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March 29, 2013

SHARJAH SHAKE RECIPE/ KERALA MILKSHAKE/ SHARJAH BANANA SHAKE


sharjah copy
Sharjah shake is nothing but banana milkshake which is commonly found in Kerala juice shops and bakeries. I came to know about this drink from my neighbour. She makes this very often for her sons during summer. She suggested me to try once. As I had some ripe banana lying in the pantry I tried this milk shake ..We loved it. It tasted slightly different from the usual banana milkshake. Not only the taste, but also the color. Addition of boost and Chikki/Cashew/Badam makes the difference here. One more important thing in this recipe is, it uses frozen milk cubes. It can be made in a jiffy and adding ice cream is optional. It comes out thick without adding ice cream. It is a refreshing and a filling drink too.. Adjust the amount of sugar based on ur liking. .Do try this Kerala Sharjah shake, you’ll fall in love with it !

sharjah milkshake

INGREDIENTS

  • Frozen Milk – 2 cups (400 ml )
  • Ripe small size banana – 2 nos ( 3 if very small) ( use poovan , kadili . I used yelakki)
  • Sugar – 1 tbsp
  • Peanut chikki  or crushed peanuts – 2 small pieces/ 2 tbsp 
  • Almond or cashews – 5 nos
  • Boost / Bournvita / Chocolate Horlicks – 1- 1.5 tbsp
  • Instant coffee powder - 1/4 tsp ( optional )
  • Vanilla ice cream - 1 scoop

HOW TO MAKE SHARJAH SHAKE - METHOD

  • Take 2 cups of milk and freeze it well..
  • In a mixie jar, chop and add the ripe banana, sugar,  peanut chikki or crushed peanuts, cashew or badam, boost/bournvita and coffee powder (optional)
sharajah shake tile1
  • Break the frozen milk with a rod and add as small cubes to the mixie jar. Add vanilla ice cream ( optional) . Grind everything well till it becomes frothy.
Sharjah shake tile2
  • Serve in a glass !!

sharjah  - shake glass

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March 28, 2013

Rava Idli With Eno and Curd - Instant Rava Idli With Video

Rava idli

 In this post lets see how to make Instant Rava idli / Sooji idli /Semolina idli at home with ENO fruit salt and curd/yogurt with step by step photos and Video.

Rava idli ( Suji idli in Hindi/Semolina idli in English) is a popular breakfast recipe in South India. As we all know Rava idli was invented by MTR( Mavalli Tiffin Room) hotel, Karnataka. You can find rava idli in all the hotels. Its so easy to make with simple ingredients. Its an instant South Indian breakfast recipe that helps me when I run short of idli dosa batter. Very recently I started making this  suji idli at home and I have made this several times so far. Sendhil loves this soft and spongy rava idli a lot and I too  started loving it because its so easy to prepare, comes out very soft and spongy and above all it can be made instantly ;)

I got this recipe from Aval vikatan’s restaurant style recipes supplementary book. Its cooking procedure is very simple.The softness of this idli lies in the consistency of batter, proportion of curd & addition of  ENO fruit salt or cooking soda. Please do not attempt this recipe without curd or Eno/Soda. To make this a healthy breakfast recipe, my MIL adds vegetables like grated carrots, cabbage and cooked peas. So I too make this way sometimes. 

Rava idli tastes the best when served hot with coconut chutney. In some hotels, it is served with kurma. In Karnataka, rava idli is served with sagu or potato masala. Try this simple, easy, Instant rava idli recipe and let me know how you liked it. Lets see how to prepare this easy, instant rava idli recipe at home !



