Varagu adai is a tasty millet based healthy recipe along with mixed dals. Step by step photos recipe.

I tried replacing rice with varagu (Kodo millet) and tried the regular adai recipe with slight modifications. It turned out great.
I am trying out recipes to include millets in day to day recipes and I really liked this one.
Spicy, flavorful, with lentils to add on. You can use the same recipe and make paniyarams as well.
To see how my first recipe with this millet, check out my varagu kanji post. Millets AKA siru dhaniyam can be easily consumed as we can replace certain millets in place of rice and get the benefits.
Instructions
1. Wash and soak varagu separately and other dals, poha together separately for 3 hours. In a mixie, first powder red chilli, salt and asafoetida.
2. Add soaked varagu, drained from water. Smooth to a little coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add soaked, drained dals and grind coarsely.
4. Transfer to the bowl. Mix well and set aside for minimum 2 hours. Add all the other ingredients, chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger just before making adai.
5. Heat a dosa pan, grease with oil and make small thick adais. Cook in medium flame and flip, cook until golden in colour.
Serve hot with avial or even powdered jaggery or Naatu sakkarai.
Recipe card
Varagu adai recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Varagu
- ΒΌ cup Chana dal
- ΒΌ cup Toor dal
- 2 tablespoon Urad dal
- 2 tablespoon Moong dal
- 2 tablespoon Poha aval
- 6 Red chilli
- β teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 Onion
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon Ginger chopped
- Salt
Instructions
- Wash varagu firstly and soak separately and other dals, poha together separately for 3 hours.
- In a mixie, firstly powder red chilli, salt and asafoetida.
- After that, add soaked varagu, drained from water. Grind to a little coarse paste and transfer to a bowl.
- Then, add soaked, drained dals and grind coarsely and transfer to the bowl.
- Mix well and set aside for minimum 2 hours.
- Add all the other ingredients, chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger just before making adai.
- Heat a dosa pan, grease with oil and make small thick adai.
- Cook in medium flame and flip, cook until golden in colour.
Notes
- Poha, urad dal and moong dal makes the adai soft.
- Standing time gives softer adais, otherwise, adai will be had.
- Add water carefully, otherwise the adai batter may become watery.
jeyashri suresh
Super healthy adai. Me too slowly started to include millets in my food
Hamaree Rasoi
Delicious and lovely looking adai. Excellent preparation.
Deepa
Prita
What is Poha? Flattened Rice?
Raks anand
Yes
gangaa subaraj
So nice, have to try soon..
Vimitha Anand
Very healthy adai Raks
sujatha thamby
Great recipe....tried it....fantastic taste!!!!!!!
God bless u!!!!!!!!!
Sri Nagalakshmi Karumuri
I tried it over the weekend and it tasted awesome ! Thank you...
Jayanthi Sindhiya
Hai raji, nice clicks.superb recipe.
I saw ur recipe in thozhi magazine,congrats,keep rocking
Unknown
Where can we get Varagu in Singapore
Raks anand
Try Mustafa - opposite to rice flour rack, along with Baba products.
withacupoftea Cupoftea
Looks yum! This recipe is the first I stumbled upon when searching for millet dosa.
will checkout other recipes as well.
I had a laugh, because I read "Naatu Sakkarai" as "Naatu Sarakku" and went "whaaat???" LOL!
Raks anand
:'D
Subha
hi, I bought as varagu seeds which are black in colour-- with the skin on. please tell me how to remove the skin and cook it.thanks. regards,subha.
Raks anand
You can try this : Mix very little water to wet the millet and keep aside for 15 minutes. Pulse in mixer in quick intervals. The husk will separate. Later using muram, you can separate the husk. Repeat the process if needed. I have not tried this personally, but have seen this process for other millet. This could work with varagu too I hope π
Subha
Ok will try and get back to you . Thanks .
subashini
Hi I made the adai it was tasty my the adai was very hard. What might have gone wrong ?
Raks anand
ferment for 3 hrs before making.
Archana
Can I ferment for around 7 hrs at night??
Raks anand
It will be sour. You can try 4 hrs maximum.
shankar
Can we use other millets like saamai, thinai or kuthiraivali in place of varagu?
Raks anand
Yes sure
pugal
Tried it today, turned out to be very tasty...Thanks for the healthy recipe π
Swan
What is the shelf life of the batter? And can I grind in Ultra grinder if making a bigger quantity?
Indumathi Kandasamy
Thank you for the recipe! Turned out delicious. My kids loved it π
Raks Anand
Thank you for your feedback π
Indumathi Kandasamy
Thank you for this recipe! Very delicious and loved by my picky eaters. I have substituted kodo with barnyard millet too, it turned out good as well π
Raks Anand
SO happy to know π Thanks for your feedback!