B03 · Breakfast · Tamil Nadu

Adai (Mixed-Lentil Dosa)

Name: Adai (Mixed-Lentil Dosa)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 3 (2 adai each, about 140 g)
Cuisine: Indian (Tamil Nadu)
Ingredients: 80 g raw rice (idli or sona masoori); 50 g chana dal; 50 g toor dal; 25 g urad dal; 25 g yellow moong dal; 3 dry red chillies; 10 g ginger; 10 curry leaves; ¼ tsp hing; 4 g salt (¾ tsp); 60 g onion, finely chopped; 2 tbsp coriander; 15 g groundnut oil (3 tsp) — gingelly (sesame) oil is traditional; 150 g curd per person, optional

Good sourceVegetarian

Adai is Tamil Nadu's thick, crisp dosa made from four dals and a little rice, with no fermentation — the most protein-rich of the South Indian dosas.

Region: Tamil Nadu
Diet: Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Time, as written: Soak 3 h · Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min
Serves: 3 (2 adai each, about 140 g)
Difficulty: Easy–moderate
Status: Traditional
Good for: Weekend breakfast, tiffin

All recipes

B03AdaiPhotograph to come

Nutrition

Good source

14 gProtein

315kcal

4.5 gProtein per 100 kcal

Per serving	kcal	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Sat fat	Fibre	Sugars	Protein per 100 kcal
Per serving	315	14 g	49 g	7 g	1 g	7 g	2 g	4.5 g

Tier: Good source · 4.5 g per 100 kcal. 10 g protein per 100 g. With 150 g curd on the side: 405 kcal, 19 g protein. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.

Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.

Ingredients

Cooking

15 g groundnut oil (3 tsp) — gingelly (sesame) oil is traditional

Serving

150 g curd per person, optional

Method

Soak rice and all four dals together in 600 ml water for 3 hours. Drain.
Grind coarsely with red chillies, ginger and 120–150 ml water. The batter should feel slightly grainy, like fine semolina, and be thicker than dosa batter.
Stir in salt, hing, curry leaves, onion and coriander. Use immediately.
Heat a tawa on medium. Spread 1 ladle (about 75 g) into an 18 cm circle, thicker than a dosa.
Make a small hole in the centre with the ladle tip. Drizzle ¼ tsp oil in the hole and ¼ tsp around the edge.
Cook 3 minutes until the underside is deep golden. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
Serve hot with curd, avial or coconut chutney.

Protein optimisation

Where the protein comes from: Dals supply about 11 g per serving; rice about 2 g. Combining four dals with rice provides complementary amino acids.
Boost: Serve with 150 g curd — adds 5 g protein and 90 kcal. Alternatively, swap 30 g rice for 30 g more toor dal (+1.5 g protein per serving, slightly softer adai).

Variations, serving and storage

Regional: Kerala-style — add 2 tbsp grated coconut to the batter (adds about 25 kcal and 2 g saturated fat per serving).
Substitution: Any mix of dals works if chana dal stays at least a third of the total, for crispness.
Storage: Batter keeps 24 hours refrigerated; it may begin to sour.
Food safety: Do not leave unfermented batter at room temperature for more than 4 hours in hot weather.
Meal prep: Grind the night before; add onions in the morning.

Allergens

None of the major allergens (check hing)

Labels: Good source · No added sugar · Dairy-free · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free*

Gluten-free* means gluten-free only when certified gluten-free hing is used; most hing contains wheat flour.

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