July 30, 2007

ZUCCHINI-CARROT ADAI

Delicious Zucchini-Carrot Adais are my entry to Nupur from "One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables" event.This week's letter is "Z", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Zucchinis:

Zucchini is European in origin,it was brought over by Italian immigrants, and probably got its start in California.The zucchini is low in calories, contains useful amounts of folate, Potassium and vitamin A.The zucchini has a delicate flavor and can use in quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs.There is no need to remove the skin.They are best undercooked.

Adai: Adai is a delicious and easy to make savory pancakes made with different kind of dals/pulses and rice.I use Brown rice to even more nutritions.Added with grated vegetables,they make a great breakfast,lunch or dinner.

Zucchini Adai with red Coconut chutney:

Adai is my favorite dish.Not only you don't need to ferment the batter, it is also chockful of protein with all the dals/Pulses we add to it.You can even enhance the taste and nutrients by adding many grated vegetables in the batter like I did here.Enjoy.

You need:

For batter: 1 cup Brown or white rice,1/2 Tuar dal,1/4 cup channa dal and 1/8 cup Urad dal,1 tsp cumin seeds,2 red dry chillies,salt and 2 tbsp yogurt.Pinch of baking soda as an option.
Vegetables: 1 cup grated Zucchini,1 Carrot grated, 1/2 small onion finely chopped,1 green chilly chopped(optional),1'2" grated ginger, 2 tbsp Cilantro,1 tbsp Mint leaves,1 Tomato finely chopped(optional).




Save 1/4 of zucchini for slicing to top the Adai.Slice the Zucchini into very thin slices,squeeze a little lemon juice on them and keep aside.


How to make them:



Soak the batter ingredients with just enough water to top the rice ,spices and dals for 2-3hrs. Add to the blender and grind everything together in batches until you get a coarse semolina/cream of wheat like paste.It should of thickish pouring consistency like dosa batter,may be little thicker than that.Now add all the chopped vegetables to the batter and now it's ready to make Adai.Adjust the salt,add soda if you like and mix.





Heat a non-stick pan until hot and turn down the heat slightly.Pour a ladle full of batter,spread to thick 6-7" circles.Immediately place 3 slices of Zucchini on top and press a little while batter is still soft on top.Drizzle some oil on top and the sides. When the bottom is golden,flip carefully and cook the other side until firm but not too long since Zucchinis will get too cooked.



Take it out on a plate and serve hot as soon as possible with red Coconut chutney.

Red Coconut chutney:
This is a relatively easy chutney most of you probably know already.I will give you my version anyway.It tastes great with Adais or any dosa or idlis.

You need: 1 cup fresh coconut, 3 tbsp Chana dal, 2 dry or fresh red chillies, 1 tsp Coriander seeds,2 tsp Urad dal,1 tsp Mustard seeds,3 tbsp plain yogurt,1/2" ginger, 1 garlic,salt and few Cilantro stems.(not cilantro leaves which makes the chutney green or skip it to be safe!;D)
How to make it:
1. Stir fry chana dal and Urad dal first in 1 tsp oil,then Mustard seeds,chillies and Coriander seeds in a pan until they are slightly reddish in color.
2. Add all the above ingredients including fried spices in a blender along with Yogurt and grind to a smooth paste.You can add little water if it's too thick to grind.
3. Take it out in a bowl,adjust the salt and serve.

That's it! Enjoy and have a great week!:))

62 comments:

Coffee said...

AHHA!!! Z is for zucchini! Cool!!! Great pairing with adai! Very smart Asha Aunty! ;) :P

archana said...

Nice recipe Asha :) I am also coming with a zucchini recipe for Nupur's event :)

J said...

Hi Asha! I made pink coconut chutney (will reveal recipe :)) this morning to go with my dosas. I love that adai ( Smacking my lips!!)

Laavanya said...

