicious..

    Reply
  2. A 2 Z Vegetarian Cuisine

    August 26, 2009 at 12:42 am

    Looks delicious, I always grind the rice along with the Paruppu coarsely. Nice tip on grinding the rice smooth, would love to have it with Jaggery & Ghee.

    Reply
  3. jeyashrisuresh

    August 26, 2009 at 1:18 am

    i made it yesterday only. Even my mom never makes if there are no small onions at home.I add a small cup of finely chopped cabbage to it and it also enhances the taste.
    I still remmber my childhood days,my grandma used to make adai,keeping the gas stove on the floor and very took lot of time to make a adai.oops heavenly taste.

    Reply
  4. jeyashrisuresh

    August 26, 2009 at 1:18 am

    pictures super.

    Reply
  5. LG

    August 26, 2009 at 1:38 am

    Tempting Pictures Raji..slurrp..I am hungry again

    Reply
  6. Home Cooked Oriya Food

    August 26, 2009 at 2:16 am

    Awesome… Love it…

    Reply
  7. Pavithra

    August 26, 2009 at 2:41 am

    Mmmmmmm i love adais so much looks so tempting.. I love your step by step pictures always,.

    Reply
  8. Pari

    August 26, 2009 at 4:19 am

    Picture perfect Adai dear Raks. I too have some soaked chana dal, will make an adai I guess..hehe!

    Reply
  9. sowmya

    August 26, 2009 at 4:21 am

    our favourite at home…looks very tempting..have never tried adding shallots ..sounds good..

    Reply
  10. Chitra

    August 26, 2009 at 5:08 am

    I make it a bit different , my mom's method.I dont add urad & moong dal..will try once 🙂 nice clix 🙂

    Reply
  11. Sireesha

    August 26, 2009 at 5:09 am

    Mouthwatering Adai:)

    Reply
  12. Nags

    August 26, 2009 at 5:10 am

    isn't this absolutely yummy with aviyal? i love the version they have in grand sweets!

    Reply
  13. Sushma Mallya

    August 26, 2009 at 5:52 am

    Loved the step by step pic as usual…really looking good esp the colour of it…

    Reply
  14. Priya

    August 26, 2009 at 6:03 am

    Adai looks delicious…orappu adai makes me hungry yaa..

    Reply
  15. Valarmathi

    August 26, 2009 at 6:05 am

    Looks super and yummy.

    Reply
  16. Jaishree

    August 26, 2009 at 6:24 am

    Looks delicious..i made it yesterday only.Awesome step by step pic!

    Reply
  17. Sush

    August 26, 2009 at 7:23 am

    visit to villages during childhood days was a pure bliss. You have written about that village so well that I could visualize it.
    Coming to adai, it is very well explained. I shall try your version for sure.
    Finally, awesome pictures.

    Reply
  18. Priya Narasimhan

    August 26, 2009 at 8:39 am

    the photos are awesome..i too love to have it with jaggery and ghee. 🙂

    Reply
  19. lata raja

    August 26, 2009 at 11:14 am

    True thick hot adais where the dollop of ghee is just melting and the jaggery melting in the heat has no comparison.I'm drooling.

    Reply
  20. Sailaja Damodaran

    August 26, 2009 at 11:37 am

    nice click….tempting

    Reply
  21. srikars kitchen

    August 26, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Wow.. Mouthwatering Adai.. i always gring the rice along with dhals,next time i will try ur method.thxs for the info..

    Reply
  22. rekhas kitchen

    August 26, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    I always like to have karaAdai with jaggery nice tip and beautiful pic.

    Reply
  23. indosungod

    August 26, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    Lovely lovely adai. Villages are the best places for food, relatives and a very very happy life.

    Reply
  24. Mangala Bhat

    August 26, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    Looks Awesome ! Thanx for sharing da!

    Reply
  25. Shri

    August 26, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    Excellent Adai!Great Picture:)

    Reply
  26. Gita

    August 26, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    Love the color of the adai…looks so crispy and delicious..this is my hubby's fav 🙂

    Reply
  27. Mandira

    August 26, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    that's one delicious plate, yum!

