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 varagu looks like, 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.
Varagu arisi adai recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast
Prep Time: 5 hr (soaking + resting time) | Cook time: 15 mins | Makes: 8
Prep Time: 5 hr (soaking + resting time) | Cook time: 15 mins | Makes: 8
Ingredients
Varagu – 1 cup
Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu – 1/4 cup
Toor dal/ Thuvaram paruppu – 1/4 cup
Urad dal – 2 tblsp
Moong dal – 2 tblsp
Poha/ aval – 2 tblsp
Red chilli – 6
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Onion – 1
Coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tblsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Ginger, chopped – 2 tsp
Salt – As needed
Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu – 1/4 cup
Toor dal/ Thuvaram paruppu – 1/4 cup
Urad dal – 2 tblsp
Moong dal – 2 tblsp
Poha/ aval – 2 tblsp
Red chilli – 6
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Onion – 1
Coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tblsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Ginger, chopped – 2 tsp
Salt – As needed
Method
- Wash and soak varagu separately and other dals, poha together separately for 3 hours. In a mixie, first powder red chilli, salt and asafoetida.
- Add soaked varagu, drained from water. Smooth to a little coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add soaked, drained dals and grind coarsely.
- 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 adais. 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.
Serve hot with avial or even powdered jaggery or Naatu sakkarai. 
Super healthy adai. Me too slowly started to include millets in my food
Delicious and lovely looking adai. Excellent preparation.
Deepa
What is Poha? Flattened Rice?
Yes
So nice, have to try soon..
Very healthy adai Raks
Great recipe….tried it….fantastic taste!!!!!!!
God bless u!!!!!!!!!
I tried it over the weekend and it tasted awesome ! Thank you…
Hai raji, nice clicks.superb recipe.
I saw ur recipe in thozhi magazine,congrats,keep rocking
Where can we get Varagu in Singapore
Try Mustafa – opposite to rice flour rack, along with Baba products.
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!
:'D
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.
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 🙂
Ok will try and get back to you . Thanks .
Hi I made the adai it was tasty my the adai was very hard. What might have gone wrong ?
ferment for 3 hrs before making.
Can I ferment for around 7 hrs at night??
It will be sour. You can try 4 hrs maximum.
Can we use other millets like saamai, thinai or kuthiraivali in place of varagu?
Yes sure
Tried it today, turned out to be very tasty…Thanks for the healthy recipe 🙂
What is the shelf life of the batter? And can I grind in Ultra grinder if making a bigger quantity?
Thank you for the recipe! Turned out delicious. My kids loved it 🙂
Thank you for your feedback 🙂
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 🙂
SO happy to know 🙂 Thanks for your feedback!