Karadaiyan Nombu is a sacred festival celebrated during the transition period between the Tamil months Maasi and Panguni. It is a type of prayer and offering to goddess to have a good Husband and for the goodness of one woman’s Husband. They offer sweet and salt adai and Butter. On that day they tie yellow thread on their wrist or neck. This year Karadaiyan Nombu will come on March 14.
We don’t have Karadaiyan Nombu. During my college days and later in my life I used to get this Nombu adai from my friends and neighbours. As, in this year I tried myself and here it goes.
Karadaiyan Nombu Adai Sweet and Salt



Ingredients :
- For sweet Adai:
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Jaggery – 1 cup
- Coconut bits – 3 tblsp
- Karamani white – 3 tblsp (Cowpea)
- Water – 2 cups
- Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
- Gingelly oil – 2 tblsp (greasing the palm)



- For Salt Adai:
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Coconut bits – 3 tblsp
- Karamani white – 3 tblsp (Cowpea)
- Water – 2 cups
- Green chilli – 2
- Curry leaves – 10
- Mustard – ½ tsp
- Asafoetida- ½ tsp
- Salt- to taste
- Oil- 2 tblsp
- Gingelly oil – 2 tblsp (greasing the palm)



Method:
Soak the raw rice for half an hour. Drain the water and dry in the shade. Grind it in the mixie and sieve it.
Then dry in the shade. After drying you can roast in the pan.
Chop coconut into bits. Dry roast karamani (Cowpea) and soak it for half an hour and cook (Don’t cook mushy).
Add jaggery and water in a pan and boil till jaggery dissolves.
Strain the jaggery and boil again.
Add cooked karamani, coconut, cardamom powder and rice flour and mix well. Sprinkle the rice flour and stir continuously or else lumps will be formed.
Mix well and make a smooth dough. Grease the palm with gingelly oil and make small balls out of it. Press these balls in the palm and make small hole in the centre.
Steam cook the sweet adais in the Idli pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Chop green chilli and curry leaves finely. Chop coconut into bits. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, green chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida.
When they crackle add cooked karamani, coconut bits, salt and water and allow it to boil. Sprinkle rice flour and stir continuously or else lumps will be formed. Mix well and make a smooth dough.
Grease the palm with gingelly oil and make small balls out of it. Press these balls in the palm and make small hole in the centre. Steam cook the salt adais in the Idli pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Note:
Cover the dough with a lid or else it will become rough.
Put the cloth in the idli plate while cooking so that the adais will come out well.
If there is any lumps mash it with hands while making adai.
Use non stick pan for better result.
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