Barley Adai

I've had success using barley in several dosa recipes before and this time I used barley in combination of lentils to make a healthy crepe called adai. This is a very easy recipe to make, and very nutritious too. This recipe does not use any rice at all. Still the adai turns out crispy just like adai made with rice. Now, barley is not very different from rice, if you are counting carbs. It has pretty much the same carbs as rice - approx. 40g to 45g carbs per 1 cup serving, barley has 6g of fiber whereas rice only 1/10th of the same amount, i.e. 0.6g of fiber. It is with regards to this aspect that barley is considered a better grain choice for diabetics and those counting carbs as opposed to rice.

Now onto the recipe..

Soak the barley, dals and methi together for 4-6 hours. Grind it to a grainy batter, adding the fennel seeds, red chillies and ginger. This batter need not be fermented, and you can start making the adais immediately. Add the chopped onions, chopped cilantro and chopped curry leaves if using.

Heat the griddle to medium high heat. Take a ladleful of batter and swirl it around to make a dosa. Drizzle with oil. Let cook on one side, flip and cook the other side. Remove and serve hot with chutney of choice. I served it with red chilly coconut chutney.

Notes:

Keeping the pearl barley and channa dal constant, feel free to vary the mixture of dals used. It yields the same crispy adai.

Adding chopped onions and cilantro is completely optional. I always add it to adais because it adds a great taste and aroma.

You can also add chopped greens such as spinach to the batter to make it more nutritious.

Verdict: Crispy adais - spicy, flavorful and healthy too. Makes for a great dinner or breakfast item. These adais are very filling due to the fiber content. 2 adais make a serving easily.

Sending this to:

- MLLA 58, an event originally by Susan of the Well Seasoned cook, now taken over by Lisa and

- 'Only Legumes' , event series by Pari.

- Jagruti's Gain Popularity event

- Spotlight: Show your Best Creation, event series by Ria

- Healthy me Healthy US event @ Mharo Rajasthan Recipes