Karadaiyan nombu adai (sweet and salt)

Tomorrow Friday(14th of March) is Karadaiyan nombu celebrated by South Indians. We don't have a custom of celebrating this festival, but last three years I get this adai from my friends. So don't want to miss this year of eating :). For posting here, I prepared yesterday itself.

This festival is done by ladies praying for their husbands longevity. It is celebrated in the beginning of panguni masam (in Tamil calendar). The story behind this festival is Savithiri, who fights yama (Goddess of death) and get her husband Sathyavaan from the jaws of death. If you are interested in full story read here.

She offers god jaggery, butter and cow peas/black eyed peas or karamani in banana leaf. Then people started celebrating by doing this adai and offering to god, tying a small yellow thread in hand and by chanting 

Urugadha venaiyum oreadaiyum naan nootreaan

oru kaalum en kanvaar ennai vittu piriyadhu irukka vendum

which means 'I offer butter and the rice made out of kaara arisi bless me that i live happily with my husband'

Karadaiyan Nonbu is more a renewal of the faith in the tradition. 

Oops!!! Back to recipe......
Ingredients:

For sweet adai:

• Processed rice flour - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Black eyed peas - 2 tbsp
• Coconut pieces - 2 tbsp
• Cardamon powder - 1 tsp
• Ghee - for greasing

For salt adai:

• Processed rice flour - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Black eyed peas - 2 tbsp
• Coconut pieces - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to grease

 To temper:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Green chilly - 2, finely chopped
• Curry leaves - 5
• Cilantro - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Method:

Dry roast the black eye peas and soak in water. In a sauce pan add water and a pinch of salt and boil it. Drain in a strainer to remove excess water. (Do not over boil, it has to be cooked)

For sweet version:
Make jaggery into into fine pieces ( I did through knife), measure a cup and combine with water in a pan and heat it. When it melts completely switch it off and strain to remove any impurities.

Heat the jaggery syrup. When boiling add the boiled black eyed peas, cardamon powder. 

Add the rice flour little by little, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Once it gets together add the coconut pieces and give a quick stir. Switch off and keep aside.
When the dough cools, make lemon sized balls using greased hands with ghee.

Press in a greased ziploc bag or any plastic cover and make a small dent with the help of your finger dipped in ghee.

Repeat for entire dough and steam in idli plates(greased) for 10 minutes or until cooked.

For salt version :

Heat a pan with oil and add the items given under 'to temper', after it splutters, add water, salt and let it boil.

Once it starts boiling add cooked karamani. Then add rice flour little by little, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. When it get together add coconut pieces and cilantro. Give a quick and nice stir. Switch off and keep aside.

When the dough cools, make lemon sized balls using greased hands with oil. Press in a greased ziploc bag or any plastic cover and make a small dent with the help of your finger dipped in oil.

Repeat for entire dough and steam in idli plates(greased) for 10 minutes or until cooked.

Note:

• If you want to do with rice follow the steps here and prepare. I used homemade rice flour which was so quick.
• Roasting and soaking black eyes peas (karamani) are so important for flavor and fast cooking.
• If you are not offering god and like to have it you can skip black eyed peas too.