I have zucchini on my mind too. Asha, that was a good idea ot use it in Adai - i always just use carrots, cabbage and methi. Must try with zucchini next time. :) it looks so pretty and so does the coconut chutney - YUMMY!

Mishmash ! said...

hmm.,..that was another clever take from you :) it looks like a small focaccia bread to me :P

Suganya said...

Zucchini adai........This is so different....All ur pictures are looking great...Red Coconut chutney is looking amazing....

FH said...

LOL!! Thank you coffee niece!!
Zeera, Zafrani(Saffron) are some I can come up with even though they are not veggies!!

Thanks Archana.Zucchini is the first thing that came to my too.Looking forward to your's!:)

Hi J,thanks. Pink?! Hmmm..!! I am thinking now. Beets? I can't wait!Post ASAP!:))

FH said...

Laavanya,you can practically add everything under the Sun to adai,tastes so great and healthy too.I think we will see lot of Zucchini recipes for Nupur this week!:))

Hahaha!! shn, Indian style Foccacia!! Not bad ,eh?
Loved reading your post today,thanks again!:)

Thank you Sukanya.For me, it's like a great comfort food and nutritious too.Veggies add to the taste.Try it!:)

Tee said...

Adding brown rice and veggies to Adai batter is so smart! :) Zucchini-carrot Adai look yummy!
Guess, we are going to see a lot of Zucchini this week ;)

FH said...

Yes we are Tee!Zucchinis Galore!:))
Brown rice also gives it a nice reddish color to dosas too besides being very nutritious.Try next time.

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Looks delicious and healthy! I have yet to try out adai, I think this recipe will be my first time.

Kanchana

KellytheCulinarian said...

Wow, how different and beautiful. Thanks.

sra said...

I've never liked adai much but yours was interesting to see, anyway!

bee said...

okay, you've made zucchini. now, what does everyone else make? zotatoes and zabbage ??

love adais. and my crookneck squashes are looking at me, so they'll go into adai. thanks for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
zucchini-carrot adai is something new to me.will surely try.

shalini

Poonam said...

What a lovely recipe Asha!Ummm

Pavani said...

Indian twist on pancakes?? Great idea. Love the pics.. those adai look delicious and nutritious.. Thanks for the idea Asha.

Sig said...

not sure if my prev comment went through... :( my laptop is acting weird. Anywayz I was saying that Adai is Siv's favorite, though my tummy can't handle all those daals together... Adding Zucchini is a great idea... We will get to see a lot of zucchini dishes this week I guess, I might even make one up, :) thanks for the inspiration!

Manasi said...

Nice!!! u make the bland zucchini look good!!!!

Arts said...

Yummy.. lovely for weekend breakfast :) thx for sharing..
got to chk out ur earlier recipes still :( WIll chk out soon!

FH said...

Kanchana,thanks.Try it and you will love the crispiness of Adai!Best thing is ,it is lot quicker than the regular dosa!:)

You are welcome Kelly.New dish for you I bet.Hope you try!:)

sra,you don't?! I discovered Adai last year from a cookbook and I loved it ever since.Of course,it doesn't have the same fermented taste as the Urad dosa.Try it with Brown rice with all the veggies,you might like it:)

FH said...

LOL!! Zourd will do too!
Bee,this will be another Xacuti/Zucchini week! I already saw two more Zucchini dishes in other blogs today!:)
Squash in Adai sounds great.I just cut 3 gourds from the backyard,thanks for the idea.

Hi Shalini,you will love Adai if you haven't tried it before,very crispy.It's different taste than regular dosa.Enjoy!:)

Thanks Poonam.Hope you try.Makes a great breakfast too:)

bha said...

Adai looks inviting....way to go with Z for Zucchini

FH said...

Isn't that great Pavani? I love Adais .You can have delicious dal-rice dosa within 2hrs!! Tastes great too any way you make it.Try it!:))

You are welcome Sig!:)
Yes,I saw two more Zucchini dishes already! :D
This veg is so versatile,why not? Bring your's too,more the better!
Try this,you might like it.I keep the proportions as half rice and half all the dals combined to keep it lighter.

