Murungai Ilai Adai - Savoury Crepes made with Drumstick Leaves

Adai is a lentil and rice crepe. It is very high in protein. Makes a filling breakfast or dinner. It is a very easy recipe to make and very forgiving. A little more or less of any of these ingredients won't make much difference to the taste. So even a novice cook can make awesome adai.



Adai is one of the first recipes that I posted in my blog and I was just looking at the photos and was wondering, how a person can take such aweful photos. I have come a long way from there.

Some Adai recipes in my blog
1. Adai
2. Milagu Adai
3. Oats Adai

Now coming to today's recipe, the speciality is the Murunga Ilai - Drumstick Leaf. We used to have a tree in our backyard and we could get as much leaves and drum stick as we wanted. Now it is a rarity. I am still glad, well no grateful that we get it in our Indian Store. Hear it is hard to get even in India.



Avial (Recipe here) is served as a side dish for adai. Do not ask me why? No idea. It is just a very popular combo though Avial is usually a side dish for rice. I guess you just have to eat it to fall in love with the combo



Ingredients (Makes about 15-16 adai)



Sona Masuri Rice (or Raw Rice) 1/2 cup
Idli Rice 1/2 cup (or use any rice)
Toor Dal 1/2 cup
Urad Dal 1/2 cup
Channa Dal 1/4 cup

Onion 1 finely chopped
Drumstick Leaves 1 cup tightly packed (use spinach finely chopped if you do not get these leaves)
Dry Red Chilli 1
Green Chilli 2
Curry Leaves few
Hing (Asafoetida) a little

Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the rice and dal overnight (or for 3-4 hours).

2. Grind into a coarse paste adding enough water along with red chilli, curry leaf, green chilli, hing and salt.

3. Add the onions and drumstick leaves and mix well.

4. In a tawa (flat pan), pour a laddle of the batter and spread with the back of the laddle. Drizzle a little oil and cook the bottom side. It will take a minute or 2.

5. Flip and cook the other side, about a minute.

6. Repeat for the rest of the batter.

Serve with a chutney or sambar. Avial (a vegetable stew makes an amazing combination for adai. See recipe here).