Rava idli

Rava Idli recipe - How to make rava idli at home


Rava Idli recipe How to make soft,spongy Rava idli at home - Easy, Instant breakfast recipe
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast
Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Sooji / Rava – 1 cup ( use upma rava, not the fine chiroti rava)
  • Fresh curd – 1 cup
  • Plain ENO fruit salt – 1 tsp OR Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt & water – As needed
To temper
  • Oil – 1.5 tsp
  • Ghee – 1.5 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Chana dal – 2 tsp
  • Crushed Pepper corns – 1/2 tsp ( optional)
  • Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • Finely chopped ginger – 1 tsp
  • Finely chopped green chilli – 1 - 2 nos
  • Cashew nuts – 5 nos
  • Coriander leaves – few (chopped)
  • Lemon juice – Few drops (optional)
 HOW TO MAKE INSTANT RAVA IDLI - METHOD

  • Set aside.In a wide kadai or cooker base , add oil and ghee. Temper mustard seeds , urad dal, chana dal, Cashews, pepper corns, jeera, finely chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute well till pepper corns starts to splutter. Add the roasted rava , mix well. If using unroasted rava, roast it for 3-4 minutes in the kadai in medium flame without burning the rava.
  • Switch off the flame and allow it to cool completely. After the mixture cools down completely , add the curd, salt, coriander leaves, lemon juice and the required water. Mix well. The consistency of the batter should not be too thick or too thin. It should be pourable like idli batter. The mixture takes 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup of water to get the right consistency. Please adjust it as per your need. But do not make runny batter. 

  • Before making idli, add the eno fruit salt. Eno should be active such that as soon as u add ENO, you should see bubbles as shown in the video. Mix well and make idli immediately.Grease the idli plate and pour the batter. Steam it for 8-10 minutes. Check with the back of a spoon. Remove and enjoy eating hot with coconut chutney or kurma !
  • Enjoy !

Note
  • Adjust the quantity of water to reach the consistency.
  • If using roasted rava, just mix well with tempered items. No need to roast it again.
  • Please do not attempt this recipe without curd or ENO/Cooking soda. As this is an instant recipe, you should add ENO or soda to achieve softness.
  • You can add grated carrots and cooked peas.
Enjoy Soft, spongy rava idli for breakfast with sambar or chutney !
Rava idli recipe
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March 26, 2013

Carrot Halwa Recipe In Pressure Cooker - Gajar Halwa in Pressure cooker - How To Make Carrot Halwa

carrot halwa plate

Carrot halwa | Gajar ka halwa is the easiest and delicious sweet recipe that can be made jiffy. The best thing about this sweet is it takes very less ghee unlike other halwa recipes. I made this for my daughter’s birthday. This is one of her favourite sweets.

We love to have this dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Usually carrot halwa is prepared with khoya or condensed milk (milk maid). But I made it in a very simple way with milk and sugar using a pressure cooker. I followed my cookbook recipe for the preparation and it came out very well. If  you want, you can cook the carrots in milk in low flame in an open pan which gives more taste. As I wanted to make it quick I followed the pressure cooker version. 

For more rich taste , a paste of almonds and cashews can be added at the end..Try this easy version , you’ll love it for sure.
carrot halwa bowl copy

INGREDIENTS
 1 cup - 250ml
  • Grated carrots – 2 cups (levelled)
  • Milk – 1/3 cup
  • Sugar – 1/2 cup
  • Ghee – 2 tbsp
  • Cashews – few
  • Elachi – 3 nos powdered
METHOD - HOW TO MAKE CARROT HALWA IN PRESSURE COOKER
  • Wash and grate carrots using a big size grater and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pressure cooker base and roast the cashews till golden brown. Remove the cashews alone leaving ghee in the pan. Now add the grated carrots and saute till the raw smell of carrot emanates. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Carrots will turn slightly pale orange in color.
         Carrot halwa tile1
  • Then add the milk and pressure cook in high flame for 2-3 whistles. Do not worry  that the milk is less. Its enough to cook the carrots. Remove the lid after the steam is released. There will be no milk or very less milk in the cooked carrot. No problem. 
        carrot halwa tile2
  • Now add the sugar and mix well till sugar dissolves. Mixture will become liquid. Keep stirring in medium flame. When it starts to thicke,  add the elachi powder and mix well. The halwa thickens and it starts to leave the sides of the cooker. 
  • Now add the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee & roasted cashews, mix for a minute and serve. Make sure the mixture has some moisture, do not make it dry else it will become very thick and dry after it cools down..
        carrot halwa tile3
It tastes the best when served warm with ice cream !!


