Black gram with skin (karuppu ulundhu) is what makes this adai hearty and protein-packed. I soak it with parboiled rice and dals for 4 hours, grind coarse with red chillies and black pepper, then stir in fresh coconut.
I spread the batter thick on a hot tawa and top it with coconut bits, so the edges turn crisp while the center stays soft. It needs no fermentation, which makes it a great filling breakfast or snack when I want something wholesome without the wait.
More recipes to try: Butter Dosa, Kal Dosai
Karuppu Ulundhu Adai Recipe
Karuppu Ulundhu Adai
Karuppu Ulundhu Adai is a thick, crisp lentil-rice pancake spiced with chillies and pepper, enriched with coconut, and pan-cooked until golden.
4
servings4
minutes30
minutesIngredients
Parboiled / Idli Rice – 1 cup
Black Urad Dhal – ½ cup
Bengal Gram Dhal – 1 tablespoon
Thuvar Dhal – 1 tablespoon
Red Chillies – 2
Black Pepper – 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Fresh coconut grated – ½ cup
Coconut cut into tiny bits – 1 to 2 tablespoons
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Oil – as required
Directions
- Soak the rice and dhals for approximately 4 hours. After soaking, wash them and drain the water thoroughly. Transfer the soaked ingredients to a mixer grinder.
- Add red chillies. Black pepper and salt and grind it to a coarse paste.
- Transfer to a bowl and add asafoetida powder and coconut gratings. Mix well. The batter should be thick.
- Heat a tawa and grease it with little oil. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it thick.
- Sprinkle few coconut pieces on top. Drizzle a spoon of oil around it. Cook for few minutes and flip it over. Cook till crisp and remove.
Notes
- Store leftover adai in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat on a hot tawa with a little oil to make them crisp again.
- The batter should be thick and coarse, not thin like dosa batter. A thick batter gives the adai its crisp edges and soft center.
- Unlike dosa, this batter needs no fermentation — you can spread and cook the adai immediately after grinding.