Karadayan nombhu adai, sweet and savory dumplings made of rice flour. A traditional recipe made during Kamakshi nombhu or savithri vratham.

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The Karadayan Nombhu Story
The Prayer
The Ingredients
- For Sweet Adai
- For Savory Adai
How to make Karadayan Nombhu Adai
- For the Sweet Adai
- For the Savory Adai
More Traditional Recipes
Recipe
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The Karadayan Nombhu Story

Karadayan Nombhu, a Vrath/Pooja done on the day when the Tamil month Maasi, transitions to Panguni, usually falls on March 14, every year. It is also known as Savithri Vratham.

A festival celebrated by married women, who pray for the well being of their husbands while the unmarried girls pray to get an ideal life partner. It is similar to Karva Chauth celebrated in North India. On this day, women tie a sacred yellow thread (saradu/charadu) around their neck after worshipping the deity.

It is believed that Savithri did this pooja and won back her husband's life from Yamdharma, the Hindu Lord of Death & Justice. Legend says, when savithri was following yamdharma, the transition of the month began and she made this pooja in the middle of jungle with nothing but wet sand. So, at the end, what matter most is your belief.

The Prayer

The Poojai on Karadayan nombhu day is offered to Goddess Kamakshi. There is a beautiful temple in the Temple City of Kanchipuram for the Goddess. The neivedhiyam offered is a simple rice flour dumpling, called karadayan nombhu adai. Some have the tradition of making just sweet adai/dumpling. Whereas many make both sweet and savory dumpling.

Urugadha Vennayam Oru Adayum naan tharuven, Oru Naalum En Kanavar ennai vitu piriyadhu irukanum

“உருகாத வெண்ணெயும், ஓர் அடையும் நான் தருவேன், எந்நாளும் என் கணவர் எனை விட்டு பிரியாது இருக்கனம்”

The above mantra is chanted by married women while tying the sacred yellow thread in the neck. It means, Oh lord I offer you butter, that doesn't melt and this adai/dumpling, do accept it and bless me, so me and my husband would never separate from each other, not even death do us apart!

To do the pooja, you can chant the 108 names of Kamakshi and do archanai with kumkum/vermillion or with flowers. Find the Kamakshi Stothram in tamil here, English slokas here. Youtube link here for the slokas here.

The Ingredients

Rice flour, the star ingredient of the recipe. I have used store bought rice flour for making the adai. Idiyappam flour can also be used.
Coconut, both the savory and sweet adai, make use of coconut. Coconut adds fresh element to the recipe.

For Sweet Adai

Jaggery, to sweeten the sweet adai.
Red chowri beans or black eyed peas are added to the adai. They add a lot of texture to the adai. If you don't get these legumes, you can also add soaked chana dal.

For Savory Adai

Salt to season the adai
Chana dal, urad dal and chillies are used in tempering the adai dough. This imparts lots of flavor into the adai.

How to make Karadayan Nombhu Adai

Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions.

For the Sweet Adai

Dry roast the rice flour until it is hot. I usually heat them in microwave. This is recommended if you are using store bought flour.
Melt jaggery, strain impurities. Heat the strained syrup, with coconut and beans. Add the rice flour to it and stir. Once it comes together. Cover and let it rest.

Shape the rested sweet dough into roundels, poke a hole in the middle, like a doughnut. Steam cook these doughnuts 10-12 minutes. Remove and let it rest. Serve it with butter

For the Savory Adai

In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil, add tempering with mustard seeds, hing, chilies, chana and urad dal , curry leaves. Next add water and salt.
When the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce flame, add rice flour, stir well. Let it cook and come together as a ball. Take it off the flame, let it rest.
Shape them into doughnuts. Steam cook for 10-12 minutes. Can be served as such, or with some chutney.

