Karadaiyan Nombu/ Savithri Viratham is a Tamil Brahmin Festival in the month of March where women and young girls observe fasting and pray for the well being, togetherness, love and longevity of their husbands (and future husbands). My mom and I have celebrated this nombu every year right from my childhood and the feeling of praying for the love and togetherness with my future husband has always excited me! Yes, I had been praying for my husband for about 20 years even before meeting him!! The best part of karadaiyan nombu is tying the yellow thread with a flower (nombu charadu) on my neck after the prayer and chanting the slokam (prayer verse) and breaking the fast and eating the prasadam (offering).
Following are the two chanting verses for tying the yellow nombu thread and offering prasadam:
Karadaiyan Nombu Charadu Tying Slokam – Sanskrit:
भर्थु: आयुश् सिद्ध्यर्थं सुप्रीता भव सर्वदा ||
Throram Krishhnami subhake saharitham
Dharami aham bharthu
Ayushya Sidhartham supreethabhava sarvadha
தோ³ரம்ʼ க்³ருʼஹ்ணாமி ஸுப⁴கே³ ஸஹாரித்³ரம் த⁴ராம்யஹம் |
ப⁴ர்து²: ஆயுஸ்² ஸித்³த்⁴யர்த²ம்ʼ ஸுப்ரீதா ப⁴வ ஸர்வதா³ ||
Karadaiyan Nombu Neivedhya Slokam – Tamil:
உருகாத வெண்ணெயும் ஓரடையாம் நான் நூற்றென்,
ஒருக்காலும் என் கணவர் என்னை விட்டு பிரியாதிருக்க வேண்டும்
Urukaadha Venneyum oradaiyam naan nootren,
Orukkalum en kanavar ennai vittu piriyadhirukka vendum
The prasadam for karadaiyan nombu is steaming hot vellam and uppu adai (sweet and salt steamed cake made of rice flour) along with soft butter on banana leaf, heavenly! Come, let’s see how to make this perfect, authentic and divine recipe at home with easy method and step by step pictures.
Karadaiyan Nombu Adai | Sweet Adai | Vellam Adai
Ingredients
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Water – 2 cups
- Jaggery – 1 cup
- Cooked Karamani/ Black eyed peas – 4 tbsp
- Coconut – 2 tbsp
- Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
- Oil – 2 tsp (for greasing your palm)
Directions
- We require 4 tbsp cooked karamani for sweet adai and 4 tbsp for salt adai. For this, soak 1/2 cup karamani in 1 cup water overnight; in the morning, discard the leftover water and add 1 cup fresh water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Strain the karamani and set aside. You can also cook it in stovetop till soft.
- Preparation: Chop jaggery using a sharp knife for easy dissolving. If using powdered jaggery, skip this step.
- Boil water in a non stick or heavy bottomed pan and add jaggery to it and mix well to dissolve completely. Filter it using a strainer if it has any impurities
- Add the jaggery water to the pan and add karamani to it and bring to a boil
- Add rice flour slowly and mix continuously to avoid lump formulation.
- Add coconut and cardamom powder and mix.
- Lower the flame and mix well to form a solid mass as shown, it should come together and not stick to the pan. Switch off and transfer to a plate and cool down completely.
- Once the rice flour mixture has cooled to room temperature, grease your palm with a few drops of oil and make 12 equal sized balls.
- Flatten them slightly using your palm and make a hole in the center (dip your finger in oil while making the hole for easier process).
- Grease an idly mold with few drops of oil and place one disc/adai each on the mold.
- Steam in idly steamer or pressure cooker without whistle for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool down for 5 minutes and remove from the mold using knife. Serve as prasadam with soft butter. Delicious and Heavenly Karadaiyan nombu sweet Adai is ready!
Notes
- I used light coloured jaggery, so the colour is golden. If you use paagu vellam, it will be dark brown.
- Store bought rice flour works perfectly for this recipe.
- You can use grated or chopped coconut; both give different but great taste.
- Add rice flour slowly and mix continuously for even cooking and to prevent lump formation. Keep the flame in low.
- Cool down completely before making balls as it will be sticky to handle while its hot. You can use oil or ghee to grease your palm for easier process.
- If making a couple of hours in advance, store the slightly cooled adai in hot pack or closed container to prevent drying out.
- If you do not have time to cook karamani, just roast it till golden and add to boiling water along with rice flour. I have heard it gets cooked, but I have not tried it
How to make Sweet Adai?