carrot halwa with icecream 1


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March 21, 2013

Spring Onion Chutney Recipe ( For Idli Dosa )


spring onion -  chutney

I adapted this recipe from tarla dalal’s site .I made few changes in the original recipe. We liked it very much. It was a nice combo for idli, dosa..I’ve given the variations for this chutney in ingredients list.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

  • Spring onion – 1 cup (chopped)
  • Tomato – 1 no
  • Green chillies or red chillies – 4 - 6 nos
  • Chana dal or urad dal – 1 tbsp
  • Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Tamarind – 1 small piece
  • Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
  • Salt & water – As needed
  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
To temper
  • Cooking oil – 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Hing – A generous pinch

METHOD

  • Chop the spring onions , tomato. Grate coconut..Soak tamarind in little water.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai and roast the dal with hing. Remove the dal alone and keep it in a plate..
  • In the same oil , saute the spring onions , tomato , chillies , Grated coconut and salt.. Saute well till the onion shrinks and tomato mushes.. Cool & grind it to a smooth paste adding the soaked tamarind with water.. Make a paste..
spring onion chutney tile
  • Finally add the coriander leaves & grind again to a paste..
  • Temper with the above ingredients..Add to chutney
Serve with idli , dosa  topped with sesame oil !!

spring onion chutney


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March 20, 2013

Vazhaithandu Thayir Pachadi | Banana Stem Raita


Vazhaithandu raita1

I love to eat all the vegetables. But Sendhil & Raksha run miles away when i prepare certain dishes using some vegetables.Hot smile.One such vegetable is banana stem / vazhaithandu. I have to think a lot before cooking these vegetables as how to make the dish appealing and make them eat. Last time when i went to salem my FIL bought me a tender banana stem.. When i was hitting my mind to try something new , my neighbour suggested this recipe.I tried it keeping my fingers crossed .To my surprise , sen said this is the second best recipe among the vazhaithandu dishes..I asked , which is the first one then ? He said its Vazhaithandu juice Winking smile .. I must thank my neighbour for teaching me such a quick , easy n tasty dish. I started making this very often as this became my hubby’s favourite and an easy to prepare dish for me .There is no need to cook the banana stem.It has a crunchy taste.So this recipe can be made instantly.Only the cutting part takes some time.I used to cut it the previous day night & keep them immersed in buttermilk & refrigerate it till use . If u dont like to eat raw banana stem , pressure cook it for one whistle and proceed.Make sure u use a tender , fresh stem.This dish will be helpful for people under diet as the fiber content of banana stem helps to reduce the weight.It is very filling too.Try this recipe and let me know how u liked it Smile..

Vazhaithandu raita

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

  • Tender Banana stem | Vazhaithandu – 1 cup (finely chopped)
  • Fresh thick curd – 1 cup
  • Green chilly –  1 - 2 nos ( Slitted or finely chopped )
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece (optional)
  • Salt – As needed
To temper
  • Cooking oil – 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Hing – 2 generous pinches
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Coriander leaves – few

METHOD

  • Discard  the outer cover of banana stem and take the inner part separately. Cut into discs and remove the threads that comes in between the discs.Now chop them finely.
vazhaithandu raita til 1
vazhaithandu raita tile 2
  • Mix 2 tsp curd or a tbsp of  buttermiik in a bowl of water & immerse the chopped vazhaithandu pieces till use. ( This helps to avoid discoloration)
Vazhaithandu raita tile3
  • Now heat a tsp of oil in a a kadai and temper mustard seeds , urad dal , hing and curry leaves , green chillies & ginger.saute well. Take the chopped banana stem pieces from the buttermilk , squeeze them well and add the tempered items .Mix well , add salt & coriander leaves..Before serving add the fresh curd & mix well and serve immediately..
vazhaithandu raita tile4
Enjoy with dal rice or eat as it is !! The curd mixture tastes & smells more like thayir vada curd as the ingredients used for both are same Smile

NOTE

  • Curd should be fresh and thick.This is very important for this dish.
  • Squeeze the banana stem after taking out from buttermilk else it will leave the water and makes the pachadi watery.Banana stem pieces should be added just before serving , remember ..
  • Adding hing and coriander leaves gives the flavour.
  • Addition of ginger is optional . I have tried without adding ginger too. It tasted good.. If u want , u can make a paste of ginger & green chilli  & little coconut and add to curd..

