While vadams may be made in the morning or evening and need only a few hours of drying in the sun, karuvadam can be made only in the morning and needs at least 3 days of drying in the sun. It would be good if the sun is very hot on the first day so the heat can penetrate the insides of the karuvadam and dry it evenly. Otherwise the outside of the karuvadam forms a crust and the insides do not dry uniformly and when fried will not deliver the crunchy crispness that we desire. So it is better to make karuvadams at the height of the summer season when the days are fiercely hot. It is a tricky matter in places like Bangalore especially for office goers as they have only weekends to make karuvadams. You prepare the dough and the sun might choose to remain behind clouds; it has happened to me many times. I would just have to leave the dough inside the fridge and manage to press the karuvadams the next day. The process to make karuvadams is much easier than for vadams except in cooking the dough.
Ingredients:
Raw Rice : 2 cups
Red chillies: 3 or 4 or
Green chillies 3 or 4
Hing (Asafoetida): a small piece
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water with chillies and hing. Grind to a smooth batter with salt. Allow it to ferment for 8-10 hours. The next morning boil 10 cups of water in a wide mouthed pan. Dilute the ground batter with 2 cups of water and pour into the boiling water. Keep stirring constantly until the batter is well cooked. The cooked batter will have a shiny surface when done. If the dough gets very thick add more water and cook for some more time. Spread a plastic sheet or clean cloth on a flat surface where there is good sunlight and press the cooked batter through a Muthucharam press. It is better to press the dough when it is still lukewarm so that the batter flows easily.
Allow to dry till sunset. Remove the karuvadams from the sheet; sprinkling a little water over them eases the process. Dry them again for 2 more days until they are well dried. Store in a cool dry box. To serve, deep fry the karuvadams and enjoy!
23 comments:
Ammupatti.
The implement you use to make this, I don't know the real name, but I call it murukku maker. Last year when we went to India I bought one. However when I used it, the material oxidizes in my hands. The murukkus came out blackish also.
What should I look for when buying a good quality murukku maker? What is the cost? And, what is it actually called in Tamil or Malayalam? (We actually go to Kerala...)Thanks.
Hello ammupatti,
I want to say only one thing...Karudams are too yummy and inviting to eat...
I miss these things here in US.
Good news is that, my mother has done all these vadams, pickles and manathiakkali, thayir molagai everything in advance and has allotted a fair share for me...My part is to go and get it from her...
Lovely post..
Regards,
Pavithra Vijay
Dear mami
A word on the terms used, which may be of interest. What you call vadam is usually called thaLi (`cooked') vadam or ilai (`leaf') vadam in Tamil Nadu- makes perfect sense, right?
What you call karuvadam (also used in Thanjavur district) is called just vadam (or vadagam) around Madras, and, I believe, vathal (`dried/dessicated') in Tirunelveli.
However, though I am well versed in Tamil, I am puzzled by the term karuvadam, which I cannot explain. Around Madras kaRivadam (vegetable/kootu/kuzhambu vadam) means the one made with urad dal (sometimes also channa dal) and added to kuzhambu/kootus and kaRis. If spelt karivadam, it actually means black vadam in Tamil! Surely that is not what is meant, since I have never seen or heard of a black vadam.
If you can explain the etymology of the term karuvadam, I would love to hear it.
Thanks for writing a wonderful blog. Gives an insight into the traditions we younger generation have lost. Keep writing. Many Thanks - Usha.K
Hi Jennifer
I am sorry about your Murukku nazhi. I really do not know what was the metal the nazhi you bought was made of. As you can see from the pic, my nazhi is made of an alloy known as bronze(bell metal) called Odu in malayalam and vengalam in tamil and the presser is made of wood.These are available in all the stores dealing with metal utensils across Kerala. It is called Murukku nazhi. In Chennai it must be available at the stores around Kapali temple tank.These are given to daughters during marriage and hence I wouldn't know how much it would cost exactly. Should not cost more than Rs.300/-The one which I am using is the one given to my mom by her parents when she got married:). Hope you would be able to get a good one on your next trip.
regards
Hi Jennifer
I am sorry about your Murukku nazhi. I really do not know what was the metal the nazhi you bought was made of. As you can see from the pic, my nazhi is made of an alloy known as bronze(bell metal) called Odu in malayalam and vengalam in tamil and the presser is made of wood.These are available in all the stores dealing with metal utensils across Kerala. It is called Murukku nazhi. In Chennai it must be available at the stores around Kapali temple tank.These are given to daughters during marriage and hence I wouldn't know how much it would cost exactly. Should not cost more than Rs.300/-The one which I am using is the one given to my mom by her parents when she got married:). Hope you would be able to get a good one on your next trip.
regards
Hi Pavithra
Lucky you!When are you coming to get your share.
