Name: Adai Recipe - Murungai Keerai Orappadai Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 20 adais
Ingredients: Raw Rice – 1 cup; Idli Rice – 1 cup; Channa Dal or Kadalai Paruppu – 1/2 cup; Tur Dal or Tuvaram Paruppu – 1/4 cup; Yellow Moong Dal or Paasi Paruppu – 1/4 cup; Urad dal or Ulutham Paruppu – 2 tbsp; Whole dry red chillies – 20; Asafetida – 1/2 tsp; Ginger – 1 inch piece; Onions - 1/2 cup (chopped); Murungakeerai / Drumstick leaves – 2 handful; Salt – to taste; Oil – to cook

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Updated on February 24, 2019

Adai Recipe with step by step photos. Adai made with rice, mix of dals (lentils), murungai keerai (drumstick leaves) is highly nutritious and protein rich. Its served either for breakfast or dinner usually along with Aviyal, coconut chutney, jaggery and butter to make a wholesome and balanced meal.

We call it as a “Orappadai” which is “Orappu” (spicy) “Adai” which is to differentiate it from other types of adai. My Grandma makes delicious, spicy adais as that’s how we love at home. She used to grind both the rice and dal separately and later mix both together and never fancied batter made in a mixie jar.

The adai used to be so thick in size, crisp on the outside with a soft and spongy centre that we kids used to munch on it all day long whenever we felt like snacking after playing. I still could not think of a better snack that is highly nutritious for the kids.

Normally We soak the ingredients after lunch, grind the batter between 4 and 5 in the evening, rest the batter for 2 to 3 hours and make adais for dinner. Any left over batter can be stored in the fridge and can be used for breakfast the next day.

Though you can make adais immediately after you grind the batter, the texture and taste turns out great when you rest the batter for at least 1 to 2 hours. You can also keep the batter to which salt has not been added in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, Just make sure that you have not added onions or anything else.

Instead of Murungai keerai, you can use curry leaves or coriander leaves or a mix of both. Adjust the quantity of red chilies according to your taste, though this quantity is what should be used, to prevent the adais from tasting bland.

Adai Recipe with stepwise photos:

1. Take both rice together. Wash and soak in enough water for 3 hours.

2. Take all the dals in a bowl. Wash and soak in enough water for 3 hours.

3. Soak whole dry red chilies in warm water 30 minutes before grinding adai batter.

4. Grind the soaked chilies and asafoetida to a coarse paste first.

5. Add the drained rice and adding water little by little, grind to a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl.

6. Add drained dal and adding enough water, grind to a coarse or smooth paste. Transfer to the same bowl.

7. Beat both batter together to combine properly. Add onions, murungai keerai, ginger, salt and mix well.

8. Heat a tawa, add a ladle full of batter and spread around by patting with the flat side of the ladle. Drizzle oil around, cover with lid and cook for 1 to 2 mins till crisp.

9. Gently flip and let the other side of the adai get cooked as well.

At home, we are partial to Aviyal, so I always serve this piping hot adai with coconut chutney. You may also like this Brown Rice Adai and Ragi Adai.

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