Adai (Quick Lentil Dosas) Recipe

When it comes to breakfast, I am firmly in the savory camp. My playbook involves a spiced strata, breakfast burritos, savory yogurt parfaits, or anything from the dosa family, especially adai. Making dosa batter is generally a days-long process starting with a long soak of three parts rice to one part lentils, blending them, and leaving the batter to ferment in a warm spot for 6–8 hours. Adai flips that ratio. Made with three parts mixed lentils to one part rice, the batter is ready to use right after blending, with no fermentation needed. Adai is a food I grew up eating, particularly when company turned up to our house unannounced. Adai’s higher proportion of lentils also makes it a protein-packed start to the day.

If you like a fluffier style, you can make your batter on the thicker side. Love crispy, lacy dosas? Dilute your batter so it’s thin like milk, which helps you spread it paper-thin over the pan. You can eat them on their own, but my favorite way to eat adai is with a side of sambar or dosa podi. While typically made with ponni rice, a special varietal popular in South India, adai is just as effectively made with any other type of parboiled rice. Parboiled or converted rice has been partially cooked in its husk before being dried and packaged. With a more golden hue than regular white rice, parboiled rice is considered to be higher in resistant starch, with a lower glycemic load than its counterpart.

Read More: A High-Protein, Low-Carb Dosa Recipe to Fuel Your Mornings