Multi grain adai

I was recently into a "mode" where I was thinking about how to expand the nutritional spectrum to achieve a balanced diet every single day, if possible without the use of vitamin supplements, deriving what we need from what we eat. That resulted in formulating new recipes, modifications and adding new twists to the age old dishes our mom and grand-moms made. This is one such recipe.

Ingredients

Oats                                                                - 1/2 cup
Bajra (Kambu) flour                                      - 1/2 cup
Ragi flour                                                       - 1/2 cup
Wheat flour                                                    - 1/2 cup
Channa dhal ( Kadalai paruppu)                    - 1 handful
Mung  dhal ( Payathamparuppu)                   -  1/2 cup
Toor dal ( Thuvaram paruppu)                       -  1 cup
Green whole mung beans (Paasi payaru)      -   1 cup
Ginger                                                            -   2.5 inch piece
Curry leaves                                                   - 2 sprigs
Asafoetida powder                                         - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies                                                    - 10 nos (depending on your spice level)
Salt                                                                 - To taste

Method

1.  Soak channa dhal, mung dhal, toor dhal, green whole mung beans together for 3-4 hrs.
2. Simultaneously, mix bajra (Kambu) flour, ragi flour, wheat flour together to a thick batter . It should be of dosa batter consistency.  Let this batter remain like this for about 3-4 hours.
3. Soak oats separately for 10 mins.
4. Grind oats and the soaked dhals together with ginger, salt, red chillies, curry leaves to a coarse batter.
5. Mix this with the flour batter that has been left aside for 3-4 hours, add asafoetida and give it a good mix.  Adai batter is done.
6. Heat  tawa and make delicious multi grain adais.

If using whole grains instead of flout  (bajra/kambu, ragi ), soak it along with dhals and grind into a coarse batter.

Multi grain adais are delicious and superior in taste compared to the normal adais and very light on the tummy. They can be had with ghee, jaggery, avial, plain yogurt, butter, honey or anything you prefer to have it with. 

Kambu adai / Pearl millet adai / Bajra adai

Kambu/ Pearl millet/ Bajra is very rich in calcium and has a lot of protein too. My father always and always recommends me to use kambu in my kitchen often.  It helps in intestinal transit, it is rich in phosphorus and B vitamins , has a wider nutrient spectrum, obviously. I have always loved kambu/bajra a lot because of its unique taste and flavor. My grand-mom left many recipes of kambu to posterity. This is one among them.

Recipe 1 using wholegrain

Ingredients:

Kambu/ Pearl millet (wholegrain)                                 - 1 cup
Thuvaramparuppu/Toor dhal                                         - 1 and 1/4 cup
Kadalai paruppu/Chana dhal                                         - 1/4 cup
Pachaipayaru/Whole mung beans                                 -  1 cup
Payathamparuppu/ Mung dhal                                      -  1/2 cup
Ginger                                                                           -  2 inch piece
Red chillies                                                                   -  12 - 15 nos depending on one's spice level
Asafoetida                                                                    - 1/2 tsp
Salt                                                                               - As needed
Curry leaves                                                                 - 2 sprigs

Method:

1. Soak kambu/pearl millet, thuvaramparuppu, kadalai paruppu, pachaipayaru, payathamparuppu together for 2-3 hrs
2. Grind the soaked dhals and pearl millet along with ginger, red chillies, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida powder with water to a coarse batter like the one we grind for adai.
3. Heat tawa/griddle on stove and when the griddle is hot, pour a tsp spoon of oil, coat it fully and then pour a ladle full of batter and  spread it to make adais.

Recipe 2 to make with kambu flour/ pearl millet flour

Ingredients:

Kambu/ Pearl millet (flour)                                            - 1 cup

Thuvaramparuppu/Toor dhal                                         - 1 and 1/4 cup
Kadalai paruppu/Chana dhal                                         - 1/4 cup
Pachaipayaru/Whole mung beans                                 -  1 cup
Payathamparuppu/ Mung dhal                                      -  1/2 cup
Ginger                                                                           -  2 inch piece
Red chillies                                                                   -  12 - 15 nos depending on one's spice level
Asafoetida                                                                    - 1/2 tsp
Salt                                                                               - As needed
Curry leaves                                                                 - 2 sprigs

Method:

1. Soak  thuvaramparuppu, kadalai paruppu, pachaipayaru, payathamparuppu together for 2-3 hrs.
2. Mix 1 cup kambu maavu/flour/ pearl millet flour with water to make it to a thick batter. Let it rest like that for 2 -3 hrs.
3. Grind the soaked dhals along with ginger, red chillies, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida powder with water to a coarse batter like the one we grind for adai.
4. Mix the kambu/pearl millet batter with the ground mixture and let it rest for 30 mins. Mix well. 
5. Heat tawa/griddle on stove and when the griddle is hot, pour a tsp spoon of oil, coat it fully and then pour a ladle full of batter and  spread it to make adais.

Very tasty kambu adai is ready to be had with ghee/butter/plain natural yogurt/vethakozhambhu/aviyal /morkozhambhu/anything you would want to have adai with.

For a variation , dice onions as small as you can and add it to the adai batter and make adais for the mouth watering kambu vengaya adai/ Pearl millet onion adai. Pearl millet goes very well with onions.