    Reply
  28. jayasri

    August 26, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Now this is too bad, my mouth is really watering, i am feeling hungry all over again, i showed your photo's just now to hubby, he loves them, he just said, thumba divsa aaythu naavu maadona (it's been long time we will also make it ) they are delicious, lovely photos as usual dear, my mom used to grind it smooth but, MIL doesn't like it that way, i mean hubby's whole family want it coarsely done, i use mint, coriander, onion, curry leaves finely chopped with grated coconut sometimes with it.

    Reply
  29. priar's,

    August 26, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    Wow…mouth watering adai…i hubby likes but twice i tried and ended up in a mess:))

    Reply
  30. raaji

    August 26, 2009 at 11:01 pm

    hmm never tried this before…
    I have a small doubt raji…i would like to send few recipes for your event…but i dont have a software to create a collage of all the pics…if its fine with you can i send you those individual pics and maybe you can create a grouped pic…

    Reply
  31. Hema

    August 26, 2009 at 11:46 pm

    Looks yummy dear.. It looks very crisp.. You have added all the dhals, very nutritious. Will give it a try.. And awesoem pics as usual

    Reply
  32. Priti

    August 27, 2009 at 4:49 am

    Looks delicious …nice click

    Reply
  33. கீதா ஆச்சல்

    August 27, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    எங்கள் வீட்டிலும் இதே மாதிரி தான் அடை செய்வோம்…எங்கள் வீட்டில் அனவைருக்கும் இந்த அடை என்றால் மிகவும் விருப்பம்.

    போட்டோஸ் அழகாக எடுத்து இருக்கின்றிங்க…வாழ்த்துகள்..

    Reply
  34. Kitchen Flavours

    August 27, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    Oh wow..so many dal make it healthier and yummier…..drool worthy pics….

    Reply
  35. Kamala

    August 27, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    nice shots we also use to call this as orappu adai. good with jaggery too

    Reply
  36. Hari Chandana

    August 28, 2009 at 6:04 am

    Lovely color..looks very tempting.. mouthwatering clicks

    Reply
  37. Bharathy

    August 28, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    Varra varra recipes akattum pictures akattum melum melum sooper ave poikitteyirukku.. 🙂

    Reply
  38. notyet100

    August 28, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    i guess i will mke this for tomorrows breakfast,..

    Reply
  39. Mythreyi Dilip

    August 28, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    Super recipe yaar. Looks hot and delicious, nice click!

    Reply
  40. Viki's Kitchen

    August 29, 2009 at 2:22 am

    Adai looks so crispy n delicious. My all time fav:)

    Reply
  41. Vijitha Shyam

    August 29, 2009 at 7:38 am

    I made adai n aviyal last weekend . Its lying in my drafts.

    Your look brillaint. Crispy nice adai.

    Reply
  42. LORANDI

    August 30, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    Strayed into your blog by chance. Wonderful discovery for me !….Urad dal in adai is new to me. I too add carrot,cabbage,onion etc to make adai more tempting.

    Reply
  43. Divya Kudua

    August 31, 2009 at 10:13 am

    I have heard so much about the Adai-aviyal combo,but haven't tasted it yet.You have explained the recipe so well..I might just give it a try!!

    Reply
  44. parameswari

    October 30, 2011 at 1:03 am

    your recipes are yummmmmmmmmmmmmy and deliiiiiiicious. superb photos………..

    Reply
  45. parameswari

    October 30, 2011 at 1:03 am

    your recipes are yummmmmmmmmmmmmy and deliiiiiiicious. superb photos………..

    Reply
  46. parameswari

    October 30, 2011 at 1:03 am

    Hi mam….it is yummy. since two days i am browsing only your web site, all the recipes are very very good. The method is like my mom's cooking. i like it very much. Parameswari

    Reply
  47. RAKS KITCHEN

    October 30, 2011 at 1:05 am

    Thank you so much Parameswari 🙂

    Reply
  48. kanchana

    January 6, 2012 at 7:59 am

    hai rajji i tried this adai this is really delicious

    Reply
  49. Gayathri

    February 20, 2012 at 12:37 am

    does this recipe call for 2 cups of rice??? 1 each of raw rice n idli rice??

