Adai

Step 1: Rinse 5 ½ oz raw or parboiled rice in one bowl and 1 ¾ oz toor dal, 1 ¾ oz chana dal, ⅞ oz urad dal and ⅞ oz split moong dal together in another. Soak both in plenty of water with 4 dried red chillies in the rice bowl for 3 hours.

Step 2: Drain everything. Grind the rice and chillies with ¾ in fresh ginger and half of 1 cup water to a coarse paste, then add the dals and grind again with more water, a little at a time, until the batter is thick and gritty, like fine semolina. It should pour slowly, thicker than dosa batter.

Step 3: Stir in ½ tsp gluten-free asafoetida, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 onion, 12 curry leaves, 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut if using. No resting is needed, though 30 minutes helps the flavours settle.

Step 4: Heat a cast-iron tawa or heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat until a sprinkle of water sizzles away in 2 seconds. Wipe it with a few drops of 4 tbsp sesame or groundnut oil.

Step 5: Pour a ladle of batter in the centre and spread it into a 15 cm round, about 3 mm thick. Make a small hole in the middle with the ladle and drizzle ½ tsp oil into the hole and around the edge.

Step 6: Cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until the underside is golden-brown and the edges lift and crisp. Common mistake: cooking it too fast on high heat like a dosa; the outside burns while the thick middle stays raw and pasty.

Step 7: Flip, drizzle a little more oil and cook for 2 minutes until spotted brown and cooked through. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Step 8: Serve hot with avial, coconut chutney, or jaggery and butter.