Adai (not ada) is a spicy, high in protein, dosa variant. But unlike dosa which is made with just rice and urad dal, Adai is more nutritious. It is made with other lentils like tur dal, muthira (horse gram) and channa dal. This makes adai high in proteins.
Moringa / Methi leaf dosa is a speciality of the GSB community; while this Adai is mostly a Tam-Bram one!
There is a famous saying in the Tamil Brahmin dialect - Talayalam, "Adai thinnal thoda thattum."
Literally translation: Eat 'adai', thigh hit.
Interpretaions are either you will love it so much that you say 'bhalle besh' / 'wah-wah' / 'moi bien' and slap your thighs relishing it.
Second is slightly scary. Since adai is made of lots of protein and much oil is used in it's cooking, the distance between your two thighs will reduce due to fat accumulation and they will rub against each other!!
Both are right. As it is tasty and very heavy!
In Malayalam, they call 2 close friends - Adayum chakkarayum.
As you can see Adai used to be a tiffin made frequently in households before. Or else, would there have been so many references to it in our language?
What is the accompaniment to Adai?
1. I love it with Chakka Varatti.
2. But Jaggery / sharkara/ gud works fine too.
3. My brother likes his with Honey.
4. My mama loves his with butter.
5. My cousins with butter and sugar.
6. Restaurants are promoting Adai with Avial.
Ratio of Rice : mixed dals = 3:1
Ingredients:
White rice / pacharissi - 3 cups
Tur dal - 1/3 cup
Channa dal / kadala parippu - 1/3 cup
Urad dal (with skin) / karutha uzhundu - 1/3 cup
Red chilly - 3
Salt to taste
Pepper - 1 tsp (opt)
Jeera - 1 tsp (opt)
Dry Coconut (Copra) - 2 tbsp (opt)
Curry leaf - 3 sprigs
Asafoetida - 2 tsp
Til oil / nallenai - as required to make ada
Method:
Soak the rice, dals and red chilly in ample water for 3 hours.
Grind to a paste (might be coarse) with ample water.
Ferment batter for 6 hours.
Add salt, asafoetida, torn curry leaf and any of the other optional ingredients mentioned. Mix well.
Make dosa on hot tawa and use the til oil liberally to crisp it.
Serve hot with any of the accompaniments mentioned above.
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