FH said...

Manasi,you are so right! Zucchinis are so bland,it makes you cry for some spice!!:D
They are soft too,perfect for adding to dishes. Try Adais.Chutney is spicy!:)

Arts,hope you try for weekend,perfect dish for Brunch. Take your time browsing,I don't think there are many you missed.I just posted one single dish last week!:)

Thank you Bha!:)) Zucchnis are so fluffy soft,tastes great in crisp Adais!:)

Latha said...

How innovative Asha! Nevr thought of zuchinnis with adai. Sounds yummy!
Cheers
Latha

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

Love it! I like the sliced zucchini on top!

FH said...

Thank you Latha.I just throw everything but the kitchen sink in there. tastes great!Try it!:))

Thanks KA.Those zucchinis are so delicate,they fall off if you them cook little longer than necessary!:D

Viji said...

Very creative Asha,Good work,keep it up:-)

Anh said...

Asha. this is so good. You are a great cook. Always come up with the great idea!

Anonymous said...

Yummy recipe to use up zucchini, Asha! Like bottle gourds, so many times as a kid we had too many of these squash and were looking for ways to avoid it. Cooked this way, I bet it's scrumptious. Love the chutney recipe too -- I haven't made too many coconut chutneys. Very pretty to look at too :)

Roopa said...

cool Adai! he he sakathagi madidira :) looks very nice with the zuchini sliced on top. so atlast you never missed any A-Z right. bye have a great week ahead BTW when is your surgery? looking forward for the oriya RCI, i do not have much idea what i will cook up he he see you :)

Richa said...

hey, those zuchini roundels on top of adai look so cute :) must taste yum, liked the adai idea, i like the zuchini fritters as well!
was busy with rci write up!

Sharmi said...

hey, that is so creative of you. and the dosas have come out so well. lovely entry.

Suganya said...

Zucchini is such a versatile veggie. In cakes or in adai, they blend well, bu stay moist. Great recipe Asha. Takes care of the veggie serving too :)

Srivalli said...

rocking recipe Asha...it looks so tempting...

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

Raaga said...

Looks very tempting. When can I come over?

Viji said...

Adai with anything looks great Asha. With the red coconut chutney it is so colourful and could feel the taste. Viji

SeeC said...

Thats an innovative idea Asha. I had planned to make adai this week...will make Zucchini-Carrot adai. Lovely post.

FH said...

Thank you Viji!:)
This is my favorite lunch combo.

Anh,I was bowled over by your beautiful cake yesterday! This is nothing infront of that girl!:))

Linda,that's true about having too many of one thing, end up disliking it! Zucchinis are not available in India,so it fascinates me right now!Trying to see how many dishes I make with it!;D
Try small amount of coconut chutney and see if you like it.Must use fresh Coconut!:)

FH said...

Roopa, I started A to Z from letter E,so my marathon is not done yet!!:D
Surgery is not scheduled yet,probably in 2 or 3 weeks,going to talk with the Surgeon again tomorrow.
Try the Adai if you get Zucchini there.Oriya will be out tomorrow at FH.Google 'Oriya cuisine',you will get an idea for dishes.Bye,have a good day!:))

Richa, Zucchinis cook so quickly,I love to add to everything! Fritters sounds yummy,I must try that too.
I can't wait for Punjabi round up.I know you have lot of work to do with so many entries,good luck!!:))

Hi Sharmi,thank you.They taste great and it was hard for me to stop eating after two Adais!!:D
Try it.

FH said...

Suganya,I make Zucchini cup cakes too,they are fabulous.Never thought of posting it,stupid me!:D
YUP! Protein,vegs and Carb,perfect meal.If you skip Coconut chutney,there will be lot less fat too!:)

Thank you Sri!:)
Hope you make it this weekend for brunch!Enjoy.

