Karadayan Nonbu Adai | Savitri Vratham Festival Recipe |Nombu/Nonbu Adai | Vella Adai and Uppu Adai Recipe | How to make Nonbu Adai from Scratch | Authentic Recipe|

Hi Supermoms,

 'Karadayan Nonbu/Nombu' or the 'Savitri Vratham' is an auspicious Tamilian Pooja/Festival that is done by married women for the welfare of their better half.  The Karadayan Nombu 'pooja meals' is made just once a year, which means that it is really special and iconic ! It is believed that Savitri made neivedyam with wild rice ( kara arisi ) and Toor dal /Tuvar dal and offered it to Lord Yama, the God of Death with complete devotion and used her presence of mind  to get her husband back to life.

Coming to present day, the pooja is sincerely  followed in many Tamil homes and  the Pooja Prashad /Neivedyam is home-made Adai . The sweet adai is known as 'Vella Adai 'and the savoury  adai is  'Uppadai' . They are served along with butter and the same is had as the family lunch or dinner.  

The following lines are recited while making the adai :

"Urukaddha Venneyum oradhayam naan nootren
Orukkalum en kanavar ennai vittu pririyadhirukka vendum".

You can read more about the pooja here.

Karadayan Nonbu Adai | Vella Adai and Uppu Adai ( Jaggery and Salt Steamed Cakes):

Preparation time : 2 hours

Cooking time : 35 minutes

Yield : 24 Adais ( 12 sweet and 12 salt)

Special Vessel/Equipment : kadai, steamer or pressure cooker, idli plates

1 cup = 250 ml cup

Ingredients : ( You can also use ready made rice flour if you are pressed for time)

1 cup raw rice ( for both the varieties of Adai )

1 teaspoon sesame oil for greasing  

For Vella Adai ( Jaggery Adai) :

3/4 cup  raw rice powder

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup powdered jaggery 

2 green cardamom ( freshly powdered)

1/4 cup chopped fresh coconut

1/4 cup soaked karamani/ black eyed peas

2 teaspoons ghee/clarified butter

For Uppadai/ Uppu Adai /Salt Adai :

3/4 cup raw rice powder

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped fresh coconut

1/4 cup soaked karamani/black eyed peas

2 teaspoons oil 

1-2 dry red chillies ( cut them into smaller pieces)

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon channa dal/bengal gram

1/4 teaspoon urad dal/ husked black gram

1 sprig curry leaves ( tear roughly )

Method :

1. Wash the raw rice ( I used sona masoori) three to four times and soak in water for one hour.

2. Drain water completely and spread the rice on a kitchen towel/ cotton cloth to dry for 30 minutes to one hour.

3. Powder the rice in your mixie/mixer or if you have a 'Maavu Machine'( Flour Mill) near by, you can get it ground finely there too.

4. Heat a kadai over low heat and add the rice flour and stir continously for 3-4 minutes and switch off. The flour needs to be warm when you touch it. Do not brown the rice flour. Cool and store.

NOTE: You can do all this preparation work the previous day of pooja as it will reduce your cooking time. You can soak a larger batch of rice so that you will have extra rice flour and can use it in so many other recipes.

4. Wash and soak karamani/black eyed peas for one hour in hot water.

How to make Vella Adai :

1.Mix  3/4 cup powdered jaggery with 3/4 cup water.

Note: If you have impurities in your jaggery, it is better you filter the jaggery  water before you add it to the ghee.

2.Heat a kadai or a pan with ghee over low heat.

3. Add the crushed cardamom.

4.Now, add the chopped coconut, karamani and stir over low flame.

5.Add the jaggery water .

6. When the jaggery water starts to heat up, add the 3/4 cup of rice powder.

7. Stir continuously to mix the flour and jaggery mixture without any lumps.

Tip: Have 1/4 cup of water ready, just incase the mixture is too dry.

8. Over low flame, keep stirring the mixture till it becomes thick and non sticky.

Note : This step will take approximately 5-6 minutes only. 

Tip: Take a small portion of the dough  and try shaping it into a roundel. If you are able to shape without the dough sticking , your dough is ready. Switch off and transfer it to a plate for it to cool a bit. Be careful as the dough will be hot. 

How to make Uppadai :

1. Heat a pan/kadai with oil over low flame.

2. Temper with mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, dry red chillies, curry leaves.

3. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped coconut, karamani and salt.

4. Add water.

5. When the water is warm, add the rice flour and keep stirring to mix without any lumps.

6. Cook over low flame, by stirring continously, till the dough comes together. 

Note: Follow the same tip given 'to check' the right consistency for vella adai.

7. Switch off and allow it to cool a bit.

Steaming of the Adai:

1. Grease Idli Plates or a steamer vessel with oil.

2. Grease your hands and take a small portion of the sweet dough , roll it into a ball and flatten it using your palms. 

3. Make an indent in the centre and arrange it in the idli plate.

4. Repeat the same for the rest of the dough ( both sweet and savoury).

5. Steam in a pressure cooker ( without the whistle) or steamer for 7-10 minutes.

6. Switch off. 

Your Vella Adai and UppAdai is ready for the pooja. Offer them along with unsalted butter.

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom