Delicious karadaiyan nombu adai (Sweet and Savory Steamed Rice Cakes) as traditional sweet and savory steamed rice cakes made with rice flour and beans. 
I love to stick to some tradition and custom which my mom taught me while growing up and love to celebrate the festivals and birthday on that rather than that week or month. That is me; I don’t want to judge anybody. This year on March 14th 2020 is a religious festival called Savithri Nombu or Karadaiyan Nombu for that I made this Karadaiyan nombu adai (sweet and savory steamed rice cakes), there is sweet and salt version for this steamed flat rice cakes.
Karadaiyan Nombu or Karadayan Nonbu is a major Tamil brahmin festival which is celebrated at the time on Meena Sankranti or Sankramana usually comes in the month of March. It is celebrated at the moment when Tamil month Maasi ends and month Panguni starts. Karadai is the name of a unique Nivedyam prepared on this day and Nombu means Vratham or Upavasam.
Legend is that Savitri beautiful princess got her husband Satyavan who died on that day brought back from Yama, the Lord of Death on the very same day. Due to this legend Karadaiyan Nombu is also known as Savithri Vratam. Read more about Satyavan and Savitri from here . On Karadayan Nonbu day women worship Goddess Gowri and offer her Karadiyan Nombu Nivedyam. After Puja women tie the sacred yellow cotton thread known as Manjal Saradu or Nonbu Charadu for well-being of their husband.
Married women observe it for long lives of their husband while unmarried girls observe it to get ideal person as their husband. On this day married women and young girls wear yellow robes and pray to Hindu Goddesses for long life for their husband or to get ideal person as their husband in the future.
The fast for Karadayan Vritham is observed from sunrise on the transition day when God Surya moves from Kumbha Rashi (Aquarius) to Meena Rashi( Pisces) . Fast breaking time for Savitri Nombu might fall any time between current day Sunrise to next day Sunrise depending on time of Meena Sankramana. I have seen amma used to wait until sometime late night or early morning to do these pooja rituals. Both I and sister will also join as we are unmarried girls. This time I was joined with my little princess, did exactly what my mom used to do it on that day.
According to legend savitri was staying in forest and making the goodies so it is really simple and made with daily used ingredients, like rice powder, jaggery( sarakarai), coconut, karamani( black eyed peas) for sweet version. And savory version is made with rice powder, karamani, coconut, salt, green chili, mustard seeds and curry leaves asafeotida( hing) . However only sweet version is offered to god and you only serve one sweet adai. While praying we have to chant like this
Urukkatha vennayum Oradayum notren
Orukalum en kanavan piriyathirukkanam
which can be translated as “I offer butter and one adai, bless that me and my husband will stay together always."
Savory version is eaten after the sweet version.
For this recipe you need to make fresh rice flour from the soaked rice, rice should soaked for 1 hour and then drained and dried for 1o minutes and then ground into powder. Sift so that you will get only very fine powder. Then fry this rice powder for 7-8 minutes until it releases aroma.
Then add this to jaggery (raw brown sugar) , coconut, cooked black eyed peas mixture and make dough then make it into thick flat cake or disc with a hole in the center. Later it is steamed for 10 minutes or until it has shiny surface. Then it is served with piece of butter.
For savory version, first make seasoning with mustard, urad dal, red and green chili, curry leaves and hing( asafetodia) . Then add water and when water starts boiling add roasted rice flour, cooked black eyed peas, coconut pieces and salt. Then make dough and later flatten the dough into thick disc with hole in the center and steam it and serve it with butter.
It takes ½ day work, so make sure to prepare ahead. Here comes the recipe.
karadaiyan nombu adai(Sweet and Savory Steamed Rice Cakes)
Ingredients
For Making Rice Flour
- 1 ½ cup Raw rice I used long grain rice
For Sweet adai/Sweet rice cake
- 1 cup Roasted Rice flour
- ¼ cup cooked Black eyed peas/Karamani
- 1 cup Jaggery
- ¼ cup Coconut chopped into small pieces
- 2 ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder 3nos
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
For Salt adai( Savory rice cake)
- 1 cup roasted rice flour
- ¼ cup coconut chopped in small pieces
- ⅓ cup cooked blackeyed peas/karamani
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafeotida/Hing
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon urad dal
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 green chili
- 1 red chili
- 1 inch piece of ginger chopped finely
- 2 teaspoon oil
Instructions
First make rice flour
- Soak the raw rice for 1 hour then wash and drain and allow to dry for 15 minutes in kitchen tissue or cloth.