Vazhaithandu raita spoon

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March 18, 2013

Idli Dosa Batter Using Mixie | Breakfast Recipes

Idli dosa batter using mixie
After 3 successful attempts, I am posting this recipe for idli batter using mixie. Most of us use grinder for making soft idli , crispy dosa batter. It yields more quantity, good texture and softness. But there are situations we may need to use mixie. Whenever I want to grind the idli batter in small quantity ( for two days use ) I use my Preethi Indian mixer. The problem in using mixie is we need to add more dal to get soft idli . But for grinder we use 6:1 ratio, sometimes 8:1 too. I wanted to make soft idlies with less dal . So I used aval /poha to replace dal and tried it. It does the magic here. One more issue with mixie is , the jar gets heated up very soon. So I used ice cold water for grinding the batter. This post may be boring to the experts, but for beginners and for people in abroad who don’t own a grinder, this post would be useful. Experts, do leave your suggestions and tips. 

Basically idli batter proportion is 4:1 of rice & urad dal. If you have good quality urad dal , you can use 5:1. I used the same proportion of ingredients mentioned below, otherwise make it 4:1 of rice and dal and try for the first time. Based on the result , change the quantity. Please go through the “Notes” section for variations & tips for fermentation. For people who live in cold countries I have made a separate post for fermentation of idli batter with stepwise pictures. Please check this link. Lets see how to make soft idli & crispy dosa batter at home using mixie !


Idli dosa batter using mixie

Idli dosa batter using mixie


Idli dosa batter using mixie How to make soft idli and crispy dosa using mixie
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast
Serves: 25 nos
Prep time: 24 Hours
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 24H10M


INGREDIENTS
      1 cup = 250 ml
  • Idli rice / salem rice – 2 cups ( I used 2.5 cups as my dal is good)
  • Round white Urad dal – 1/2 cup
  • Thick Aval / poha – 1/4 cup
  • Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt & water – As needed
METHOD
  • Wash the rice twice and soak it in a bowl for minimum 2 hours. You can soak upto 4 hours. Wash (once) & soak the dal, aval/poha, methi seeds together in a bowl for 1-2 hours.
  • Drain the soaked water completely and take the dal mixture in a mixie jar. Add 1/2 cup of  ice cold water and grind for 2 minutes.
  • Again open the lid and add 1/4 cup of water & grind for another minute. It will become a smooth paste. Remove the dal & keep it in a big vessel. U can see micro bubbles in dal. This shows the correct consistency. Choose a big vessel to hold double the quantity of batter. The color of the batter may be slightly yellow. Don’t panic, its because of the methi seeds.
Idli dosa batter using mixie
  • Leave the jar for 10 minutes. Let it take rest. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add to the jar. Add the required salt, 1/2 cup ice cold water and grind for 2-3 minutes. Now open the lid and add more water in regular intervals till u get a smooth batter. Make sure rice is not coarse or grainy. In total, this batter takes 1.5 – 2 cups of water in total for rice+dal.
  • Now remove the batter & mix with urad dal batter. Mix it well using your hands (This helps for fermentation). Keep the batter covered and let it ferment over night or 12 hours.
Idli dosa batter using mixie
  • The next morning , the batter would be raised well. Mix it well using a ladle and make idlies in idli plate. Idli may bulge after steaming, so add batter till 3/4th of the mould to get small sized idlies.
  • Steam it for 10 minutes. It will be very soft to touch and non sticky. Serve hot with chutney or sambar !
Idli dosa batter using mixie
Enjoy !
Note
  • As I mentioned use less dal only if the quality is good . Otherwise use 1/2 cup of dal for 2 cups of rice. ie rice n dal should be 4:1.
  • Adding methi seeds gives a nice flavour to dosa. Don’t avoid it.
  • U can add more urad dal to get the softest idlies ie  use 4:1 rice n dal. Here I used 5: 1.
  • U can also replace aval with cooked rice. Addition of aval gives you the golden brown colored crispy dosa like you see in the above picture.
  • Soaking time of minimum 2 hours is a must. Maximum 4 hours will be sufficient. 
  • For making dosa , take the required batter in a separate bowl , add little water ( 1/4 cup ) . Then make dosa. For crispy dosa , heat the tawa. Drizzle some water & check if its hot. Wipe the dosa tawa. Now reduce the flame and take a ladle ful of batter. Pour & spread it well to make it thin. Pour some oil around the dosa after its half cooked on top. Now increase the flame to medium and let it cook till the sides lift. By this time , the open side will also be cooked. So no need to flip & cook. Fold the dosa and serve hot !
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Crispy dosa

