Uppadai | Savoury Adai for Karadayan Nonbu

Uppu Adai (Uppadai) is another neivedhyam done on Karadayan nonbu. Uppadai and vellaadai are the neivedhyam (Prasad). Women has to fast on karadayan nonbu and as per tradition after wearing the holy thread(nonbu kayiru) they have to eat only the adai they did for neivedhyam.

Vella Adai is the sweet version of rice flour+jaggery adai and Uppu Adai (Uppadai) is the savoury version of rice flour adai. The preparation of rice flour along with cooking of karamani remains same for both vella adai and Uppu Adai (Uppadai). Rest of the preparation is so easy. This is so similar to our conventional upma, where we do the tempering, bring water to boil along with salt and add rava or broken wheat and allow it to cook in boiling water.

Similarly, here, after we prepare the rice flour and cook the karamani, we need to do the tempering in a kadai, add water and bring it to boil. To the boiling water, we need to add the roasted rice flour and keep stirring till it thickens and then make vada like patties and steam cook.

Tips for making Uppu Adai:

1. We can use store bought rice flour / idiyappam flour, dry roast again and use it instead of preparing homemade rice flour.
2. Sieve the homemade rice flour twice to get smooth rice flour.
3. Cook the rice flour in boiling water till it becomes like a smooth dough.
4. Already the rice flour would be cooked in boiling water. So steam cook for just 5 mins.
5. Relish with butter!

Click on the other links below related to Karadayan Nonbu

1. Karadayan Nonbu – How do we celebrate Nonbu and its significance
2. Vella Adai – How to make Vella Adai

Method to make Uppadai (Savoury Adai):

• Wash and Soak the raw rice in water for 30 mins.

• and then drain it and spread it in a towel for about 10 mins. The rice should be dry 90%. If you touch the rice it should not be wet but you should feel the damp or chillness.

• Take the rice in a mixer jar.

• Grind it to a fine powder.

• Sieve the ground rice flour twice to get smooth flour. You can again grind the lumps once more to get fine powder.

• In a pan, dry fry the wet rice powder for a while till the flour changes its color to golden brown(The flour should not stick the vessel), you can also test it by taking a pinch of flour and try to put a circle and if you are able to draw using the flour then you can switch off the flame. Initially with the ground flour is so smooth that you could not be able to draw a circle but after we dry roast the flour, we should be able to draw. Now our rice flour is ready.

• In a pan, dry fry the karamani till the raw smell goes off. The karamani should be hot to handle.

• Pour ½ Cup of water to cook the karamani. When the karamani is cooked take it in a plate and keep aside.

• Heat the oil in a pan, and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts to sputter add hing, chopped chilli, curry leaves and fry for 10 seconds.

• Add 1 ½ cups of water and add required salt. When the water starts to boil add finely chopped/sliced coconut, karamani.

• Then add the rice flour and stir it properly to avoid lumps.

• Stir it well till the flour is half-cooked and tightens. Switch off the flame.

• Now make small balls out from the flour and shape it like a vadai and put a small hole.

• Place the patties in the idly plates and cook it for 5mins in pressure cooker.

• The delicious Uppadai is ready for Neivedhyam and for serving.