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. 

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu

This is an elaborate kuzhambu, but is worth the effort and time you put in. It goes very well with rice and potato fry. I have always relived the Sundays this kuzhambu was made during my childhood days.  I am going to make it again this weekend too.

Ingredients:

Thuvaram paruppu/Toor dal - 1 cup
Red chillies - 2 nos
Asafoetida powder 2 pinches
Tamarind - A big lemon sized ball
Salt - to taste
Sambhar powder - 2 tsps
Oil - 1.5 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure:

1.) Soak Toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu  for about 20 mins
2.) Grind it together with red chillies, turmeric and  1 pinch asafoetida powder  to the consistency that you can take it in ur hand and roll it into a ball easily.... Its okay if it is not ground smoothly.
3.) Make the ground mixture into a balls/ urundais the size of a smaller lemon and keep it aside in a closed mixing bowl.
4.) Make a syrup out of tamarind and let the syrup be a lot watery than usual as it takes in a lot of boiling.
5.) In a wide large saucepan, add oil and heat it for tempering
6.) Add mustard seeds to split.
7.) Add asafoetida powder.
8.) Add the tamarind syrup, sambhar powder and bring it to boil in medium to high heat.
9.) When it is boiling, add some salt and let it boil for a minute.
10.) Bring the heat to medium. Then add the paruppu ball/urundai one by one. First add one ball/urundai. It will sink to the bottom. It takes a bit of boiling to come to the top. Only when it floats while boiling, take it out and keep it aside. It means that, the ball is cooked completely. Then drop the second one. If the saucepan is big enough to take 3 or more urundais/balls at a time, then u can do so. But it should not hit each other and break. Take care that the next batch is dropped only when the first batch is completely taken out and kept aside. IMPORTANT POINT IS DO NOT STIR WHILE THE BALLS/URUNDAIS ARE BOILING. IT WILL BREAK.
11.) When all the urundais/balls are done boiling, then put them all in together in the kozhambhu... by this time, the tamarind syrup should have reached the kozhambu consistency.
12. Get the heat to low and let the saucepan sit on the stove for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.

Paruppu urundai kozhambu is ready.

Oats adai

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

Oats                                                       - 1 cup
Mung dhal split yellow                            - 1/2 cup
Green mung beans whole/ Pachai payaru - 1/2 cup
Toor dal/ Thuvaram paruppu                   - 1 cup
Chana dal/Kadalai paruppu                     - 2 tbsps
Masoor dal                                              - 1/4 cup
Red Chillies                                             - 10- 12 nos
Asafoetida powder                                  - 1/2 tsp
Ginger                                                     - 3 inch piece
Curry leaves                                            - 2 sprigs
Salt                                                         - 2 tsps or to taste
Oil                                                          - 50ml

Method:

1.) Soak Items 2-6  for 2-3 hrs.
2.) Soak oats for 10 mins
3.) Grind all of them together with red chillies, ginger, curry leaves and salt to the consistency of a dosa batter.
4.) Add asafoetida powder and mix well and rest for 5-10 mins to let the flavors infuse.
5.) Place a tawa/griddle on the stove and heat with a medium heat setting.
6.) When the tawa/griddle is hot, add a tsp of oil to make it on non-stick and spread.
7.) Take a ladle full of batter and make adais.

Oats adai is very very light on the tummy when compared to the normal rice adai. It has the added nutritional benefits of oats.

Variations in oats adai:

There can be as many variations in oats adai as your creativity can reach. I am listing some.
Add a bunch of rougly cut coriander leaves including the stem to the batter and make adais.  The most yummy and flavorful coriander leaves oats adai.

Add a cup of cut and cleaned banana blossom/ banana flower/ vazhaipoo florets to make it the mesmerising vazhaipoo oats adai. Imagine the double dhamaka health benefits of oats and vazhaipoo in one single mouth-watering item!