TIPS FOR FERMENTATION

After going through some websites ,  i am giving the tips for batter fermentation. Hope it will work for you.
  • First recommended thing for batter fermentation is to mix the batter using your hands. Mix the dal and rice batter thoroughly.. Uneven mixing causes failures. Mixing them by hand works best!
  • A warm temperature is essential for fermentation. 25 to 28 °C (77 - 82.4 °F) will be ideal. If the weather is cold, keep some warm water in a large bowl and immerse the vessel containing the dough. To help maintain the temperature of the warm water bath, cover it with a blanket, or better, use a regulated heater, like a heating pad or aquarium heater. Even easier, turn on the light in the oven, and use that to keep the batter warm.
  • When u grind the batter , pre heat the oven in 90c for 10 minutes and switch off the oven. Now keep the batter covered inside the oven and turn the oven lights on.. It helps ..
  • Add 1/4 tsp of baking soda or baking powder to the ground batter and then ferment. It will help the batter to raise well in harsh cold conditions..
  • Allow at least 8 - 12 hours to ferment. If you don't see tiny bubbles the next morning, the dough will not rise and you have to start all over again.
  • If nothing works for u , try adding a fermentation starter like a spoonful of commercially prepared idli batter as they have live culture, it helps for fermentation..
  • Use chlorine-free water when grinding, as this will be the water that the batter will have in it when fermenting. Tap water will work, but will inhibit the ferment a little. Most modern water filters remove both chlorine and chloramine. Use non-iodized salt such as ‘Kosher salt’ and Use spring water, boiled or filtered tap water to avoid Chlorine/Fluorine. For people who live in cold countries I have made a separate post for fermentation of idli batter with stepwise pictures. Please check this link.
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March 14, 2013

KARADAIYAN NOMBU ADAI RECIPE | SWEET ADAI, SALT ADAI

Karadaiyan nombu adai recipe
Karadaiyan nombu adai recipe - Learn how to make Karadaiyan nombu sweet adai (vella adai) and salt adai recipes (uppu adai) with step by step pictures and video. This adai can be prepared with homemade rice flour or store bought rice flour/ idiyappam flour. Only difference lies in the quantity of water used to make adai. Here I have discussed vella adai and uppu adai recipe using homemade rice flour. Usually for making this adai , we make processed rice flour at home. U can also use good quality store bought idiyappam flour. I have tried using both and they came out equally well in softness & texture. Usually people make a hole in adai like urad dal vada for even cooking. As my MIL don't do that, I too don't put a hole in my adai ;)

Karamani /black eyed peas is the main ingredient for this adai. But my MIL adds other grains like ragi , mochakottai ,chana , green gram , black gram , unpolished rice (nel) , wheat germs , toor dal to make it a mix of nine grains in very little quantity, roast and cook it. But many people use only karamani / thatta payaru for this adai. So its our choice finally! Below you can find a picture of adai with hole in the center. The color of sweet adai depends on the color of jaggery you use. Ok, lets see how to make karadaiyan nombu adai recipe with step by step pictures and video.

Please click THIS LINK for Karadaiyan Nombu Pooja Procedure with more details!

Karadaiyan nombu adai recipe


SIGNIFICANCE OF KARADAIYAN NOMBU

Karadaiyan Nonbu or Savitri Vratham is a traditional Tamil nadu festival of fasting wherein married women pray for the wellness and long life of their husbands. This nombu should be done in the time when tamil month 'Masi' ends and the next month 'Panguni' starts. The reason why this fasting is carried out is that “ Savithri fought with yema (the God of Death) to save her husband's (Satyavan) life", the same way the married women should fast on this auspicious day for long life of their husbands. Unmarried woman can also observe Karadayan Nombu and pray to Goddess Shakti to get good men as their husband.

