Adai

Adai - The Protein-Packed Dal Pancake

Servings: 4-6
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins


Adai is a savoury pancake made from a batter of rice and mixed lentils (toor dal, chana dal, urad dal, moong dal), lightly spiced with chili, ginger, curry leaves, etc.

We will explore breakfast option from Tamil Nadu, India which brings comfort, balance, and energy through simple staples. Among these, this one dish stands out for ease of preparation, nutrition, and suits all body type as per your metabolism and prakriti (based on Ayurveda).

How to customize Adai to suit your Ayurvedic prakriti?

Vata: Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil to add warmth and moisture.

Pitta: Reduce excess chili, pepper and portion of toor dal in the batter. Pair it with mild coconut chutney.

Kapha: Add ginger, pepper to the batter for stimulation.

Here’s a recipe of nutrient-dense Adai which provides sustainable energy and is perfect for breakfast!

Ingredients you'll need

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1/4 cup toor dal (pigeon peas)
  • 1/4 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
  • 1/4 cup urad dal (split black gram)
  • 1/4 cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 1-inch piece of ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 4 tsp coriander leaves
  • A few curry leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Water as needed
  • Oil for cooking (coconut or olive oil)

Instructions


  1. Wash rice and all the dals, then soak for 3–4 hours.

  2. Drain the soaked ingredients and blend them with ginger, red chilies, cumin seeds, black pepper, and asafoetida. Add enough water to form a thick batter. It should be slightly coarse.

  3. Once blended, add salt, curry leaves. Mix well.

  4. Heat a pan or griddle. Pour a ladle of batter onto the pan, spreading it out into a circle. Drizzle oil around the edges and cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown.

  5. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar for added flavour and nutrients.


For personalized guidance on nutrition or healthy choices onboard, feel free to reach out to our in-house nutritionist,
Ms. Akshaya Mondkar, at nutritionist@executiveship.com.


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