This dish is mostly prepared on “Karthigai Deepam Day” and hence it is also called as “Karthigai Adai”. This can be served with Vellam and Vennai (Jaggery and Butter). For spicy taste, serve with Idli Milagai Podi.
Milagu adai is a traditional South Indian snack or breakfast/dinner dish made with a combination of lentils, rice, and black pepper. The batter for adai is prepared by grinding soaked lentils, rice, and black pepper together, along with other ingredients like coconut, cumin, etc. This batter is then spread on a hot griddle or tawa to make crispy and flavorful adais. They are typically served with Jaggery and butter. Milagu adai is not only delicious but also nutritious due to the high protein content from lentils and the aromatic flavors of black pepper.
Milagu Adai
4
servings4
hours30
minutesDiscover the delicious and nutritious South Indian snack, Milagu Adai. Made with lentils, rice, and black pepper, it’s crispy and flavorful. Perfect with Vellam and Vennai (Jaggery and Butter). Try it on Karthigai Deepam Day for an authentic experience!
Ingredients
Parboiled / Idli Rice – 1 cup
Raw Rice – ½ cup
Urad Dhal – ½ cup
Bengal Gram Dhal – 1 tablespoon
Thuvar Dhal – 1 tablespoon
Black Pepper – 1 tablespoon
Cumin (Jeeragam) – 1 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, adding pepper, jeera (cumin seeds), and salt. Grind everything into a coarse paste. Just before you finish grinding, add coconut gratings and give the mixie a quick blend for one or two rotations.
- Heat a tawa over medium heat and lightly oil its surface. Take a handful of the batter, place it on the tawa, and spread it out with your fingers to form a round shape. Scatter a few pieces of coconut over the top and drizzle a little more oil around the edges of the adai. Cook until light brown spots appear on the underside, then flip it over to cook the other side.
- This method produces adai that is slightly firm, but crispy and flavorful. For a softer adai, simply add a bit more water to the batter to make it thicker. Pour a large ladleful of this batter onto the tawa, spread it into a circle, sprinkle a few coconut pieces on top, and cook as described above.
Recipe Video