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Adai (Mixed-Lentil Dosa)
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
- Status
- Traditional
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Soak 3 h · Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min
- Serves
- 3 (2 adai each, about 140 g)
- Difficulty
- Easy–moderate
- Good for
- Weekend breakfast, tiffin
- Tags
- Good source · No added sugar · Dairy-free · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free*
- Allergens
- None of the major allergens (check hing)
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 315 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per serving | 315 | 14 g | 49 g | 7 g | 1 g | 7 g | 2 g | 4.5 g |
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.
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
- 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
- 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.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com