Karadaiyan Nombu Adai (Sweet and Savory) | Vella and Uppu Adai

Name: Karadaiyan Nombu Adai Sweet
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: Rice flour - 1 cup (sieved); Grated Coconut (Fresh/Frozen - 1/4 cup); Jaggery - 1 cup; Karamani - 3 tbsp; Warm Water – 1 cup + 1/2 cup (keep 1/4 cup warm water separately); Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp; Salt - a pinch; Sesame oil - to grease

March 16, 2015 By Vidya Srinivasan 52 Comments

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Karadaiyan nombu adai is usually prepared on nombu day. Vellam (sweet) Adai and Uppu (Savory/Salt) Adai are offered with butter. Typically Adai is prepared by using homemade rice flour. Rice is soaked, strained and dried in cloth. Here is a instant version with store brought rice flour.

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Story I was told about karadiyan nombu. I asked Amma/referred Internet. Pls correct me if I missed something or mentioned anything wrong. The Karadayan Nolumbu (nombu) is performed to recollect and celebrate the epic story of Savithri regaining her husband from Lord Yama.

Nombu is usually celebrated at the last few minutes before the end of Masi (Kumbam) month and before the beginning of the month of Panguni (Meenam). Sumangali women participate in the pooja along with the girls in the family. Karadaiyan nombu adai are offered in banana leaves with butter.

For each lady/spinster/girl in the house Karadaiyan nombu adai are offered along with one extra leaf for god.
Put kolam and keep the banana leaves over the kolam. Serve Karadaiyan nombu adai and butter.

In a thambalam keep Vettilai, Pakku and banana along with yellow threads.

One yellow thread for god + one for each girl/women doing the pooja.

For married women husband tie the yellow thread in neck. For spinster/ girl mother tie the thread.

The following Tamil slogam is chanted
“Urukaadha Venneyum oradaiyam naan nootren Orukkalum en kanavar ennai vittu pririyadhirukka vendum”

“உருகாத வெண்ணெயும், ஓர் அடையும் நோற்று உனக்கு நான் வைத்தேன், எந்நாளும் என் கணவர் எனை விட்டு நீங்காத அருள் தருவாய்”

Meaning,

“I have offered you unmelted butter and One Adai, Please bless me so that my husband will be with me forever”

Also this Slogam is chanted,

Dhram gruhnami subhage sahardhraam
Dharami aham bharthu
Ayushya Sidhartham supreethabhava sarvadha

Meaning,

Oh pleasant goddess, I am taking the thread with affection, and I am wearing it for my Husband long life. I wish he is always pleased with me.

Generally many women do fasting this day and have food after pooja.

March 2020 karadiyan Nombu

USA
13- March -2020 night

It is a practice in certain homes to worship goddess Kamakshi by calling a priest . In our house Ammas do the pooja. I also do the same. Nombu starts with sangalpam followed by pooja.

Karadaiyan Nombu is a traditional festival celebrated in our community. Ever since childhood I have a big fascination when it comes to nombu because of the yellow thr ead. I always ask my Mom I not married why are you tying this over my neck, my mom used to say this is a different thread. Even in school I hide this thread as I don’t want my friends to think I got married:-)

Specialty of nombu is preparing Karadaiyan nombu adaiand tying yellow thread. Myself and sis enjoy Adai with a big chunk of room temperature butter. I can talk about how I enjoyed for the entire post, but let me get into the recipe:-)

General steps:

Dry roast 2 cups of rice flour for 2-3 minutes and keep aside

Dry roast the black karamani for 2-3 minutes and soak in warm water for 3-4 hours or overnight in room temperature water, strain it. Add twice the water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Avoid mushing the karamani

Having a sweet tooth, I always prefer Sweet Adai over savory, so Sweet Adai recipe first😄

Sweet Adai

Method:

Soak jaggery in 1 cup + 1/2 cup of hot water. Since I had big chunks of jaggery it took a while, but to speed up the procees, jaggery can be cut into small pieces or cooked with water

After the jaggery completely melts in water, strain the impurities.
In a pan, add jaggery syrup and bring to boil. Add the coconut, black eyed beans and cardamom powder; mix well. Add the rice flour

Cook till it comes to non sticky dough consistency. Cover the dough with a damp cloth, as it tends to dry soon

When the dough is cool enough to handle, make small spheres, flatten it and gently make a small dent in center. Since rice flour is gluten free, they tend to be sticky, so greasing hand with sesame oil helps to make Adai
Steam in greased plate for 10-12 minutes

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai Sweet

Vella Adai prepared during kardaiyan nombu.

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Course: Snacks

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings:

Author: Vidya Srinivasan

Ingredients

Rice flour - 1 cup sieved
Grated Coconut Fresh/Frozen - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Karamani - 3 tbsp
Warm Water – 1 cup + 1/2 cup keep 1/4 cup warm water separately
Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Sesame oil - to grease

Instructions

Soak jaggery in 1 cup + 1/2 cup of hot water. Since I had big chunks of jaggery it took a while, but to speed up the procees, jaggery can be cut into small pieces or cooked with water
After the jaggery completely melts in water, strain the impurities.
In a pan, add jaggery syrup and bring to boil. Add the coconut, black eyed beans and cardamom powder; mix well. Add the rice flour
Cook till it comes to non sticky dough consistency. Cover the dough with a damp cloth, as it tends to dry soon
When the dough is cool enough to handle, make small spheres, flatten it and gently make a small dent in center. Since rice flour is gluten free, they tend to be sticky, so greasing hand with sesame oil helps to make Adai
Steam it in a greased idli plate for 10-12 mins

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Notes

1. If the dough becomes dry sprinkle little warm water. For the flour that I used, the extra 1/4 cup water was not needed
2. If you feel dough is dry, add 1 tbsp of water else no need to add. Water added should be boiling hot water, so its better to keep 1/4 cup hot water separately
3. Color of the Adai depends on the jaggery color
4. I use udupi rice flour
5. Covering the dough with damp cloth to prevent the dough from getting dry

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Savory Adai

Method:

Add oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, temper with mustard seeds, channa dal, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida. After it splutters, add 1 cup + 3/4 cup of water and salt. Bring to boil. Once the water starts boiling add coconut, karamani and rice flour

Cook till it comes to non sticky dough consistency. Cover the dough with a damp cloth, as it tends to dry soon
When it is warm make small balls and flatten it into patties and make small holes in the middle as we do for pinwheels.

When the dough is cool enough to handle, make small spheres, flatten it and gently make a small dent in center. Since rice flour is gluten free, they tend to be sticky, so greasing hand with sesame oil helps to make Adai

Steam it in greased idli plate for 10-12 mins

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai Savory

Uppu Adai prepared during Karadaiyan nombu.