Karadaiyan Nombu Adai - Sweet and Salt

This post explains the preparation of sweet and salt adai which are offered as neivedhyam during the karadaiyan nombu function. For more details on this function, check my post about the festival.

                                                 

This year the festival falls on Wednesday, March 14th 2018.

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai -  Sweet and Salt Recipe

Makes  :  18 medium sized adais for 1 cup of flour

Ingredients

For sweet adai

• Home made Rice flour  -  1 cup
• Jaggery  -  1 cup
• Water  -  2 cups
• Cardamom powder  -  powdered from 4 to 5 pods
• Ghee  -  1 tbsp
• Salt  -  a pinch
• Coconut  -  1/4 cup of coconut bits or grated/dessicated coconut
• Karamani/black eyed peas  -  1/4 cup

For salt adai

• Home made Rice flour  -  1 cup
• Water  -  2 cups
• Salt  -  as required ( a little more than 1 tsp should be sufficient)
• Curry leaves  -  a sprig
• Green chillies  -   2 long
• Mustard  -  1 tsp
• Urad dal  -  1 tsp
• Asafoetida -  a generous pinch
• Oil  -  1 tbsp
• Coconut  -  1/4 cup of coconut bits or grated/dessicated coconut
• Karamani/black eyed peas  -  1/4 cup
• Ghee -  1 tbsp

Method

Preparation of rice flour

1. Wash and soak raw rice for at least 1.5 to 2 hours. The more time it is soaked, the flour texture will be better. 
2. Drain the water completely and spread it on a clean cloth for at least 30 minutes or till the moisture content is mostly removed. When you touch the rice with your hand, it should not stick to your hands. That is the right consistency. If the rice is little bit moist, it is fine as we will dry roast the powdered flour.
3. Grind the rice in batches in a mixie to a fine powder or it can be processed in a flour mill if making in bulk.
4. If grinding in mixie, sieve the flour to remove coarse particles and repeat this process until the entire batch is finely powdered.
5. Dry roast the flour in slow to medium flame till a nice aroma arises and the texture and color slightly changes. Don't over roast it. If properly roasted, you should be able to draw a kolam out of it.
6. This can be prepared before 4 to 5 days of the festival day as well.

Cooking karamani

1. Wash and soak karamani(1/2 cup together for both the adais) overnight or for minimum 4 to 5 hours. The more time it is soaked, the faster it cooks.
2. Drain the water completely and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles by adding just enough water.

For sweet adai

1. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and melt the jaggery in the given amount of water.
2. Once melted, strain it to remove impurities if any.
3. Heat the syrup again. Add cardamom powder, a pinch of salt, grated coconut/coconut bits and the boiled karamani.
4. When the jaggery syrup starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour and keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps being formed.
5. Add ghee and mix it well and cook this till it leaves the sides of the pan. To check if it is cooked, take a small portion of the cooked dough. If it doesn't stick to your hands, it is done.
6. Allow it to cool down and then make balls,  flatten them and make a hole in the centre. Greae your hands with ghee/oil if required.
7. Repeat this for the entire mixture.
8. Arrange the adais in idli plates and steam them just like how we do for idlis for atleast 8 to 10 minutes.
9. To check if the adai is cooked, touch them to see if they don't stick to the hands.
10. Remove it from the idli plates and allow it to cool down so that they don't break.                      

For salt adai

1. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add oil.
2. Once the oil heats up, temper with mustard, urad dal, asafoetida and then add green chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the required water, salt, grated coconut/coconut bits and the boiled karamani.
4. When the water starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour and keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps being formed.
5. Add ghee and mix it well and cook this till it leaves the sides of the pan.
6. Allow it to cool down and then make balls,  flatten them and make a hole in the centre.
7. Repeat this for the entire mixture.
8. Arrange the adais in idli plates and steam them just like how we do for idlis.
9. To check if the adai is cooked, touch them to see if they don't stick to the hands.
10. Remove it from the idli plates and allow it to cool down so that they don't break.

                                      

                     

Notes

• 1 cup of rice flour yields 18 medium sized kozhukattais.
• The jaggery quantity is apt for the sweetness. Increase the quantity if you need more sweetness.
• Preparation of rice flour and proper roasting helps in making flavourful adais.
• Though traditionally coconut bits are added to the adai, I used dessicated coconut. There will be no compromise on the taste though.
• Water quantity depends on the type of rice used. Adjust accordingly.
• Ensure continuous stirring when rice flour is added to the boiling water. This prevents formation of lumps
• Do not shape the adais until the dough cools down and becomes warm.

Easy and yummy nombu adais are ready to be offered as neivedhyam.