Mapillai Samba Adai

Mapillai Samba Adai is a healthy no fermentation tiffin that makes for a healthy and wholesome breakfast or dinner. Enjoy this wholesome mixed lentil Dosa with tomato chutney and butter.

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• Mapillai Samba Rice 
• Adai – a healthy, wholesome traditional breakfast
•  
• Ingredients
• Make ahead, shelf life and storage
• Recipe Notes
• Serving suggestions
• Directions
• Mapillai Samba Adai

Mapillai Samba Rice 

Mapillai Samba is a native variety of rice that is from Tamil Nadu. It literally translates to the Bride Groom’s Rice. 

Deeply nutty and a gorgeous reddish brown in color, this variety is my favorite when it comes to native Indian rice varieties.

Benefits

Rich in nutrients- This is an indigenous variety of rice that is a powerhouse in terms of fiber. Apart from this, it is also rich in Magnesium, manganese and Vitamin B.

This variety of rice is great to add to your everyday meals if you want to rotate your carbs, and want something filling and satiating. 

Adai – a healthy, wholesome traditional breakfast

I find that Adai is a brilliant meal idea. Filling and packed with lentils, this is a dish that can be enjoyed as a meal in itself. 

While we love the traditional version, I keep switching the grains and lentils in this recipe almost every week. For another healthier version, check out my millet Adai recipe.

 

Ingredients

1. Rice-  We’ll use two types of rice- regular Sona Masuri rice and the indigenous Mapillai Samba. A mix of both is fantastic in terms of texture and taste.
2. Green Moong Beans and other lentils-  Add protein.
3. Garlic– Helps reduce flatulence that is common in all high protein recipes. 
4. Dry Red Chili– Gives a nice spicy taste and flavor to the Adai.
5. Onions– We are going to add finely chopped onions as a stuffing. This is optional but highly recommended.
6. Coconut Oil– This tastes best when made with cold pressed coconut oil. However, you may also use any neutral flavored vegetable oil.

Make ahead, shelf life and storage

While the Adai themselves cannot be prepared ahead of time, you can definitely

• grind the batter two to three days in advance and store it in a clean air tight container in the fridge.
• also freeze the batter for up to 1 month. I love using portion sized soup containers to freeze any batter.

Freezing

To thaw frozen batter, leave it overnight in the fridge. 

Please note that the batter becomes a bit watery after freezing and thawing. The taste remains the same but the result will be slightly softer Dosai.

Recipe Notes

• Hydration is key – the soaking time in this recipe is slightly longer. This is because whole grain rice varieties need longer hydration times. This helps in easy grinding an digestion.
• Seasoning and flavors are important. If you do not add enough spices and seasonings, you will have bland Dosai. Up your Adai game by adding spices and garlic generously.
• Use a cast iron pan for Adai that is crisp around the edges with a pleasantly soft center.
• Adding onions before serving is optional but such an effortless taste upgrade. I highly recommend it!

Serving suggestions

Since this is a no fermentation recipe, I recommend serving it with something tangy on the side. Your best bets are tomato Thokku, mixed vegetable Aviyal or mor kuzhambu.

Directions

Soaking

Wash the rice and dal thoroughly under running water. The water should run clear.

Once done, soak everything together for 8 hours. Soaking time for this recipe is a bit longer when compared to the regular Dosa varieties.

This is because Mapillai Samba takes longer to hydrate. Also, lentils when hydrated for longer, grind quickly and digest easily.

Grinding

When the rice and dal has hydrated well, drain all the water used for soaking.

Divide the soaked mixture into two portions. Add the dry red chili, ginger, garlic and asafoetida along with salt to one portion.

Add this to a blender. Pulse this a few times to break down the garlic, chili and ginger to smaller bits.

Now add 3/4 c water and grind to a slightly coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining portion of the soaked mixture. Grind to a slightly coarse mixture, adding 3/4 c water. Add this to the same bowl as the previously ground batch.

Mix both the pastes well using a ladle or a whisk.

Pro Tip: Divide the soaked rice +spices into two batches for easier grinding.

Note: Add 1/2 c to3/4 c water for every batch of soaked mixture and grind to a paste. This paste shouldn’t be too smooth or too coarse. The consistency of the batter should be slightly thicker than regular dosa batter.

Making the Adai

Once you are done grinding the batter, adjust salt if required. You can also add finely chopped cilantro leaves for more flavor. 

To make this Adai, heat a cast iron Tawa. The tawa should neither be smoking hot nor cold. 

Once the Tawa is hot, spread a ladle of the batter, like how you would do regular dosa batter.

Lower the flame, drizzle some cold pressed coconut oil around the edges. Cook the Adai till you see no raw batter around the edges and the edges are golden and crisp.

We recommend- Cold pressed coconut oil for making this Adai for a fantastic flavor. Try adding different veggies like shredded cabbage, finely chopped banana blossom or spinach for a different taste Adai.

Once done, flip and cook the other side for 30 to 40 secs. When done, flip, sprinkle a handful of finely chopped onions and fold the dosa over.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.