Last Friday was Karadayar Nombu. Thanks to Bollywood, its North-Indian cousin, Karwa Chauth is much more popular. Karadayar Nombu typically falls at the cusp of tamil month of Maasi and Panguni and can fall at any time during the day - be it the dead of the night or right during the middle of the day. Thankfully, this year the Gods were smiling and it was right in the morning.

For me, the best part of the Nombu is the prasadam. Sweet (vella) adai is made as the offering for this nombu, and I wonder, why we don’t make this on other days! To compliment the sweet adai, a savory (Kaara) adai is also usually prepared, and as I had family over for dinner I made pidi kozhukattai with Rosematta rice as well.

Karadayar Nombu

To prepare sweet adai, cook 1/2 cup of jaggery with 1/2 cup of water. Add a pinch of cardamom powder, handful of pre-soaked black-eyed beans and a tablespoon of grated coconut. Dry roast 1 cup of rice flour, till it turns slightly pink and add this to the jaggery water, and turn the stove off. Add a teaspoon of ghee and set it aside. Once it cools down, mix it like chappathi dough. Roll the dough into golf ball-sized balls, then flatten it on your palm and make a hole in the center. Steam the adai for about 10 mins.

For the savory adai, splutter mustard, curry leaves, red chillies in a teaspoon of oil and 1/2 cup of water. Add a handful of pre-soaked black-eyed beans, a tablespoon of grated coconut and let it come to a boil. Dry roast a cup of rice flour, till it turns slightly pink and add this to the boiling water and turn the stove off. Set it aside to cool and then mix the dough well. Make the adai following the same instruction as sweet adai, and steam cook it for about 10 mins.

The base for the pidi kozhukattai is similar to rice upma, but it is partially cooked over the stove and then steamed to complete th cooking. Coarsely grind the rice like rava and proceed in the same way as you would do for upma, cutting the water in the recipe by half. When the mixture thickens (the rice will not be fully cooked), turn off the gas and let it cool. Once it cools down, take a handful of the mixture and make mini-fists. Steam it for about 10 mins.

The sweet adai tastes very well with butter, while for the savory version and pidi kozhukatai, you can make a side of tomato or coriander chutney. Eat well & enjoy, in the name of nombu :)