- Then grind it into fine powder, sieve well so that we get only fine powder.
- In a non stick pan roast the rice flour for 7-8 minutes or until it release aroma. After roasting there will lot of small pieces of rice flour will be there so pulse it in a blender/grinder or food processor to make it fine again. If you were able to make straight line with rice flour, then it is roasted well.
Cooking Black eyed peas/Karamani
- First roast ½ cup for 6-7 minutes or until it changes the color and reduce a bit.
- Then wash and cook with 2 cup water for 30-35 minutes or until it become soft but not mushy and set aside.
For making Sweet Adai
- Melt jaggery with ¼ cup water and strain for impurities and set aside.
- In a thick bottomed pan add strained jaggery,2 cups of water, ¼ cup cooked black eyed peas, ¼ cup chopped coconuts pieces,and bring to boil.
- when it starts boil add roasted flour, cardamom and mix well and reduce the flame and cook for another 3 minutes.
- set aside for cool when it is cool enough to touch add 2 tablespoon ghee and mix everything and knead well to form a smooth dough.
- Make balls out these sweet dough. Then place it in banana leaves and slightly press it form a 3 inch disc. with finger dipping water make a hole in the center.
- Then steam this rice disc for 15 minutes or until it has shiny surface.
- Serve with dollop of butter.
For savory adai
- In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and green and red chili mix. When mustard seeds starts spluttering add chopped ginger,cooked black eyed peas, coconut pieces and hing then add water.
- When it starts boiling add roasted flour and mix well then reduce the flame and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Set aside for cool when it is cool enough to touch mix everything and knead well to form a smooth dough.
- Make balls out these sweet dough. Then place it in banana leaves and slightly press it form a 3 inch disc. with finger dipping water make a hole in the center.
- Then steam this rice disc for 15 minutes or until it has shiny surface.
Nutrition
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For more steamed rice recipes
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This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Reeni says
I love learning about this and think it is great you are carrying on your Moms traditions! Savory and sweet - I would like to try them both! I never had anything like this before.
Nalini Somayaji says
very nice to know the traditions of Tamil Brahmins...and lovely story behind the vratha..(as called in Kannada)..intersting ...a complete new recipe for me ......tasty and healthy ...steamed adai both the versions ..(sweet and savoury)...nice to know ...Swathi Iyer
Gayathri says
Looks divine. Perfectly done. Well explained. Here where u get this banana leaves.
Swathi says
I got it from local grocery store
sushma mallya says
yummy,looks worth a try....
Naomi says
These look delicious! Definitely going to try this!
mjskit says
Interesting tradition and even more interesting rice cakes. I've never seen these kinds of rice cakes. Very tasty I'm sure!
Malli says
Wow....Nombu adais look awesomely tasty. I am a fan of all adai
sona says
Perfectly made adais, looks delicious..
techie2mom says
Thanks for sharing the story behind the festival and such a delicious and healthy recipe..
Mrs.Homemaker says
This yummy looking dish even a blossom for eyes . Nice presentation
Maria John says
These looks so delicious..your clicks are too good 🙂
sangeetha says
traditional nombu recipes,love both versions Swathi!!!
Minnie@thelady8home says
It's so good to learn about the traditional dishes...so much to learn. Looks mouthwatering!
Srimathi says
Wow! Swathi awesome documentation. I appreciate all the step by step photos that most bloggers post, its a lot of planning and hard work. Love the karadai.
priya anandakuamr says
woa a very hovely post and beautifully explained....
Gloria says
looks so in inviting ...traditional dishes are always special..i loved the sweet one more
Priya Mahadevan says
Splendid post Swathi!
Eliza Lincy says
Sweet and savoury versions of Adai looks so inviting in banana leaf. Tasty traditional dishes.
veenashankar says
looks yum
Marisa says
I love the legend and I magine that you'rve really enjoyed cooking these beautiful cakes. The photos are beautiful. I'm sure "You and you husband will stay together always.” Cheers.
http://thermofan.blogspot.com.es/
beena stephy says
Wow both adis looks yummy and cute
Harini says
Very lovely post.Presentation of nombu adai is awesome
Prash @ YummilyYours says
Count me in for the savory ones Swati! 🙂
chikku says
Lovely treat dear ...very traditional !!
Bhawya says
And u wonderfully described about the nombu. Thanks for sharing it.
Bhawya says
Both adai looks great. Haven't heard this before. Ll try it soon and let u know.
Babitha costa says
very traditional