    Reply
  50. RAKS KITCHEN

    February 20, 2012 at 12:38 am

    Yes gayathri, 1 cup each, so 2 cups of rice.

    Reply
  51. Raaz

    May 15, 2012 at 10:21 am

    i usually search for recipes through google images. and I have to tell u ur adai pic stood out of the crowd. gr8 fotos.

    Reply
  52. Salasa Raman

    January 19, 2013 at 2:38 am

    Your recipes and pics are awesome. We make Adai too. But with toor dal and channa dal proportion reversed.. Also we ferment it like we do the dosa batter. The raw smell of Dals in the Adai won't be there.

    Reply
  53. nalini vijay

    February 8, 2013 at 10:13 am

    hai madam what is fist full

    Reply
  54. nalini vijay

    February 8, 2013 at 10:14 am

    hai madam what is fist full

    Reply
  55. RAKS KITCHEN

    February 8, 2013 at 10:15 am

    Hi, if you take the ingredient in your hand and close, it's fist full.

    Reply
  56. Indumathi Panneerselvam

    June 23, 2013 at 10:05 am

    Tried this today , awesome texture it had . Thanks Raks for all ur recipes !!

    Reply
  57. Sobiya Khan, Nagpur

    September 12, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Dear Raks nice recipe, I hav a doubt as m bit unfamiliar with South Indian food, Do tell me what is the difference between raw rice and idli rice? Can I make ths recipe using the plain raw rice we use for our day to day cooking? Awaiting ur suggestion..Thx in advance…:-)

    Reply
  58. Raks anand

    September 12, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    Raw rice is what we cook for eating. Idli rice will be more short and parboiled rice which cannot be cooked for our lunch. Only used to make batter for idli and dosa. Uncanny sure replace it with any eating rice like raw rice or parboiled rice. You can ask for idli rice in any South Indian shops.

    Reply
  59. Ria Madhuri

    May 21, 2014 at 11:26 am

    1 cup is hw many grams

    Reply
  60. Ramanathan S

    October 12, 2014 at 2:00 am

    Looks amazing.

    Reply
  61. Sathya Lakshman

    February 24, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    I made adai exactly as per your instructions. It turned out to be the yummiest adai we have had. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  62. Unknown

    June 8, 2015 at 12:33 am

    Hi, can the batter be prepared today and used in the following days (by mixing onions etc.) as and when we need to make the adai?

    Reply
  63. Raks anand

    June 8, 2015 at 12:37 am

    Yes you can grind and keep refrigerated. Just mix onion when needed. Do not add onion and refrigerate.

    Reply
  64. sangamithra parthasarathy

    September 9, 2015 at 1:08 am

    Hi.. Yummy adai…tried out for the first time but it turned out a little Watery.. Can you please help? 🙁

    Reply
  65. Raks anand

    September 9, 2015 at 1:14 am

    Keep t refrigerated, soak again little more rice and dals, grind it without water and mix in.

    Reply
  66. Unknown

    September 25, 2015 at 8:42 am

    super

    Reply
  67. Thilak saravanan

    November 19, 2015 at 1:24 am

    Adding cabbage will make the adai crispier

    Reply
  68. sowji

    August 13, 2016 at 3:24 am

    Soooper. …I made two times the notes given at last was really helpful thank u for sharing

    Reply
  69. Unknown

    October 5, 2016 at 8:16 pm

    This proportion is fine. I also tried idli rava in the place of boiled and normal rice , used only idli rava with dal, and added maize ,the adai tasted awesome

    Reply
  70. Blogger

    June 29, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    Added one tomato .. and did not wait for fermentation..Came out well 🙂

    Reply
  71. Ms Zyed

    July 7, 2017 at 11:40 pm

    Hi Raks, tried this adai n came out perfect n tasty. May I know you're using mixie for grinding batters like the one in picture. Is it good for dosa / idli batter? May I know which brand model mixie are you using?