We require 4 tbsp cooked karamani for sweet adai and 4 tbsp for salt adai. For this, soak 1/2 cup karamani in 1 cup water overnight; in the morning, discard the leftover water and add 1 cup fresh water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Strain the karamani and set aside. You can also cook it in stovetop till soft.
1. Preparation: Chop jaggery using a sharp knife for easy dissolving. If using powdered jaggery, skip this step.
2. Boil water in a non stick or heavy bottomed pan and add jaggery to it and mix well to dissolve completely. Filter it using a strainer if it has any impurities
3. Add the jaggery water to the pan and add karamani to it and bring to a boil.
4. Add rice flour slowly and mix continuously to avoid lump formulation.
5. Add coconut and cardamom powder and mix.
6. Lower the flame and mix well to form a solid mass as shown, it should come together and not stick to the pan. Switch off and transfer to a plate and cool down completely.
7. Once the rice flour mixture has cooled to room temperature, grease your palm with a few drops of oil and make 12 equal sized balls. Flatten them slightly using your palm and make a hole in the center (dip your finger in oil while making the hole for easier process).
8. Grease an idly mold with few drops of oil and place one disc/adai each on the mold.
9. Steam in idly steamer or pressure cooker without whistle for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool down for 5 minutes and remove from the mold using knife. Serve as prasadam with soft butter. Delicious and Heavenly Karadaiyan nombu sweet Adai is ready!
Karadaiyan Nombu Adai | Salt Adai | Uppu Adai
+ 10 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Water – 2 cups
- Boiled Karamani – 4 tbsp
- Coconut – 2 tbsp
- Salt – as required
- Green chilli – 2
- Oil – 2 tsp (for greasing your palm)
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Mustard – 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida – 2 pinches
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
To temper:
Directions
- We require 4 tbsp cooked karamani for sweet adai and 4 tbsp for salt adai. For this, soak 1/2 cup karamani in 1 cup water overnight; in the morning, discard the leftover water and add 1 cup fresh water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Strain the karamani and set aside. You can also cook it in stovetop till soft.
- Preparation: Chop the green chilli finely and keep all the ingredients ready.
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and allow to crackle. Add curry leaves, asafoetida and green chilli to it
- Add water and bring to a boil and add salt and karamani to it.
- Add rice flour slowly and mix continuously to avoid lump formulation.
- Add coconut and lower the flame and mix well to form a solid mass as shown, it should come together and not stick to the pan. The salt adai thickens faster than the sweet one; takes only 1 to 2 minutes. Switch off and transfer to a plate and cool down completely.
- Once the rice flour mixture has cooled to room temperature, grease your palm with a few drops of oil and make 12 equal sized balls.
- Flatten them slightly using your palm and make a hole in the center (dip your finger in oil while making the hole for easier process).
- Grease an idly mould with few drops of oil and place one disc/adai each on the mould.
- Steam in idly steamer or pressure cooker without whistle for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool down for 5 minutes and remove from the mould using knife. Serve as parasadam with soft butter. Delicious and tasty Karadayan nombu salt Adai is ready!
Notes
- Store bought rice flour works perfectly for this recipe.
- You can use grated or chopped coconut; both give different but great taste.
- Add rice flour slowly and mix continuously for even cooking and to prevent lump formation. Keep the flame in low.
- Cool down completely before making balls as it will be sticky to handle while its hot. You can use oil or ghee to grease your palm for easier process.
- If making a couple of hours in advance, store the slightly cooled adai in hot pack or closed container to prevent drying out.
- If you do not have time to cook karamani, just roast it till golden and add to boiling water along with rice flour. I have heard it gets cooked, but I have not tried it
How to make Salt Adai?
1. Preparation: Chop the green chilli finely and keep all the ingredients ready.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and allow to crackle. Add curry leaves, asafoetida and green chilli to it
3. Add water and bring to a boil and add salt and karamani to it.
4. Add rice flour slowly and mix continuously to avoid lump formulation.
5. Add coconut and lower the flame and mix well to form a solid mass as shown, it should come together and not stick to the pan. The salt adai thickens faster than the sweet one; takes only 1 to 2 minutes. Switch off and transfer to a plate and cool down completely.
6. Once the rice flour mixture has cooled to room temperature, grease your palm with a few drops of oil and make 12 equal sized balls. Flatten them slightly using your palm and make a hole in the center (dip your finger in oil while making the hole for easier process).
7. Grease an idly mould with few drops of oil and place one disc/adai each on the mould.
8. Steam in idly steamer or pressure cooker without whistle for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool down for 5 minutes and remove from the mould using knife. Serve as parasadam with soft butter. Delicious and tasty Karadayan nombu salt Adai is ready!
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