Sprouted Mung and Ragi Adai (Savory Mix Lentil Pancake)

I guess all the bloggers who have posted Adai recipes recently will remember me telling them how much I love this savory Indian pancakes. And they will also remember Commenting that I don’t make it, as Hubby does not like to have something so filling for breakfast. A couple of months ago when everyone was posting Ragi recipes for an event, I got inspired and bought a ½ kg packet of Ragi. I tried to sprout and mix it with our regular salad but honestly dint like the taste very much. So it was lying at one corner of the cupboard till I discovered these at Usha's Veg Inspiration.  She has some real good recipes, which are amazingly tasty and very very healthy. So I decided to give it a try with some more lentils. I wanted to reap the maximum benefit of the grains and planned to sprout them first and then make Adai or Indian lentil pancakes.

Adai is a kind of lentil and rice pancake just like dosa but is thicker and spicier. Apart from the regular rice and urad dal, which goes into the Dosa batter, Adai also requires South Indian staple legume Arhar. The best part of preparing Adai at home is it does not need any fermentation. Just soak the grains, grind and fry with little oil. Besides you don’t have to be a pro to spread batter on a sizzling hot pan like you do for thin Dosas, Adai is comparatively thick and two of the normal size pancake for breakfast will make you go through late afternoon. It’s awfully easy but incredibly delicious with some chutney or podi (powder) at the sides. I prefer to have them for a healthy light lunch with regular coconut chutney.This is the perfect Home alone meal that I can prepare  and enjoy for consecutive 3-4 days.

I was not sure of the exact quantities of lentils that go into the Adai batter and everyone seems to have their own version. So I just decided to follow my way, which included some udad dal to act as the binding agent and chana dal for extra taste.  Also finally called for the pack of Kerala rosematta rice, which was happy to sit and adorn my pantry shelf with her bright brown hue. And then it was time to grind and fry the pancakes. I used a non-stick Tawa and the urad in the batter made it very easy to spread the batter. The sizzling sound and the tempting aroma that wafted out of the pan comforted and tempted me all at the same time. I was amazed to see the crunchiness and the beautiful spotted texture that sprouted ragi lends it. My son who is very fond of South Indian food came again and again to me with an open mouth indicating that he needs some more and he made it clear by pointing at the chutney that he needs the condiment with the pancake as well. God only knows how this little kid can eat the red chilies that went into grinding the chutney but he loved it. Same with Husband. I just asked if he would like to have one as an after office snack to which he reluctantly agreed. But after the first bite he was delighted and enjoyed the taste. Now he wants me to make these for breakfast sometimes. This time my effort has been rewarded so thanks to all of you goodies for inspiring us in making better and healthy choices in life.

Sprouted Ragi and Mung Adai

(Yields 8 medium size pancakes)

Ingredients:

Mung bean (yellow lentil with skin): 1/3 cup

Ragi: 1/3 cup

Urad or black gram lentil: 1/3 cup

Chana dal (Bengal gram lentil): 1/4 cup

Uncooked rice: 1/3 cup

Dry red chilies: 5-6 pieces

Curry leaves: 2-3 sprigs

Ginger: 1" piece

Salt

Oil: 1/2 tsp for each of the pancakes.

Method:

The sprouting process needs a little bit of preparation if you want to make your own sprouts at home.

For this thoroughly wash the ragi and mung beans and then soak them overnight. Next day drain the water and again rinse under running water. Now wrap the grains in a muslin or thin fabric and keep on the kitchen counter. Every 6-8 hours rinse to keep them moist. After 24-36 hours the sprouts would be ready for grinding. For detailed home sprouting procedure please check THIS.

The rice and other lentils also need 2 hours of soaking so plan the process accordingly. I generally let the sprouts grow for 36 hours and then just 2 hours before the mealtime soak all other lentils and rice.

After all the grains are soft grind them in batches with all other ingredients except salt and oil. Don’t make a very smooth paste. Let it be a little coarse to have texture and crispiness.

Once the lentil-rice mixture is ready, mix in salt and give it a good stir.

Heat a pan and spread a little oil. I used a non-stick pan and just added a few drops oil in the beginning. Use a cut eggplant or onion piece to spread the oil uniformly on the pan. Alternatively a cooking spray would be great option.

Once the pan is sizzling hot place one big ladleful of batter in the center and swirl in a circular motion to spread the batter from center to the side. If the pan is not covered use more batter as required. Sprinkle drops of oil on the edges and the top of the pancake. Using a wooden spatula spread the oil uniformly.

Once the bottom side is roasted with a golden brown colour flip and roast the other side too.

Serve hot with any accompaniment of your choice.

A dish of healthy Adai, Coconut chutney and Coffee, my home alone Lunch.

A Homemaker's Notes:

Traditionally asafetida is also added while grinding the batter. I dint use as I had mine with some coconut chutney with little bit asafetida. 

other accompaniments could be tomato chutney, green chutney with mint and coriander, peanut chutney or gunpowder.

This recipe is very accommodative so just go ahead and use any mix of lentils. You can see This Adai from Saffron hut, which is made with 16-bean soup packet.

A version of Adai, which is only made with Mung beans, is called Pesarattu and is a popular breakfast item in Andhra Pradesh.


Always freeze the excess batter in a covered container. I store mine in a bowl wrapped in cling film. this stays good for a week.

Events:
to MLLA#25 started by Susan and at Siri's Corner this time.

To Lets sprout a new event started by Priya.

Tried and Tasted hosted this month at Taste space, originally created by . This month featuring our lovely Usha from Veg Inspiration. 

Tags:

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