Source : http://chandra.subramanianfamily.com/2009/03/karadiyan-nombu.html..

Before marriage , I have not celebrated this festival as my mom don’t have this practice. I heard about this celebration from my MIL only after my marriage. Initially I used to watch my MIL making nombu adai. She makes Sweet adai/Vella adai and Salt adai/Uppu adai for neivedyam. But now I can confidently make it on my own. It comes out very well. What I love in this festival is tying the yellow rope. More than me, my daughter is more curious about tying the yellow rope in her hand ;) Also we chant a few lines/sloka in front of the lamp while tying the rope.

"Urugadha Vennaiyum oru adaiyum vaithu nonbu notren oru naalum en kanavar enai piriyamal iruka vendum".

Please click THIS LINK for Karadaiyan Nombu Pooja Procedure with more details!

Karadaiyan nombu adai video ↓↓



Karadaiyan nombu sweet adai & salt adai recipe

HOW TO MAKE PROCESSED RICE FLOUR

  • Raw rice / Maavu arisi / Dosa rice – 1 cup (250ml)
Wash & soak raw rice for 2 hours and drain all the water completely. Spread the rice in a news paper or white cloth to absorb all the excess water. Grind in mixie to make a fine powder. Sieve & dry roast the flour in low flame till you get light fumes from the flour.

After roasting, try to draw a small kolam with it. If you able to draw it without cutting, flour is roasted well ( Kolam maavu padham). Sieve or grind once in a mixie if there are lumps after roasting. This is called processed rice flour. We use this flour for making adai.

How to make rice flour at home   How to make rice flour at home

Usually I make the flour in the previous day and make adai the next day .

For 1 cup of raw rice , we get approx 1.75 - 2 cups of flour. You can also use store bought idiyappam flour instead of homemade processed rice flour.

** For store bought rice flour/idiyapam flour,  you don't have to roast the flour.


Karadaiyan nombu adai-Sweet&Salt


Karadaiyan nombu vella adai / sweet adai and Salt adai / Uppu adai


Karadaiyan nombu vella adai / sweet adai and Salt adai / Uppu adai

Karadaiyan nombu special adai recipe using rice flour, karamani as major ingredients. Both sweet adai and salt adai recipes are discussed below.



Cuisine: Indian
Category: Karadaiyan nombu recipes
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 40 Minutes



INGREDIENTS


FOR SWEET ADAI (1 cup = 250ml)
  • Homemade Rice flour  or store bought idiyappam flour – 1 cup
  • Grated jaggery – 1 cup
  • Cooked karamani / Lobia / Black eyed peas – 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp navadhaniyam (optional)
  • Water – 1.5 cups ( Some Store bought rice flour may take just 1 cup too )
  • Cardamom seeds – few
  • Coconut bits – 2 tbsp
  • Ghee - 1 tsp ( to prevent drying)
  • Oil - to grease the palm
** For store bought rice flour/idiyappam flour, you don't have to roast the flour.
** Its completely optional to use navadhaniyam. 

FOR SALT ADAI / UPPU ADAI
  • Homemade Rice flour – 1 cup ( you can also use store bought Idiyappam flour)
  • Cooked Karamani / Lobia / Black eyed peas – 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp navadhaniya (optional)
  • Water – 2 cups (adjust as per the flour)
  • Coconut bits – 2 tbsp
  • Salt – As needed
To temper
  • Coconut oil or Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Hing - 2 generous pinches
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Green chilli – 2 - 3 nos
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece (finely chopped)
**Use a mix of white or brown chana, ragi, green gram, urad dal, toor dal  (Navadhaniyam )along with black eyed peas (karamani). But it is completely optional. You can use only karamani which gives nice flavor to this adai. Quantity of karamani can also be adjusted as per your taste.

** For store bought rice flour/idiyapam flour, you don't have to roast the flour. For homemade processed rice flour, please check it above.

