How many calories does one Adai have?

One Adai gives 73 calories. Out of which carbohydrates comprise 43 calories, proteins account for 11 calories and remaining calories come from fat which is 20 calories.  One Adai provides about 4 percent of the total daily calorie requirement of a standard adult diet of 2,000 calories.

See Adai recipe. Adai, an all-time favourite South Indian snack , comprises a mix of different dals soaked and ground along with rice and spices to make a batter, which is cooked into thick pancakes. Add Adai to your meal to elevate the protein quotient to great heights!

Is Adai healthy?

Yes and no, depends who is having it. Made from  rice, toovar dal, chana dal, urad dal, carrot, cabbage, onions, red chillies, coconut, urad dal, onions and Indian spices. 

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

Toor Dal (tuvar dal, toovar dal) : Toor dal is rich in proteins, the building block of good health. High in fiber, diabetic and heart friendly. Being an excellent source of folic acid, pregnant women must include toor dal in their daily diet. Being an excellent source of fibre it helps in preventing and relieving gastric problems like constipation. See detailed benefits of toor dal. 

Urad Dal : 1 cup of cooked urad dal gives 69.30% of folic acid of your daily requirement of folate.  The folic acid in urad dal helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Being rich in Phosphorus it works with Calcium to build our bones, high in fibre and good for heart, good for lowering cholesterol and good for diabetes. See here for 10 super benefits of urad dal. 

Chana Dal : One cup of cooked Chana Dal provides 33% of your protein for the day. Chana dal is  heart and diabetic friendly, also rich in fiber. Chana dal has high amount of potassium and low amount of sodium which makes it very effective in regulating your blood pressure. Read this article on complete benefits of chana dal. 

Onions : Yes, its a great antioxidant. The phytochemical present in onions along with their Vitamin C help boost your immunity. The chromium in onions help regulate your blood pressure. The sulphur in the onion which brings you tears is actually good for your eyes. Raw onions keep your heart healthy and see here for total benefits of onions. 

Cabbage : Cabbage is low in calories, relieves constipation, good for diabetics. Cabbage has high levels of flavonoids and anthocyanins and has long been used as a herbal medicine. Rich in Antioxidants in turn lowers the risk of infection and inflammation of the body due to eating processed foods. See here all benefits of cabbage. 

Carrots : Carrots have the nutrient Beta Carotene which is a form of Vitamin A, helps prevent deterioration of the eye as one gets older and prevents night blindness. Carrot is great for the eyes.They relieve constipation, lower blood pressure, have fibre and lower cholesterol. Read the 11 super benefiits of carrots and why to include in your daily diet.

What can be a issue?

Rice : Here are the pros for rice. Rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which is an important source of energy for our body. Rice is low in fibre and therefore a good option for people suffering from diarrhoea. What's not good in rice. Foods like rice are high in Glycemic index are not suitable for weight loss, heart patients,  diabetics as they affect the blood sugar control levels. See details of is white rice and parboiled rice good for you?

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have adai?

Yes, they can but in small amounts. A cereal-pulse combo like in case of adai (rice with toor dal) would serve as a complete protein comprising of all the 9 essential amino acids that your body requires. This recipe has fibre rich vegetables in it like cabbage and carrot and onions to regulate your blood pressure.  

Can healthy individuals have adai?

Yes, they can. But note there is rice used so make sure you have lots of vegetables with your meal. 

How to burn 73 calories that come from Adai?

Walking (6 kmph) = 22 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 7 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 10 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 13 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.