Traditional Karthigai Adai | Karthigai Deepam Adai Dosai
Karthigai Adai is a traditional, flavorful, and protein-rich South Indian dosa variety prepared especially during the auspicious festival of Karthigai Deepam. This festive adai is a unique version of the regular adai dosa, made using a combination of two types of rice (typically raw rice and parboiled rice) and four types of lentils (toor dal, chana dal, urad dal, and moong dal). The batter is spiced with black pepper, cumin seeds, red chilies, curry leaves, and salt, which infuses the dish with a robust, aromatic flavor. Unlike the regular adai, onions are omitted, and the addition of pepper and cumin seeds distinguishes this dish, giving it a deeper, more traditional taste profile.
Karthigai Adai holds special significance as it is prepared as a neivedanam (offering) to Lord Murugan during Karthigai Deepam, a festival that celebrates the divine light. This dish is often paired with other traditional offerings such as Karthigai Pori (sweetened puffed rice) and Appam, symbolizing devotion and togetherness.
The adai is not just festive but also a highly nutritious dish, offering the goodness of lentils, which are rich in protein and fiber. It is hearty, filling, and perfect for a festive breakfast or dinner.
Key Features of Karthigai Adai:
1. Traditional Recipe: It follows a recipe passed down through generations, making it an essential part of Karthigai Deepam celebrations.
2. Spice Profile: The use of black pepper and cumin seeds gives this adai a distinct, aromatic flavor, setting it apart from the everyday adai dosa.
3. No Onions: To maintain its sanctity as a neivedanam, onions are not added to the batter.
4. High Nutritional Value: Packed with the goodness of lentils and rice, it is rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.
5. Crispy and Flavorful: When cooked to a golden-brown crisp, the adai develops a slightly crunchy texture on the outside while remaining soft on the inside.
Tips to Make Perfect Karthigai Adai:
1. Soaking Time: Soak the rice and lentils separately for at least 4–5 hours to ensure they grind smoothly.
2. Batter Consistency: The batter should be slightly coarse and not too watery to achieve a crispy texture.
3. Even Grinding: Grind the rice and dal together with spices until it reaches a semi-coarse texture. Avoid over-grinding to preserve the traditional taste and texture.
4. Seasoning: Add the pepper, cumin seeds, and curry leaves towards the end of grinding to ensure the flavors remain fresh and aromatic.
5. Resting the Batter: Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes to an hour for better flavor.
6. Cooking Technique: Spread the batter evenly on a hot tava and cook on medium flame. Drizzle a little gingelly oil or ghee for a rich, crispy adai.
7. Serving Suggestions: Serve the Karthigai Adai hot with jaggery, butter, or coconut chutney for an authentic festive experience.
In this blog post I’ll guide you through the step by step process to this traditional Karthigai Adai recipe
Ingredients
Parboiled idli rice- 1/2 cup
Toor dal -1/2 cup
Bengal gram dal- 1/2 cup
Green gram dal- 1/2 cup
Urad dal- 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds- 1 Tbsp
Pepper-1 Tbsp
Red chillies- 4-6 nos
Salt
Asafoetida-1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few
Oil as required
Recipe Video
Method
👉Wash and soak the rice and dals together for 2 hours.
👉Drain water and grind to coarse and thick batter along with red chillies,cumin seeds,pepper and salt.
(Note-first grind the spices and then add the rice and dal mixture).
(Note- sprinkle water for grinding if needed).
👉Heat dosa tawa and pour a laddle full of batter on to it and spread gently to thick dosa shapes.
👉Drizzle oil on top allow it to cook on one side until golden brown colour and then flip the dosa and cook on other side as well.
👉Serve with jaggery ,butter or coconut chutney.
Preparation Time-2 hours for soaking and 30 mins for cooking
Yield-12-14 adais depending on size
Note-
✍️Use very less quantity of urad dal or you can avoid it completely because it will ferment the batter very quickly and will change the flavour of the adai.✍️Use the adai batter immediately after grinding.
✍️We do not add onions for this adai if you are keeping it for neivedanam.