Karthigai Vela Adai Recipe – Sharmis Passion

Vella Adai is a sweet and savory adai made using rice and lentils especially for Karthigai Deepam. The batter is mixed with jaggery and then cooked like soft uttapam. It is usually made during festivals, but sometimes it is also made for evening tea snack.

The flavor is mild and comforting, and the jaggery adds a nice sweetness without being overwhelming. While cooking, cardamom has a mild taste and its aroma is also very pleasant. It tastes great when served hot with butter. I make this adai when I want something sweet but not too heavy.

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About Vela Adai

Vella Adai is a sweet dish made by mixing rice and various pulses together, hence it is healthy too. Rice and pulses are ground into a paste, then mixed with jaggery syrup and cooked on a pan. The batter is thick so the adai comes out soft in the middle. I keep making it often because everyone in my house enjoys this adai a lot.

The texture of this adai is soft and slightly fluffy, not crispy like dosa. Since jaggery is added, the adai turns golden brown quickly while cooking, hence cook on low medium flame. The coconut adds a light richness and the cardamom gives a nice traditional aroma. Cooking on low flame is important for this recipe.

You can change the taste a bit by adding ghee instead of oil or adding some chopped nuts. Some people like it sweeter, so the quantity of jaggery can be increased or decreased. Making it thicker gives a better texture, thinner batter will not give that soft feel. Soaking the rice and dal in this recipe requires a little planning, but once the batter is ready the cooking is easy.

I usually make this adai during festivals or on weekends when there is enough time to soak the rice and dal.

Vela Adai Ingredients

• raw rice – I used this as a basis for Adai. Once cooked it gives body and structure. I have soaked it well so that it becomes easier to grind and the batter becomes smooth.
• Mixed pulses (Toor dal, Chana dal, Moong dal, Urad dal) – I have added these pulses for protein, nutrition and filling texture. You can skip one dal if not available but using a mixture of dals gives the best taste.
• Jaggery – I add adai to sweeten it. I just make the syrup and filter it to remove impurities. It adds natural sweetness and gives nice color.
• Coconut – I have used grated coconut for richness and flavor. It gives soft bite in between. If you like the taste of coconut more, you can add more.
• cardamom powder – I add it for aroma and taste. It gives sweet smell and good taste to that festival food.

Why does this recipe work

• It is a simple traditional sweet using only basic ingredients.
• Jaggery gives natural sweetness and nice golden color.
• The batter is thick, making the adai soft and fluffy in the middle.
• Cooking on low flame helps the adai to cook evenly without burning.
• It also works well as a festival dish or evening snack.

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How to make Karthigai Adai step by step

1.First of all prepare jaggery syrup. Mix the jaggery with water and heat it for a few minutes until it thickens slightly (no need to check the consistency). Heat it until the jaggery dissolves. Filter the jaggery syrup to remove impurities.

2. Filter the syrup and collect it in a bowl. Heat it and cook for a few minutes so that the syrup becomes thick like honey.

3. Measure raw rice with other pulses. Soak them together in water for 2 to 3 hours, keep aside.

4.Wash it well, then put it in a mixer jar. Add as little water as possible and make a slightly thick batter.

5.It should be so thick. Put in a mixing bowl, add jaggery syrup.

6. Mix well to make a slightly thicker runny batter than dosa batter. Add coconut and cardamom powder.

7.Finally heat the dosa pan. – Fill a ladle with batter and pour it on the pan and spread it slightly. Sprinkle oil. Cook on low medium flame.

8. Flip to the other side and cook until golden brown and the ends start to crisp. Repeat to finish the batter.

Karthigai Adai is ready. Serve hot with butter!

Expert Tips

• Batter consistency – I add very little water to the batter and grind it thickly. If the batter is thin then the adai will spread too much.
• jaggery syrup – I slowly added jaggery syrup and mixed well. If the batter becomes thick after adding syrup then add only a little water.
• cooking flame – I cooked the adai on low to medium flame. Due to the presence of jaggery, it turns brown quickly when the flame is increased.
• oil or ghee – I used gingelly oil while cooking for nice aroma. You can also use ghee, it tastes great.
• like tawa – For best results I used iron dosa tawa. Thick adai cooks evenly on an iron pan.

serving and storage

Serve Karthigai Vela Adai hot with butter on top. It can be served for breakfast or dinner. It also tastes good with tea or coffee. Tastes best when served fresh and hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container, finish the same day, and reheat lightly on a pan before serving.

general questions and answers

1.Can I make it without jaggery?

You can use sugar, but the taste will not be the same. Jaggery gives traditional taste.

2.Is soaking really necessary?

Yes, it is important to soak rice and dal to get soft batter and grind it well.

3.Can I make adai as thin as dosa?

You can make it thinner, but thick adai tastes better and remains soft.

4.Can I add dry fruits to it?

Yes, you can simply chop and add some nuts for crunch.

5.Which oil is best for this adai?

I like gingelly oil, but ghee also works great for flavor.

If you have any further questions about this karthigai adai Mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. Also, follow me Instagram, Facebook, pinterest, youtube And Twitter ,

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