HOW TO MAKE KARADAIYAN NOMBU ADAI 
  1. In a pressure cooker base, roast karamani in 1 tbsp oil till it emits nice aroma. Add water and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
  2. Divide the karamani into 2 portions.
  3. FOR SWEET ADAI / VELLA ADAI : Melt jaggery in water and strain the syrup.
  4. Add cooked karamani, coconut bits and cardamom powder in jaggery water. Let it roll boil. Lower the flame and add the rice flour (Homemade or store bought idiyappam flour).
  5. Mix well in low flame to make a soft dough. Switch off the flame. Let it become warm. Grease hands and make shapes. Make a small hole in the middle and arrange the sweet adai in a plate.  Make salt adai next. We are going to steam both sweet and salt adai together. 
  6. FOR SALT ADAI / UPPU ADAI : Heat coconut oil in a kadai and splutter mustard, urad dal, curry leaves, hing, green chilli and ginger. Add water, salt, coconut bits and cooked karamani.
  7. Let the water come to roll boil. Lower the flame completely. Add rice flour and mix well to make a soft dough. Grease hands and make shapes after it becomes warm. Keep in a plate.
  8. Boil water in a idli pot and arrange the sweet adai and salt adai in greased idli plate. Steam it for 15 to 20 minutes till adai becomes non-sticky to touch.
  9. Switch off the flame. Remove the idli plate. Keep in the counter.  Let it rest for 5 minutes before removing the adai. Take the adai carefully and arrange in a plate. PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING. 

KARADAIYAN NOMBU ADAI - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Roast Karamani and other grains in 1 tbsp oil till nice aroma emanates.  You can roast in a pressure cooker base. Roast in medium flame for 6-8 minutes. Pressure cook the grains adding 1.5 cups of water. Drain the water and keep the grains aside. Alternately, you can roast and soak the Karamani over night, pressure cook and add to rice flour. 
  • Karadaiyan nombu adai
                            
  • HOW TO MAKE SWEET ADAI / VELLA ADAI : Take water & grated jaggery in a wide bowl. Heat it and melt the jaggery completely. Strain the jaggery syrup using a metal strainer to remove the impurities if any. Wash the bowl and again transfer the syrup to same bowl.
    • Allow the syrup to boil for 3 minutes till the jaggery smell leaves. Now add the cooked karamani, coconut bits, cardamom powder, ghee and boil for sometime. Keep the flame completely low & add the rice flour in one hand while mixing with a ladle in other hand. Make sure to mix well without lumps. The mixture will thicken and will become a dough.
    Karadaiyan nombu adai
  • After the dough is warm , grease your palm with oil and take a small ball lime sized ball of dough. Flatten it like masala vadai. Make a hole in the center if you like. We don't put a hole generally. Arrange the adai in a greased idli plate. We are going to steam both sweet and salt adai together in the last step. 
  • Karadaiyan nombu adai
  • HOW TO MAKE SALT ADAI / UPPU ADAI : Heat oil in a kadai and temper mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and hing. Add water, required salt, coconut pieces, cooked karamani.  Mix well and allow to boil for sometime.
  • Karadaiyan nombu adai
  • Then add the rice flour and mix well in low flame to make a dough. After the dough cools down , make small balls. Pat it like vada and arrange them in a greased idli plate.
  • Arrange the sweet adai and salt adai in a greased idli plate. Roll boil water in an idli pot and place the idli plate with adai. Steam it for 10-15 minutes. Switch off the flame , remove the idli plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove it carefully to avoid breaking.
  • Karadaiyan nombu adai
  • Enjoy this festival day offering sweet n salt nombu adai. Ladies,don't forget to tie the rope ;)

  • Please click THIS LINK for Karadaiyan Nombu Pooja Procedure !
    Enjoy !

Note

  • Instead of roasting karamani, you can soak it overnight or 4 hours and then pressure cook it.
  • You can also use good quality idiyappam flour instead of homemade processed rice flour.
  • For variations, you can grind green chilli, ginger to a paste and add to water in salt adai.

Try this easy, yummy Karadaiyan nombu sweet adai and salt adai. Offer with unmelted butter to GOD. Enjoy the festival !

How to make Karadaiyan nombu adai
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