Though I could not get any idea of the people you were talking about, my enterprising brother took pains to find out from his Bombay friends who these people are and he was able to tell me the house they belong to. BTW are they known as The Three Brothers?
Best wishes
Hi Anonymous
I really do not know the etymology of the word Karuvadam. I have never given a thought about it either. May be because it is scrumptious and crunchy unlike elai vadam which is soft and crunchy.
Thanks for your explanations.
Regards
Hi Usha
Thanks.
Best wishes
Dear Ammupatti,
BINGO!!! Yes, they are!!!
Regards,
PV
Dear Ammupaatti,
Not sure when I am going to meet her and get the eatables from her. Very eager to meet her as it has been almost four months abroad. Thanks to Internet, chat etc, I don't feel her absence much, though..
Cheers,
PV
Thank you Ammupatti!
Hi Paati,
Iam kiran , a palghat Iyer from Trivandrum now working in Norway. Have married a gujarathi girl, and we are so thankful to you to blog so that while being away from home, we can read and cook so many of my favourite recipes. Even my mom was taken aback when i mentioned about how we use the blog to make so many dishes. You are like god in person for me now :).. thanks alot..
Hi Kiran
I am sooooooooooo flattered:) I hope your wife would become a pakka pattathi and surprise your mom some more.
Best wishes
hi ammupatti,
the recipe u have given here is not for karuvadam,but it is for jus a plain vadam.karuvadam is something black in colour and is used in sambar or vatha kulambu instead of vegetables or along with vegetables.i wud appreciate if u could write abt how to make karuvadams
good luck
ritha
Hi ritha.
This is what is known as karuvadam among Kerala Iyers. I am unaware of the karuvadam that you are referring to. I am curious about it and look forward to reading your description of it.
Best wishes
hi ammupatti
il check with my mom the recipe for karuvadam and wil post it soon on this.i was searching for its recipe and came across ur recipe.il get back writing it as soon as possible
thanks
ritha
A Hi!Mami nice to read your blog-I am going to try out KARUVADAM.Your blog reminds me of my mom.THANKS
ROCK YOUR BLOG WITH MORE KERALA IYER RECIPES AND RITUALS.
Rgards A
I am a keralite (Chelakkara, Thrissur) married to a north Indian wife and I was trying to make her learn about our recipes, and we were trying to prepare Karuvadaam. the recipe helped me to firm up my rememberance of what I learned from my Amma. Also, you could have added about the great taste of the "adi" mavu, blended with coconut oil- the day on which karuvadam was made at our home one of the snack used to be this.
Thanks..
Hi Raman
I am glad that you could teach your North Indian wife to prepare Karuvadam. As you mentioned the adimavu is indeed tasty and let me tell you, though today's youngsters don't relish these delicacies, as their taste buds are numbed by the so called fast foods with various masalas, the roasted dough at the bottom of the uruli in which Karuvadam mavu was prepared was a tingling delicacy for the unspoilt taste buds.
Best wishes
Hi,
First of all thanks for the recipe.
I am from Madras. We tried your recipe for Karuvadam(which is different from ours). When we pressed with kuzhal press(it has small holes about 10 of them), it did not come out continuously. Either they get together or it gets broken every now and then. So I pressed it with Nada. It came OK. Is 12 cups of water for 2 cups of rice high? (I used the same rice that we use for making karuvadam in our style) Could that be the reason?. Since the dough is fermented it tastes and smells very nice. Waiting to fry and eat!!
i want to prepare karuvadam for kulambu..pls help me
Hello ammupaati!
Can we cook the batter in a pressure cooker like cooking normal rice?
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