Thavaladai

Thavaladai is an olden tamil dish that we relish very fondly. This can be made healthy if the oil is used moderately. This could form a wholesome meal without compromising on taste. Seems like in olden days it used to be prepared in metal pots called ‘thavalai’ on conventional stove that uses fire wood. They are cooked very slowly for a longer time to get a hard crust and soft inside portion which is the acme of this dish.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1.        Idly rice – 2 cups

2.        Tuvar dal – ¾ cup

3.        Bengal gram – 3 +1 tbsp

4.        Dried red chillies – 3

5.        Salt as per taste

6.        Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

7.        Asafoetida – ½ tsp

8.        Oil for tempering and roasting adai

9.        Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

10.   Urad dal -1 tbsp

11.   Curry leaves -1 sprig

12.   Onion – 1 cup finely chopped

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak together idly rice, tuvar dal and 3 tbsp of bengal gram for 2 hours. Grind them very coarsely into thick batter with red chillies, turmeric, asafoetida and salt and keep aside.

Step 2: Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds; add urad dal, bengal  gram, curry leaves , onion and fry till onion turns slightly brown. Add this seasoning to the batter and mix well.

Step 3: Now in the same kadai, drizzle a little oil and spoon a big ladle of batter into it; cover it with a lid and simmer the heat for 3 minutes.

Step 4: Check for golden brown crust and flip the adai, drizzle more oil if necessary and leave it uncovered for 2 minutes.

Step 5: Once done on both sides, serve the Thavaladai piping hot with chutney or grated jaggery.

TIPS:

* The batter can be prepared, refrigerated and tempered before preparing thavaladais to have the tempered dals crisp.

*The excess batter can be stored in fridge for next day’s use. My mom says people ferment it to get sour taste (After all in those days there was no fridge and they liked the way it tasted the next day, may be)

* I use appachatty for thavaladais and my mother-in-law dilutes it a bit and makes it in dosa tava like thick dosa.