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More Traditional Recipes

Recipe

Karadayan Nombhu Adai | Vella Adai and Uppu Adai

Karadayan nombhu adai, sweet and savory dumplings made of rice flour. A traditional recipe made during savithri vratham.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Indian, South-Indian

Keyword: Kara adai, Karadayan nombhu, Nombhu adai, Savithri nombhu, Savithri vratham, sweet adai, uppu adai, vellam adai

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings:

Calories:

Equipment

heavy bottom pan
Steamer

Ingredients

For the Sweet adai/Vellam adai

¼ cup rice flour i used store-bought
⅓ cup jaggery add 2 tablespoon extra for more sweetness
1 tablespoon finely chopped coconut
1 tablespoon red chowri beans/black-eyed beans soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
¾ cup water

For Savory Adai/Kaara Adai

½ cup rice flour
1 tablespoon grated coconut
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Tempering

1 teaspoon oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon chana dal
½ teaspoon urad dal
2 nos green chilies, chopped fine
2 sprigs curry leaves
½ teaspoon shredded ginger
⅛ teaspoon hing/asafoetida

Instructions

For the Sweet Adai/Vellam Adai (Makes 5 Adai)

In a microwave safe plate/bowl, take the rice flour and microwave high for 1 minute. I normally store my flour in the freezer, so it is good to fry the flour before using it.
In a sauce pan, take the jaggery and water. Letthe jaggery melt in the water. Drain the impurities.
Take the strained jaggery in the same pan, heat it. Add the chopped/grated coconut, soaked beans, let it boil.
Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame, add the rice flour little by little to the jaggery water and stir. If you feel it is difficult doing both at the same time, add the flour in full to the water, take it off the stove, stir well and return it back to the stove.
Keep stirring and let the flour cook. In about 8-10 minutes, the flour will cook and start coming together like a smooth dough. Take it off the stove. Keep it covered.
Once it is warm enough to touch, grease your hands with oil/ghee and Pinch Lemon-size balls of the flour and press it in between your palms to make a patty and poke a hole in the center Repeat the same with the rest of the dough. I got about 5 patties.
Steam cook the patties in a steamer for 10-12 minutes.
Once done, remove it form the steamer, let it sit in the same plate for 5 minutes. Then remove it on to a serving plate. Serve with loads of butter.

For Savory adai/Kaara Adai/Uppu Adai

In a microwave safe plate/bowl, take the rice flour and microwave high for 1 minute. I normally store my flour in the freezer, so it is good to fry the flour before using it.
In a heavy bottom pan, Heat oil given under "Tempering". Splutter mustard seeds, add both the dal. curry leaves, chopped green chilies, shredded ginger
Next add water and salt. When the water starts boiling, reduce the flame. the water should not boil once you reduce the flame. Now add flour little by little and whisk well to ensure that no lumps are formed.
Let it cook for 8-10minutes in low flame to a smooth dough. Take it off the stove.
Once it is warm enough to touch, pinch lemon-sized balls out of the dough and make a patty and poke a hole in the middle.
Steam cook the patties in a steamer for 10-12 minutes.
Once done, remove it form the steamer, let it sit in the same plate for 5 minutes. Then remove it on to a serving plate. Serve with loads of butter.
This savory adai doesn't actually need any condiment, since we have added enough spices to make it tasty

Notes

Though homemade rice flour, tastes best, this adai can be made using store-bought rice flour. I have always done with store-bought ones.
Make sure to roast the flour before making the adai. I prefer the microwave, if doing on the stove-top, just roast the until it is hot to touch. Roasting for long time will change the color of the flour.
While adding flour to hot water, always remember to turn the heat down. Ensure the water isn't boiling after reducing the flame. The add the flour. Stirring as you add is the key and Whisk is your best friend.
Making a hole in the center of the adai/dumpling, ensures even cooking. Some might even make them as oval balls.
After steaming, let the adai/dumpling rest in the plate for 5 minutes. do not be in a hurry to remove while it is still hot, they might crumble and break.

Disclaimer

I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.

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Make this delicious sweet and savory karadayan nombhu adai for the upcoming karadayan nombhu and enjoy. The karadayan nombhu adai, can be stored up to 2 days in the fridge. I deliberately make extra savory adai for our breakfast the next day.

If you have leftover savory dough then you can shape them into ammini kozhukattai's, with the tempering and spices added, these cute dumplings would taste even more tastier.

Karadayan Nombhu Adai | Vella Adai and Uppu Adai

Table of contents

The Karadayan Nombhu Story

The Prayer