Kavuni Arisi Adai | Black Rice-Lentil Crepes

Kavuni Arisi Adai | Black Rice-Lentil Crepes recipe with Step by step pictures.

The Indian diet by itself is very nutritious. It has the right amount of nutrients in a meal and is well balanced. It is amazing to note that all this was formulated / done thousands of years ago!

Now with the changing times, we have changed our diet system and go in for stuffs that are quick to make / processed / pre cooked and what not! And that is root cause of all diseases!

One very good example of how balanced out meal is , is the breakfast. Take this Adai / lentil crepes for example. It has carbohydrates from rice and protein from the variety of dals used.Cumin,asafoetida and ginger added to this aids in digestion ,since this meal is slightly on the heavier side.

Like I mentioned in one of the previous posts,animal protein is called ‘complete proteins’ as they contain all the 9 essential amino acids. Plant proteins on the other hand are termed as ‘incomplete proteins’ as they have at least one amino acid missing. There is an exception to this – Soy protein. It has all the essential amino acids.

Being vegetarians,we need not worry, for, by combining one or more plant protein we can plan the diet rich in all amino acids. Grains and pulse combination is an excellent way to obtain all the amino acids.

Not only this dish, there are so many that have this combo-.arisi parippu sadham,dhal-chawal etc.,combining rice with sambar[which has toor dhal/pigeon pea],Idli,Dosa,Chapathi with Dhal etc.

I already have adai recipe on the blog, so I made a different version using black rice. A while back Gayathri had sent me 3 mystery ingredients which was the ingredient exchange theme for one edition of blogging marathon and I had to cook with it. I made use of all the three but could not post them on time. One of the ingredients that she sent was the black rice / Kavuni arisi. I made a dish out of it and kept the remaining as such. Not wanting it to fall prey to insects, I thought of using it to make this adai.

Kavuni Arisi is a very nutritious grain.It is said to have more protein than the regular rice. Also it is ideal for diabetics and also for weight loss. It is also said to have cholesterol lowering capacity.

This grain , though called black rice is actually deep purple in color. I have seen this in China , bought a pack out of curiosity and even prepare a rice pudding with it!But only after I started full fledged blogging, I came to know that a similar variety is found in India too.

The Chettinad cuisine uses this rice to make desserts. Earlier it was not available around here. Very few high end shops used to have a pack or two. Now almost all the shops have this rice proving that it is gaining popularity and people know how good it is for the health!

Now coming to the dish of the day….The recipe is very forgiving. Any type / quantity of lentil can be used and still the adai will still turn out to be delicious. For a softer version, add a little extra urad dal.

The other best thing about this dish is that it can be used as soon as the batter is ground. Unlike the dosa batter, it does not require fermentation time. Soak the ingredients at night, grind it in the morning and prepare this for  breakfast!

Step by step method to prepare Kavuni Arisi Adai | Black Rice-Lentil Crepes

Take all the rice ,dal varieties ,chilies in a large bowl. Add enough water to soak , cover and let it sit over night.The next morning / after 8 hours, drain and discard the water. Take the dal in a mixie jar.Add a large knob of ginger[not in pic]

Grind to a smooth batter, adding water little by little. You may have to grind them in batches. Transfer the batter to a bowl and add salt. cumin seeds, asafoetida powder and mix well.

Heat a griddle and pour a ladle full of batter in the center and spread it to a circle. Spread some chopped onion, sprinkle some lentil spice mix and a little coriander. Cover and cook on low flame for a few minutes till done.

Serve hot with a side of your choice.

Note:

• You can use moong dal / masoor dal also
• Onions can be added into the batter and then made into adai.
• Drumstick leaves can also be added to the batter.
• The remaining batter can be stored in the fridge for a day or two.

 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 80