I had published this as a guest post for Sangee of Spicy Treats earlier this year. During my recent trip to India, my MIL made this thavala adai for dinner. That was the first time I was tasting it and completely fell in love with the adai. The one thing that I forgot to ask was the reason behind the name. It certainly sounds funny, but the taste is unbeatable. Why didn’t I make this earlier was what I kept asking myself as I savored each bite patiently .

I also purchased the aapam pan from India and it worked perfectly for this adai. The grinding can be done in the mixie itself since it has to be very coarse and no need to deal with the big grinder or pausing between grinds to allow the mixie to cool. That is a big time saver for me. Off to the recipe.

My Notes
1. A concave vessel needs to be used for this adai because it has to be thick in the middle.
2. The batter has to be very coarse. Think of rice upma sandwiched between two crispy layers. I will grind my batter much coarser than this the next time.
3. The adai has to be covered and cooked to enable the center part to get cooked.
4. Heat should be on a medium or lower than that to allow the adai to cook slowly.

1 year ago: Paruppu Urundai Rasam

Pictorial
1. Soak the dals and rice separately overnight.2. Grind using a blender to a very coarse and thick batter.3. Add salt.4. Mix well and ferment overnight. The batter needs to be thick.5. For seasoning, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, curry leaves and green chillies.6. Add the seasoning and cumin seeds to the fermented batter.7. Mix. Remember that the batter has to be very thick unlike regular dosa or adai batter.8. Heat a concave vessel (kadai). I used my aapam pan. Pour 1/2 tsp of oil first. Then pour a ladle or 2 of the batter. The heat should be medium or slightly lower than that because the adai needs to cook thoroughly in the center.9. You do not need to spread the batter like regular adai or dosa. Just pat it a little here and there to get a circle. Pour 1/2 tsp of oil around the edges and close with a lid.10. After a few minutes the bottom will be cooked. Can you see the adai browning around the edges. Time to flip over.11. Flip over and pour 1/2 tsp of oil around the edges and close with a lid.12. When both sides have a nice brown color, the adai is done. Serve with chutney.
Can you see the crispy outer layer and a soft interior? Adai tasted yummy and we had it with a side of coconut chutney and sambar.
Enjoy!
Linking to CWS – Dal.