Rice-lentil Adai with onion-tomato chutney

Adai is one of my childhood favorites. Despite, hailing from Chennai, I never cared much for idlis when I was a child. But I loved Adai. With equal amount of rice and dals (Toor dal and Channa dal) it is very healthy and tasty food for children. Adai is a variety of the South-Indian dosa, but, the batter should be a little thicker than dosa batter. The adai being naturally lower in calorie it is great for the entire family. I used to eat adai with vellam/jaggery. But both Naz & Anjalie prefer a chutney and in particular Anjalie loves the Onion-Tomato chutney. I like to make my Onion-Tomato chutney with slightly more tangy by using canned tomatoes. You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste.
This is great for breakfast. It fills you up and keeps you going until late in the afternoon.
For ADAI

You will need:

Parboiled rice    1 cup
Toor dhal    1/2 cup
Channa dal    1/2 cup
grated ginger 1/2 tsp (optional)

Red chilli    4-5
4 shallots/ 1/2 big onion  finely chopped
asafoedita    1/4 tsp

2 whole fresh green chillies (optional)
curry leaves  5-6 leaves (optional)
salt to taste

1 tbsp coconut powder (optional)
1 tbsp oil for lubricating the skillet/tawa (optional)

Soak rice and both the dals with dry and fresh chillies for 2-4 hrs. Two hrs when using Idli rice and 4 hrs if using parboiled rice.

Grind in a wet grinder/food processor/blender into a relatively smooth paste.

Add grated ginger

and chopped onions

and the coconut powder






Heat a skillet/tawa into medium-high heat and lightly grease the tawa with oil. I use non-stick tawa, so, I skip this step. Make a slightly thick-ish pancake. 





When the top looks cooked, flip the adai over to the other side and cook for a further minute. Serve warm with your favorite chutney.

  

For Onion-Tomato chutney:

You will need:
Canned tomatoes - 100 grams/ 3 ripe tomatoes
Big onions - 1 chopped
Garlic - 5-6 cloves (optional)
Oil- 2 tsp
Salt- to taste
3-4 red dried chillies (optional)
1 fresh green chillies (optional)




To temper:
Oil- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds
Asafoetida a pinch
Red chilly powder- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp or to taste
Dhania/coriander powder- 1 tsp
Curry leaves a few (optional)

Heat 2 tsp oil in a sauce pan to medium heat. Saute onions and the chillies until golden brown.

Add the tomatoes, garlic and salt and cook until most of the water evaporates






Cool and blend into a smooth paste. Add the oil to season in the same pan, splutter the mustard seeds followed by asafoetida and curry leaves. Switch off the flame and add the powders (chilly powder and coriander powder). Mix the tempering into the paste immediately. Check and adjust for salt.

Goes great with idli, dosa, adai, rice, roti,... etc