Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

Veg Vegan

Festival rice cake for the Karadaiyan Nombu vow — raw rice soaked and ground into a smooth batter, mixed with cooked black-eyed peas, salt, and a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, poured into banana leaf cups, and steamed until set into firm, flat discs; a sweet version using jaggery and coconut replaces the savoury version made simultaneously. Both sweet and savoury adais are offered together on Karadaiyan Nombu (Tamil equivalent of Karva Chauth, observed by married women for their husbands' longevity, falling at the Tamil-Malayalam new year junction in Panguni). No other festival preparation requires both sweet and savoury versions of the same dish to be made simultaneously as paired offerings.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras

Best for

Breakfast Snacks

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice
1/4 cup karamani (black-eyed peas)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup jaggery
1 tablespoon coconut, grated
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 banana leaf or parchment paper

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash and soak the raw rice for 1 hour, then drain and dry it on a clean cloth.
  2. 2 Grind the dried rice into a fine flour and set aside.
  3. 3 Wash and cook the karamani in water until soft, then drain and set aside.
  4. 4 In a saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
  5. 5 Add the jaggery to the boiling water and stir until it dissolves completely.
  6. 6 Strain the jaggery syrup to remove any impurities and return it to the saucepan.
  7. 7 Add the grated coconut, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt to the jaggery syrup.
  8. 8 Slowly add the rice flour to the syrup, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
  9. 9 Cook the mixture on low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
  10. 10 Add the cooked karamani and mix well.
  11. 11 Remove from heat and let the dough cool slightly.
  12. 12 Grease your hands with ghee, take small portions of the dough, and shape them into flat discs.
  13. 13 Place each disc on a piece of banana leaf or parchment paper.
  14. 14 Steam the discs in a steamer for about 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
  15. 15 Serve warm with a dollop of ghee.

Tips

Ensure the rice flour is fine to get a smooth texture for the adai.