Grandma’s recipe: Thavalai Adai

Source:Sowdhamini Raghavan:the hindu Metroplus:July28,2011

A Traditional Thanjavur recipe

A wholesome meal with the goodness of grains, ideal for dinner

What you need:

Crème of raw rice (broken rice): Two cups

Toor dal, Bengal gram, black gram (together): Half cup

Shredded coconut: Half cup

Red chilies and green chilies: Two each

Ginger: One inch piece

Asaefoetida: quarter tspn

Curry leaves: one sprig

Mustard seeds: one tspn

Oil: four tspn

Water: five cups

Salt to taste

Cooking instructions:

Soak the cup of combined dals in water for half an hour. Grind with red chillies in a multi-mixer. Wash the broken rice and drain excess water. Grind in a mixer until it turns into coarse powder. Heat one teaspoon oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds and then add coconut, asoefetida, curry leaves, ginger and chopped green chillies. Next add water, ground dal and salt. When it begins to boil, add rice powder and stir well until it boils to a consistency. Take off from fire and cool. Make lemon sized balls of the batter, flatten in your palm and make a hole. Heat a non-stick tawa with a lid. Keep adais in a row and pour oil in the holes and cover with lid. Cover for five minutes and turn over the adais and cook until they are brown and crispy. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Sowdhamini Raghavan is a homemaker who spends her leisure reading, listening to music and gardening. With an avid interest in tailoring, she also loves solving Sudoku and crossword puzzles.