    Reply
  72. Raks anand

    July 8, 2017 at 12:14 am

    This one is Panasonic and pretty good. I am currently using Preethi. I use wet grinder Ultra for idli dosa batter.

    Reply
  73. Unknown

    August 10, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    Made this today for bfast. My only complaint is nobody would stop eating. I did soak it much longer than specified but still came out crisp and tasty. Thank you

    Reply
  74. I'm a Mom

    January 31, 2018 at 7:16 am

    Hi, can we eliminate using parboiled rice as it's not available. Or could you suggest a substitute

    Reply
  75. Raks Kitchen

    February 19, 2018 at 5:11 am

    Yes you can use raw rice fully

    Reply
  76. kanchan vishwakarma

    July 23, 2019 at 1:54 pm

    My adais become a bit kadak. Can someone tell me why?

    Reply
    • Raks Anand

      July 24, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      With this much dal, it wont become hard crisp (if you mean kadak means hard?) Did you grind coarsely or smoothly? Please refer my video for more details of the consistency 🙂 Keep for more time aside for fermentation. let me know if you need further clarifications.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About Me

Hi,
I am Rajeswari Vijayanand, cook, author, photographer behind Raks Kitchen.

Instagram

Read More…

Latest posts

  • Avocado crema, avocado dip/ spread
  • Veppam poo thuvaiyal, neem flower recipes
  • Dangar chutney, Dangar side dish for idli dosa
  • Bajra khichdi recipe, pearl millet khichdi
  • No bake oats energy balls, oats peanut butter energy bites

Browse older posts

logo

Browse by category

BY INGREDIENT

  • PANEER RECIPES
  • CARROT RECIPES
  • BEETROOT RECIPES
  • MILLET RECIPES

Top Posts & Pages

  • Dangar chutney, Dangar side dish for idli dosa
  • Potato fry recipe, easy potato fry, aloo fry
  • Avocado crema, avocado dip/ spread
  • Eggless doughnut recipe, Basic donut, soft & light
  • Recipe index
  • Adai recipe, How to make adai
  • Indian lunch menu ideas
  • Medhu vadai, Ulundu vadai recipe - With video
  • Appam recipe without yeast, How to make appam
  • Rava kesari recipe, How to make rava kesari without lumps

TOP CATEGORIES

  • TIFFIN SAMBAR RECIPES
  • BIRYANI RECIPES
  • PULAO RECIPES
  • DOSA RECIPES

IDIYAPPAM RECIPES

  • Chilli garlic vegetable idiyappam
  • Schezwan style idiyappam recipe
  • Masala tomato idiyappam, winning recipe by Sanjana Yugan
  • Lemon idiyappam recipe
  • Kothu idiyappam recipe | Masala idiyappam
  • Idiyappam varieties | Lemon, Dal, sweet (Breakfast menu–18)
  • Sweet idiyappam recipe (With coconut and Jaggery)
  • Stuffed idiyappam – Breakfast menu 7
  • Milagu jeeraga idiyappam recipe | Breakfast recipes
  • Puli idiyappam recipe | Variety idiyappam recipes
  • Thengai sevai recipe | Coconut sevai
  • Tomato sevai | Thakkali sevai recipe

PIZZA RECIPES

  • Stovetop pizza recipe, Tawa pizza
  • Pizza sandwich recipe | Easy kids lunch box ideas
  • Pizza dosa recipe | Kids snack recipes
  • Veggie thin crust pizza recipe
  • Spicy veggie pizza recipe | Homemade pizza with Zucchini topping
  • Paneer tikka pizza recipe| Indian flavored pizza
  • Bread pizza Bread cup pizza recipe
  • Homemade pizza recipe, how to make pizza

Footer

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

I am Raks anand, writer and photographer of this recipe website. My real name is Rajeswari Vijayanand. It has been almost 10+ years of blogging and I thought if you want to know more about me, I should introduce myself to you all… I am also like most of the house wives, who learnt cooking only after marriage... Read More

Copyright © 2007 - 2019 Raks Kitchen, All rights reserved.
Privacy & Cookies