Adai Aviyal
Make Adai Aviyal for a hearty South Indian meal. These savory lentil and rice pancakes are perfect with a creamy veggie curry.
Ingredients
- 0.75 cup raw rice
- 0.25 cup Toor dal
- 0.25 cup Chana dal
- 0.25 cup Urad dal
- 4 dry red chilies
- 1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 0.25 teaspoon asafoetida powder
- 1 medium onion
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 0.5 cup grated coconut
- 0.25 cup yogurt
- 2 cups mixed vegetables (carrots, green beans, pumpkin, potato, raw banana)
- 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 0.5 inch ginger
- 1 green chili
- 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Instructions
- To prepare the Adai batter, rinse 0.75 cup raw rice, 0.25 cup Toor dal, 0.25 cup Chana dal, and 0.25 cup Urad dal thoroughly under running water. Place them in a large bowl, add enough fresh water to cover by 2 inches, and soak for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Once soaked, drain the water from the rice and lentils. Transfer them to a wet grinder or a powerful blender. Add 4 dry red chilies, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 0.5 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 0.25 teaspoon asafoetida powder.
- Grind the mixture to a coarse batter, adding a small amount of water (about 0.25-0.5 cup) as needed until it reaches a consistency thicker than dosa batter but thinner than vada batter. The batter should not be completely smooth. Transfer the batter to a bowl.
- Dice 1 medium onion. Finely chop 4-5 curry leaves. Add the chopped onion and curry leaves to the adai batter. Mix well. Do not add salt to the batter yet, as it can make the adai less crispy.
- To prepare the Aviyal, wash and peel if necessary, then cut 2 cups mixed vegetables (such as carrots, green beans, pumpkin, potato, and raw banana) into 0.5 inch long pieces. Place the chopped vegetables in a pot with 0.75 cup water and 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder. Add 0.5 teaspoon salt.
- Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. Do not overcook them.
- While the vegetables cook, prepare the Aviyal paste. Grate 0.5 cup coconut. Peel and chop 0.5 inch ginger. Split 1 green chili. Combine the grated coconut, chopped ginger, split green chili, 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds, and 0.5 teaspoon fennel seeds in a blender with a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons). Grind to a smooth paste.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, add the ground coconut paste to the pot. Stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes, just until the raw smell of the paste disappears.
- Whisk 0.25 cup yogurt until smooth. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the whisked yogurt. Mix gently but thoroughly. Do not boil the aviyal after adding yogurt, as it may curdle.
- For the Aviyal tempering, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small pan. Add 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add 4-5 curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the Aviyal. Mix gently.
- Now, cook the Adai. Heat a flat griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly grease it with a few drops of vegetable oil. Add 0.5 teaspoon salt to a portion of the adai batter (enough for one adai) and mix well.
- Pour about 0.5 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle and spread it evenly into a thick circular pancake, about 6-7 inches in diameter. Drizzle 1 teaspoon vegetable oil around the edges and on top of the adai.
- Cook on medium heat until the bottom turns golden brown and crispy (about 3-4 minutes). Flip the adai and cook the other side until it is also golden brown and cooked through (another 2-3 minutes). Repeat with the remaining batter to make 4 adai.
- Transfer the hot adai and aviyal to serving plates. Garnish the aviyal with 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro. Serve the hot Adai with the creamy Aviyal.