Savory Karadai

Following the previous post on Nombu and Karadais, this is the savory version of Karadai known as Uppu Adai. Not surprisingly, I prefer this savory version to the sweet version.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice flour
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4. 1.5 teaspoons split urad dhal / ullutham paruppu
5. 1 teaspoon minced ginger
6. 2-3 finely cut green chillies
7. 1/4 teaspoon hing / asafoetida
8. 2 teaspoons or 1/4 cup black-eyed beans (cooked)
9. 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
10. 2 tablespoons grated coconut
11. 3/4 - 1 teaspoon salt
12. a few torn curry leaves

Preparation:

1.  If using uncooked, un-canned black-eyed beans, roast the beans slightly and cook them until almost done.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a saucepan. Splutter mustard seeds. Then add the urad dhal, minced ginger and green chillies, hing, and curry leaves. Saute for a couple of minutes on medium heat. 
3. Add water to the above. Then, add salt and coconut gratings and stir well. Bring the water to a boil. 
4. To the boiling water, add the cooked (and drained) black-eyed beans. 
5. Next, add the rice-flour while stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
6. Continue stirring on medium-heat until the flour mixture comes together as a thickened mass of dough. Remove from heat. Let it cool to the touch. 
7. Similar to the sweet adai preparation, grease idli plates or a steamer with sesame oil. Make small balls of the prepared dough, flatten them slightly and make a hole in the middle. Grease your fingers/palm with some oil to handle the dough.
8. Cook / steam them for 12-15 minutes or until the adais are done.

Serve with butter!