THE FLAVOURS OF INDIA: PART II

THE FLAVOURS OF INDIA: PART II

On January 26, I had posted Part I of The Flavours of India series where I hope to cover one dish from as many as possible of the States and Union Territories that make up my country, India.

In The Flavours of India Part I, I had presented Nuchina Unde from Karnataka, Aloo & Pudhina Parantha from Punjab, Khandvi from Gujarat, and Mishti Doi from West Bengal.

In this the second part, I cover the States of Tamilnadu, Rajasthan, Goa, and Haryana:
As before, I have provided links to the recipes for each of the dishes presented.

5. Tamilnadu : Adai is made for breakfast. It's a kind of dosa made with raw rice, urad dal, channa dal, and toor dal. Today's is served with coriander and fried gram chutney.

6. Rajasthan: Dahi Papad ki Subzi: an accompaniment for the meal made using papad, yogurt and gram flour.

7. Goa: Kokum Sol Kadhi: a versatile drink with a distinctively pink colour (which comes from the kokum extract) which is served before a meal as an appetizer, during a meal to be eaten with rice, and after a meal as a digestive.

8. Haryana: Palakwali Missi Roti:  This form of roti or Indian flat bread made with atta and besan gets its distinctive flavour from the spinach and spices used to make it.

ADAI

ADAI

The adai is a form of dosa, most common in Tamilnadu. I have come across many variations. Some have holes in the centre, others don't. Some are thick, while others are thin. In some cases, the batter is made more tasty by adding drumstick leaves, which lend a special flavor to it.

I initially came across adai primarily as a breakfast dish and have accordingly included it in this category. I recognize that it is so filling, largely because of the dals used, that it can serve as a mini-meal in itself. I have at various times served this for breakfast, evening tiffin as well as for dinner!

With so many variations, you may be as confused as I first was. The version I present to you was taught to me years ago by my neighbor, a lady from Madurai. I can't vouch for its authenticity, but I can and do vouch for its taste!

I have served this one with coriander and fried gram dal chutney, but you can use any chutney of your choice. So, there you are! You have so many variations to choose from. Make up your mind and go for it!

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice, 1 cup
• Toor dal ( Pigeon Peas dal ) 1/2 cup
• Channa dal (Bengal gram dal) 1/2 cup
• Urad dhal (Black gram dal) 1/2 cup
• Red Chillies, 5-6 or as per taste
• Coconut Gratings, 3 tbsp
• Onion, chopped fine, 1
• Hing ( Asafoetida) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves, chopped, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for making adais, as per your requirement.

Method:

Wash and soak the raw rice, toor dal, channa dal, urad dal and red chillies in water for about 2 hours.
In a mixer, grind together the coconut gratings and red chillies
Once the red chillies are crushed, add the soaked raw rice, toor dal, channa dal and urad dal and grind to a coarse paste ( make sure it is not smooth) adding just the required amount of water
This forms the adai batter which should be thicker than the usual dosa batter
Remove the batter to a vessel and add salt, hing powder, chopped onions, and chopped coriander leaves
Mix this thoroughly to get an even batter
There is no need to ferment the batter
Heat the tawa, and once it is hot, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it as you would for a dosa.
Pour a little oil around the adai,
Once the edges of the adai get crisp, flip them over and cook both sides till golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot, with chutney of your choice.