Karadayan Nombu And Its Recipes

 Karadayan Nombu is a major festival celebrated by women and young girls throughout south india. It is celebrated towards Goddess Kamatchi for the wellbeing of their husband.

 It is celebrated in Tamil Nadu at the time of transition of Tamil month Maasi to panguni.

Karadai is the name of the unique neivedyam prepared on this day and nombu means fasting.

History of this Nombu :

 This story is from Hindu mythology.

 It is believed that savithri perfomed this fasting and get her husbands soul back from Lord yama , god of death on this day.

  Savithri was the daughter of the king Asrapathi . when her father asked her whom she wish to marry , she pointed out satyavan who lived in the forest.

Satyavan was also a son of the king , but his father lost his country and the whole family was living in the forest. Satyavan ,who has got a curse of dying within a year of marriage.

 Impressed by sathyavan’s devotion towards his blind parents , savitri decides to marry him. Her father heard about satyavans curse from sage naradha , he refused his daughters wish.

  Savitri adamantly married satyavan and left to the forest with her newly married husband.They led A happy life and soon a year passed and savitri realized that her husband would die any moment. So she kept fast and always followed him. She perfomed the neivedhyam with wild rice and toor dhal. That is kaara arisi and thuvaram paruppu that’s why the name came as  karadayan nombu.

Next day , she followed satyavan to the forest . while cutting woods , he fell down and fainted . soon , she realized that satyavan is dying. Suddenly she felt the presence of the yama. She saw him carrying the soul of satyavan and she followed yama.

Yama first ignored savitri thinking that she will stop following him. But she ept following him.yama tried few tricks to persuade her but nothing works.

Then yama realized and said to savitri it is impossible to give back the dead as it is against the nature’s law. Instead , he gave her three boons.

Savitri agreed the boons and for the first she asked a son for her father.

For the second , she asked that her in- laws be reinstated in their kingdom with full glory.

Finally , for the third she asked I would like to have children

 Yama immediately said Granted . But soon realized he is been tricked by savitri.

 Yama appreciated for her intelligence and her love towards her husband.

 So this nombu is also called as savitri vratam.

Puja :

 On this day , women offer fasting. Makes the sweet adai.

Extacly at the time of the transition of month , offer the adai , betel , banana , butter , coconut and sacred yellow thread to the goddess.

 The following chant has to be told

 

 Throram Krishhnami subhake saharitham

Dharami aham bharthu

Ayushya sidhartham supreethabhava sarvadha

The following is the Tamil chant

 

Urukatha vennaiyum or adhayum naan nootren

Orukkalum en kanavar ennai vittu piriyadhirukka vendum

 

 Which means I offer butter and adai ( recipe follows ) bless me that I live happily with my husband.

 Married women observe it for long life of their husband while unmarried girls observe it to get ideal person as their husband.

The fast is observed from sunrise to the transition of the sun god from kumbha rasi to meena rashi.

 This year this falls between 3 : 30 pm – 4:30 pm.

 My mom makes the following recipes

1.              Sweet Adai / Vella Adai

2.              Spicy Adai / kara adai / Uppu Adai

The main ingredient used in both adai is the Black eyed pea , it is known as karramani in tamil.

 

 

Sweet Adai / Vella adai

 

 This is sweet version of the adai , it is offered in the prayer. It is called as vella adai as jaggery is known as vellam in tamil.

Requirements :

 Rice flour – 2 cup

Black eyed pea – 2 tbs

Jaggery – ¼ cup

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Coconut pieces – ¼ cup

 

Method :

Dry roast the rice flour for about five minutes.

Soak and cook the black eyed peas for  15 minutes.

Mix the jaggery with the quarter cup of water and bring to boil.

To this add the cardamom powder and coconut pieces , mix well.

Add the roasted rice flour to the jaggery syrup and mix well.

Let it cook in low flame for two minutes. Keep stirring.

Take off from flame and let it cool.

Shape into round balls and flatten with fingers and make a hole in the center.

Repeat for the remaining dough.

Arrange these in a plate and steam cook for 15 minutes.

My mom used the idli cooker to cook.

Sweet adai is ready.

 

Uppu adai / Karaadai

  This is spice version of the adai . we offer this adai too while performing pooja.

Requirements :

Rice flour – 2 cup

Green chilli – 2

Curry leaves – a sprig

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Salt as required

Black eyed peas – 2 tbs

Coconut pieces – ¼ cup

Method :

Dry roast the rice flour.

Cook the soaked black eyed peas.

Heat oil in a pan , add the mustard seeds and let it crackle.

Add the chopped chillies and curry leaves , sauté for a while.

Add 2 cups of water and let it boil.

Add the coconut pieces and required salt.

Add in the cooked black eyed peas and mix well.

When the water boil , add the roasted flour and mix well till it is cooked.

Let it cool and shape into round and flatten , make a hole in the center.

Steam cook for 15 minutes.

Uppu adai is ready to serve.