Hahaha! Raaga, you can come over anytime but I will have soak rice and dals to make them again!:D
Thanks girl, enjoy.

FH said...

Hi Viji,thank you,I love it!:)
Of course you must know this dish already.Your Weekend lunches are so yum!:))

Seec,thanks.You can practically add anything to make it yummy.Add Spinach,Methi leaves ,greenpeas etc too.Such a healthy dish.Enjoy the lunch!:))

USHA said...

Wow Adai looks gr8 with this combo....perfect entry for the event too....

Sharmi said...

hey Asha, what surgery are you going to get done? I had emailed you asking about this but you did not reply back. hope all goes well with you and wish you good health and happiness. take care and God bless.

Priyanka said...

Thats such a great recipe Asha... the adai must have tasted fabulous with the coconut chutney.... on my list it goes:)

FH said...

Thank you Usha.You must know the Adai recipe already,just throw in some Zucchini!:)

Hi Sharmi,sorry about that!I haven't checked my e mail in a week or so,I will today!
I am planning to have a Lasik surgery for my bad eye sight,nothing major!Don't know when yet,let's see!I will e mail you later:)
(I have written the detail on the bottom of my FH post,you probably have missed it)

Thank you Priyanka.Hope you do make it,it is very tasty and healthy too!Enjoy!:)

Pooja V said...

Z for zucchini adai rocks !! ur pics look so yummy. This one is first on my to do list now...will try it this weeknd.

Suma Gandlur said...

That's being creative, Asha. I think with out many choices, there are going to be many zucchini dishes this time.

Nupur said...

Beautiful, Asha! Adai looks pretty, and tasty, and to top it all, very nutritious!

FH said...

Thanks Pooja, enjoy it on the weekend.Soak for about 2 hrs in hot water,so it will be ready for brunch!:)

It's true Suma.It's one of those letters like X!:))
But you can make so many dishes with Zucchini,it will be interesting,I don't mind.

Thanks Nupur.It was fun making them too with all those Zucchini rounds.Tastes great,hope you try!:))

Pravs said...

very clever and creative of you asha :D
Looks very nice and must be very tasty with the chutney.

Mona said...

What a wonderful spread as usual. The photographs make it feel that they are cooking right in front of me. I can almost smell them. :D

PS! You just won an Inspirationbal blogger award at my blog!:)

FH said...

They are tasty and easy to make too in a hurry if you have 2 hrs.Hope you try Pravs.Thanks!:))

OH!! THANK YOU!!:))
Mona,you are a sweetheart.Hope I deserve it and I will proudly display at FH! Oriya cuisine is coming out later!:)
Hope you try this dish,it's very healthy and of course smell great too!Thanks again Mona,I will check it out.Hugs.

Kajal said...

Wow......looks very fine with three round cut Zucchini....

FH said...

Thank you Kajal,tasty too! Hope you try!:))

Saju said...

great recipe, it looks so good, I too maybe coming up with a zucchini (we call it courgette normally) recipe!

FH said...

Saju,we used to call them courgettes too in UK and now we call them Zucchinis.Be a Roman while in Rome!:D
We both think so alike,it's scary!You didn't make Zucchini Adai,did you?;D
I am sure you have something else,can't wait,post it soon.

Chickoo said...

Olle pizza tarha ide, nange node bayalli neeru. I am going to try your recipe. Sorry nim blog visit madoke agle illa, I was very busy with work plus have been doing some travelling back and forth to UK.

FH said...

Deepa,that's okay,take your time.Adai is a great dish.Try madu time idre,beganu madabahudu,ferment madbekagilla!:))
Check out FH when you have time.Oriya dishes this week! Back and forth to UK? That sounds good to me!:)

Unknown said...

Wow asha, no end to your imagination with the adai:) nutritious too:)

FH said...

It is healthy and very tasty, try it rv! And no fermenting!!:))