Thavala Adai

Hello everyone,

Thavala adai is a traditional recipe from Tanjore. It is prepared with arisi kurunai(broken rice) and lentils. 

I never tasted this until I got married. My MIL makes it and I learnt this recipe from her. Thavala means big pot in Tamil. Adai is roasted in thavala instead of dosa tawa. My MIL used to make this in vengala thavalai later she started doing using dosa tawa as she used to get burns in hand while flipping the adai.  

Thavala adai can be made as a tiffin instead of regular dosa, idli,upma etc. This is rich is in protein. It is crispy outside and soft inside. This is little time consuming but it tastes great. 

This can be given to kids for lunch box and they would love it. Give it a try and here is the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a generous pinch

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp for preparing mix + 2 tbsp for roasting

Salt as needed

To Soak and Grind:

Toor dal - 1/4 cup

Chana dal - 1/4 cup

Mung dal - 1/4 cup

Urad dal - 1.5 tbsp

Red chili - 1

Green chili - 1

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 7-8 nos

Method:

1. Grind rice coarsely like sooji and keep it aside.
2. In a bowl soak toor dal, chana dal, moong dal & urad dal in enough water for 2 hrs. 
3. Transfer the soaked dals into a blender and add red chili, green chili, ginger, cumin seeds, pepper,curry leaves to it. Grind it coarsely without adding water. Keep this aside.
4. Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a large pan, add mustard seeds. Once it sizzles, add 2 cups of water, salt, coconut and hing. Allow the water to boil.
5. When the water starts to boil, add coarsely ground rice. Mix well with a laddle without any lumps. Once it is cooked, add the dal mix. Combine well to make it like upma. Allow it to cool down.  
6. Apply oil in dosa tawa and heat it. Take lemon size ball and make it like thin cutlet and roast in dosa tawa. Apply oil and gently flip to cook the other side. Add 3-4 adai in one batch. 
7. Adai will be crispy when both the sides turn golden brown. Remove them from the tawa and repeat the same with rest of the rice dal mix. 
8. Thavala adai is ready to serve with any kind of chutney. 

Mango Rice

Hello everyone,

Mango rice or manga saadham is very delicious rice which is similar to lemon rice with tangy taste. My mom used to make this but I was not fond of it. My MIL makes when its mango season. I like to take it for lunchbox.

 

This is the season for mangoes. My husband went to Indian store and bought raw mango. Its been long time since I made rice with mango. Hence, I decided to make it for lunch. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Grated Raw Mango - 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cooked Rice - 2 cups

Salt as per taste

Coriander leaves - few for garnishing

 

To Temper:

Oil - 1tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Urad dal - 1 1/2 tsp

Chana dal - 2 tsp

Hing a pinch

Green chili -  1 slit

Curry leaves - few

Peanuts - 1/4 cup

 

Method

1. Dry roast the peanuts and keep it aside. Make sure not to burn the peanuts.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add the ingredients under 'To Temper' section except curry leaves, green chili and roasted peanuts.
3. When the mustard seeds splutters and the dal turns brown, add curry leaves, green chili and peanuts.
4. Add turmeric powder, grated mango. Mix well.
5. Sauté for 2-3 mins or until the grated mango shrinks.
6. Take cooked rice in a large bowl, add the mango mix, salt, grated coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well without breaking the rice.
7.  Mango rice is ready to serve with appalam or any vadaam.

 

Notes:

1. Rice has to be cooked in such a way that it is not sticky and the grain are separate.
2. Rice has to be cooled.
3. I always use less spice so that my son can eat. If you want the rice to be more spicy, add 1-2 red or greed chili.
4. Skip step 1 if you have roasted peanuts.