Karadayan Nombu

A celebration of a wife's devotion and love, a remembrance of times when the husband-wife relationship was beyond sacred - the Karadayan nombu is celebrated when the masi masam ends and panguni begins (typically Mid-March). This nombu remembers the day when Savitri fought with Lord Yama to win her husband's life. As he blessed her with "dheerga sumangali bhava", he was trapped by his own words!

The married women fast on this day, and make a delicacy of black eyed peas, rice flour and jaggery (the ingredients that one would normally get when living an ascetic life). They pray to the Almighty to bless their husbands with a good life. The unmarried women undertake this fast so they are blessed with good husbands.

For those who believe in it, you fast the whole day and break the fast at the time the panguni month begins. For those who don't, enjoy the adai!

Ingredients:

Black eyed peas (karamani) - soaked overnight and boiled.
Rice flour - 1 cup + 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Salt - To taste

To season:
Mustard seeds
Oil
Channa dal
Urad dal
Curry Leaves
Green chilli - sliced finely
Asafoetida (hing / perungayam)

Recipe:

Roast the rice flour until the aroma is released. Make sure it doesn't turn black. Set aside.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add hing, channa dal, urad dal and saute until a nice golden brown. Add chilli, curry leaves. Add 1.5 cups of water, salt and let it come to a boil. To that add 1 cup rice flour and let it cook, until it makes a nice ball and doesn't stick to the utensil. Add the black eyed pea and mix well.

Make patties out of this dough, steam in a idli cooker for 7 - 10 minutes (or more if your patty is a little thick). 

Sweet adai:

Clean the jaggery in hot water and bring it to a boil. Add the roasted rice flour and black eyed peas. Mix well and bring it to a dough like consistency (like the one for the salted variety). Make patties and steam in idli cooker for 7 - 10 minutes. 

Serve with butter!