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Nolambu Adai
Rare
Adai made specifically for Nolambu, a Tamil festival observed by married women
Two kinds of adai — one salt, one sweet — made for Nolambu.
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AMMAMMA'S NOTES.
Nolambu Sweet Adai
Roasted rice flour cooked into a thick jaggery and cowpea mixture with cardamom and ghee, shaped into small cakes and steamed.
Nolambu Salt Adai
Roasted rice flour cooked into a seasoned mixture of green chilly, ginger, coconut and curry leaves, shaped into small cakes and steamed.
Ganpati Kozhakattai
Steamed rice flour kozhakattai made for Ganpati, with sweet or salt fillings.
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Sakara Pongal
Sakkarai Pongal - a Tamil sweet rice and jaggery pudding.
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ONLY MADE ON NOLAMBU DAY (I DONT KNOW WHAT ITS ACTUALLY CALLED) — I LOVE THIS PREPARATION BUT FORGET ITS NAME ALMOST EVERY YEAR WITHOUT FAIL. SAVITRI MADE THIS ADAI IN THE FOREST AS AN OFFERING TO YAMA WITH ANY AND ALL INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE IN EXCHANGE FOR SAVING HIS LIFE. BEFORE THE FESTIVAL, AND BEFORE I DEVOURED IT, THATHA WOULD TELL ME THE STORY BEHIND IT AND CRACK THE SAME JOKE, AND I'D LAUGH THE SAME WAY EVERY TIME — IT WAS WONDERFUL. THATHA'S VERSION SAYS THAT YAMA LEFT SAVITRI'S HUSBAND BECAUSE THE ADAI WAS SO DISGUSTING, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS AN OFFERING.
YAMINI VENKATESAN
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH, 2026