Thavalai Adai

Thavalai adai gets its name as it used to be prepared in a brass or bell metal (vengala panai) vessel. It can be made in an iron frypan or any shallow heavy bottomed frypan.

Ingredients:

• Raw rice-2cups
• Kadalai-paruppu (channa-dal)-3/4 cups
• Thuvaram paruppu (thuvar dal)-3/4 cups
• Uluttham paruppu(urad-dal)-1/4 cups
• Payaru or payathum paruppu-1/4 cup
• Asafoetida-1pinch or 2tsps powdered
• salt to taste
• Red chillies-4-6
• black pepper-4-5
• curry leaves-a sprig
• coconut grated-1/2 cup
• corriander leaves-cut finely
• Sesame-oil

Method:

• Soak rice separately and the lentils (paruppu) separately for about two hours. Drain water and grind  coarsely rice separately and the lentils separately.
• Add curry leaves, grated coconut and corriander leaves.  Add asafoetida and salt. Mix both batters and the thavala adais can be prepared immediately. The batter should not be watery.
• Take a handful of batter and spread it on an oiled heated fry-pan. Use a whole spoon of oil and spread it around the adai.  Close with a lid and keep the flame at medium.
• Turn it around and spread another spoon of oil.  Put on the lid and remove with slotted spoon when reddish-brown. Prepare the rest the same way. Sesame-oil is ideal although any cooking medium can be used .Offer to Perumal.

Recipe by Smt Vyjayanthi Rajan