Puttu

Puttu is a very popular breakfast in Kerala. It takes very little time and attention to prepare. My mother was a working woman, so throughout our childhood, we had puttu for breakfast on working days. Week ends were for dosa or appam. In spite of eating it on every single working day for many years, it is still a favorite dish of mine, so much so that my husband calls me fondly ‘Puttu swami.’

This is a very versatile dish too; you can make puttu with rice flour, wheat flour, semolina, ragi flour, and maize flour. Each has its own distinct flavor! You can have puttu with ghee, sugar & plantains, or green gram boiled and seasoned (add papadams too), or black chana (kadala)curry.

Ingredients:

 Rice flour         - 11/2 cup

 Freshly scraped coconut          - ½ cup (you may substitute it with desiccated coconut filings)

 Salt                                         - to taste

 Hot water                                - roughly 1/4 cup

Method:

Mix the rice flour well with salt and ¼ cup coconut scrapings. Add water little by little, keep on mixing this into the flour with finger tips till you get a crumbly texture. The flour should get moistened uniformly, but should not get sticky. To check the consistency, take a pinch of the flour between your thumb and fore finger and press it. It should hold a flattened shape, but again crumble down when you roll it between the thumb and forefinger.

You should have a puttu steamer to cook.

Put the pot and steamer on fire and when the water boils and steam starts coming out, reduce the flame, take out the steamer, sprinkle coconut scrapings inside to form the bottom layer. Add ladlefuls of the prepared flour halfway through. Now add another layer of coconut scrapings, again flour. Finally, add another layer of coconut. Put the lid on and replace the steamer over the pot and increase the flame. When the steam starts coming out through the top of the steamer, reduce the flame and let it cook for ten minutes.

 Unmould puttu by pressing through the mould gently using the stem of a spatula.

Maize puttu with green gram:

10 April 2020
There was American corn at home today. Grated this and added to the maize flour while making puttu. It blended beautifully and imparted a nice aroma to the puttu.