Savory Sweet Nombu Adai, Steamed Rice Dumplings, Festival Recipe

Savory and Sweet Nombu Adai is an offering or naivedyam for the festival of Nombu which is a celebrated by the Tamil Brahmin community of India.

This is a very simple preparation which requires very few ingredients. These Adais are steamed Rice Dumplings (they look more like flattened Doughnuts) perfect for snacking anytime. And since they are very low in calorie, they are guilt free too. Each savory Adai has only 64 calories and each sweet Adai has only 81 calories. Apart from this, they are perfect as a vegan, gluten free and oil free snack too (you need just a little oil which is also optional).

What is Nombu Festival

Below is the description from Wikipedia.

the other name for Nombu is Karadaiyan Nombu or Savitri Nombu. This is a festival performed by the Tamil Brahmin community. The celebration happens on the first day of Pisces in the southern calendar as it represents the fish-like shape of the eyes of Goddess Parvati. Her Birthday falls on the same day.

Historically, married women pray to the hindu goddess Gowri and pray for longevity and well-being of their respective husbands. Women try to echo the devotion and love shown by Savitri for her husband Satyavan, as seen in the tale of Savitri and Satyavan, told in the epic Mahabharata.

Black Eyed Peas or Beans is the star ingredient for this recipe. The tamil name for Black Eyed Peas is Karamani and the more popular name is the Hindi name Lobia. You get Red and white varieties of Lobia but for this recipe, people normally use the white variety.

During Nombu festival, you can serve Adai white butter or any Vegan butter. But you can also eat these dumplings as it is or even with any side item which goes well with Idli. Like Chutney or Molagapodi. These make excellent lunch box snacks since they taste good even when they are cold. Plus these are oil free, Vegan and Gluten Free.

Please try out these savory and sweet Nombu Adai and leave your comments to let me know how you liked them.

Since India is a country of festivals, please also check some other healthy festival recipes here.

TRADITIONAL STEAMED MODAK,SWEET KOZHUKATTAI, UKADICHE MODAK, GANESH CHATURTHI SPECIAL

SUNDAL RECIPES, EASY, HEALTHY, PROTEIN-RICH, VEGAN SNACK

Savory and Sweet Nombu Adai

fitnfastrecipes

Savory and Sweet Nombu Adai are offering or naivedyam made for the festival of Nombu.

This is a very simple preparation which requires very few ingredients. These Adais are steamed Rice Dumplings (they look more like flattened Doughnuts) perfect for snacking anytime since they are very low in calorie. Each savory Adai has only 64 calories. And each sweet Adai has only 81 calories. And they are are vegan, gluten free and oil free too (you need just a little oil which is also optional).

3.12 from 80 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

5 hrs

Total Time 5 hrs 30 mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Indian, South Indian, Tamilian

Servings 14

Ingredients

  

For Sweet Nombu Adai

• 1 cup Roasted Rice Flour. You can grind your own flour with regular Raw Rice, Pachha Arisi or Arwa Chawal as is known in Hindi. Or, use ready-made store-bought flour.
• ¼ cup Black Eyed Peas-Soaked overnight or for 5 hours. After soaking, this will become 1/2 cup.
• ¼ cup Thinly sliced Coconut pieces.
• ¾ cup Jaggery. If you like it to be sweeter, then add up to a cup of jaggery.
• ⅛ tsp Cardamom Powder.
• 2 cups Water This should be melted jaggery plus extracted water from boiled peas plus enough water to make the total quantity of liquid equal to 2 cups.

For Savory Nombu Adai

• 1 cup Roasted Rice Flour. You can grind your own flour with regular Raw Rice, Pachha Arisi or Arwa Chawal as is known in Hindi. Or, use ready-made store-bought flour.
• ¼ cup Black Eyed Peas-Soaked overnight or for 5 hours. After soaking, this will become 1/2 cup.
• ¼ cup Thinly sliced Coconut pieces.
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups Water

Tempering for Savory Adai

• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp White Lentil or Urad
• 1 piece Dry Red Chilli
• 1 tsp Finely chopped Ginger
• 1 tsp Finely chopped Green Chillies
• 1 sprig Curry Leaves

Instructions

 

How to make Sweet Adai

• Cook soaked peas either in an open pan or in a pressure cooker. It should be soft but not mushy.
• Melt Jaggery with water in a Pan.
• Strain to remove impurities.
• Add it back to another wide mouthed pan.
• Also add any extracted water from boiled peas.
• Add some more water to make the total liquid equal to two cups.
• Once it boils, add cooked peas.
• Add coconut and cardamom.
• Add Rice flour and keep stirring to make a smooth dough. Transfer dough to a bowl to stop over cooking.
• Apply some oil to your hands for easily handling the dough while making Adais.
• Take a lime sized dough ball. Flatten between your palms. Make a hole in the center with your finger.
• Arrange on a greased Idli plate or any other plate.
• Cover and steam for 8 minutes.

how to make Savory Adai

• Heat oil in a Pan. Add all ingredients of tempering .
• Once mustard crackles and urad turns light brown, add water.
• Add boiled peas, coconut and Salt.
• When a boil comes, add rice flour and keep stirring to form a smooth dough. Transfer to another container to prevent over cooking as otherwise the dough may become too dry.
• Apply some oil to your hands for easily handling the dough while making Adais.
• Take a lime sized dough ball. Flatten between your palms. Make a hole in the center with your finger.
• Arrange on a greased Idli plate or any other plate.
• Cover and steam for 8 minutes.

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