Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu-Salt Adai

Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu Salt Adai is a traditional South Indian savoury dish prepared especially during the auspicious festival of Kaaradaiyan Nonbu. Married women and young girls observe this festival and pray for the well-being and long life of their husbands, remembering the devotion of Savitri towards Satyavan.

Prepare the savoury version of Kaaradaiyaan Adai using rice flour, soaked and cooked black-eyed peas (karamani), curry leaves, green chillies, mustard seeds, and coconut. Shape the mixture into small discs with a hole in the centre and steam them, creating a wholesome and healthy dish.

Significance of Salt Adai in Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu

During the pooja, women offer both sweet and salt versions of Kaaradaiyaan Adai along with fresh butter. The traditional prayer chant includes the offering of “urugaadha vennaiyum oru adaiyum” (butter that does not melt and an adai), symbolizing devotion and faith.

While the sweet adai is made with jaggery, the salt adai is loved for its mild spice, aromatic tempering, and soft texture.

Health Benefits

• Steamed preparation makes it light and easy to digest

• Black-eyed peas add protein and fibre

• Rice flour provides energy

• Minimal oil is used, making it a healthy festive dish

Serving Suggestions

Serve Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu Salt Adai warm with a small dollop of butter after the pooja. You can also enjoy it as a healthy evening snack or breakfast with coconut chutney.

Tips for Perfect Kaaradaiyaan Adai

• Roast the rice flour lightly to enhance flavour.

• Cook the flour mixture until it thickens before shaping.

• Grease the steaming plate lightly so the adai does not stick.

• Make a small hole in the centre to ensure even steaming.

Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu Salt Adai beautifully represents tradition, devotion, and simple homemade goodness. Generations of families have preserved this authentic recipe, making it an essential part of Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu festival celebrations.

Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu - Salt Adai

Niranjana Sankaranarayanan

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, tiffin

Cuisine South Indian, Tamil nadu

Equipment

• 1 Steamer

Ingredients

  

• 1 Cup Rice flour
• 1.25 Cup Water
• 2 tbsp Cowpea
• 2 tbsp Coconut bits
• A pinch Asafoetida

To Temper

• 1 tsp Mustard
• 1 tsp Urad dhal
• 1 tsp Channa dhal
• 2 tsp Curry leaves finely chopped
• 2 Coriander finely chopped
• 2 no Green chillies finely chopped
• 2 tsp Oil

Instructions

 

• Dry roast the rice flour in a pan on low flame until it changes from fine powder to a slightly coarse texture. Make sure the flour remains white in colour and does not turn brown.
• Soak the cowpeas (karamani) overnight. Pressure cook them until soft and keep aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed vessel, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add urad dal, channa dal, green chillies, curry leaves, and coriander leaves. Fry for about one minute.
• Add water, salt, asafoetida, coconut bits, and the cooked cowpeas.
• Note: Do not use the water in which the cowpeas were cooked, as it may turn the white rice flour brown.
• Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the roasted rice flour and mix well to avoid lumps.
• Add ghee and mix again. Turn off the flame and keep the dough aside.
• After about 10 minutes, apply a little ghee to your hands and knead the dough well until it becomes soft.
• Place a small ball of dough on a polythene sheet or cover and press it into a round shape. Make a small hole in the centre.
• Carefully remove the shaped adai and place it on the idli plate.
• Once all four idli plates are filled, steam cook them. You can place about 8 adais on each plate, allowing you to cook up to 40 adais at a time. Steam for 20 minutes.
• Open the cooker lid, gently remove the adai from the idli plates, and transfer them to a hot pack.
• Serve the warm Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu Salt Adai with a dollop of fresh butter.

Keyword Breakfast, Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu Salt Adai, Nonbu Adai, Savoury Kaaradaiyaan Adai, South indian tiffin, Steamed rice flour adai recipe, Tiffin recipes

INSTRUCTIONS

• Dry roast the rice flour in a pan on low flame until it changes from fine powder to a slightly coarse texture. Make sure the flour remains white in colour and does not turn brown.
  • 

• Soak the cowpeas (karamani) overnight. Pressure cook them until soft and keep aside.
• Chop Curry leaves, Green chillies, Coriander, Coconut bits and keep it ready.

• In a heavy-bottomed vessel, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add urad dal, channa dal, green chillies, curry leaves, and coriander leaves. Fry for about one minute.

• Add water, salt, asafoetida, coconut bits, and the cooked cowpeas.

Note: Do not use the water in which the cowpeas were cooked, as it may turn the white rice flour brown.

• Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the roasted rice flour and mix well to avoid lumps.

• Add ghee and mix again. Turn off the flame and keep the dough aside.

• After about 10 minutes, apply a little ghee to your hands and knead the dough well until it becomes soft.

• Place a small ball of dough on a polythene sheet or cover and press it into a round shape. Make a small hole in the centre.

• Carefully remove the shaped adai and place it on the idli plate.

• Once all four idli plates are filled, steam cook them. Steam for 20 minutes.

• Open the cooker lid, gently remove the adai from the idli plates, and transfer them to a hot pack.

Serve the warm Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu Salt Adai with a dollop of fresh butter.

Note: While removing the adai from idli plate, dip the spoon in water. So that it will not stick.

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