May 14, 2009

Kerala puttu


Puttu is a prominent recipe of Kerala.When I was a small girl ,about 8 years old,my aunty she was in Kerala then,she mentioned of this puttu.My mother and my elder brothers wanted to make this.Those days it was a laborious one as we have to make it from the scratch.We neither had  blender nor ready made rice flour available in the market.In the traditional way,rice flour was made ready.It took one day as the rice was to be soaked and then dried and powdered with ulakkai(a long cylindrical piece of wood used to crush rice and other things)Next day it was dry roasted till brown.There was no puttu making pot ( An aluminium pot  with a cylindrical almunium tube of width 21/2 inches diameter  and 9inches in length on top  which has a holed small plate inside and covered at the top with a plate of 3 holes)

My brothers cut a bamboo 9 inches in length.Both bottom and top were wide open.Take a small pot and boiled water in it .Small aluminium cup which fits in to the pot was taken and made holes in it with a nail.Over this the bamboo piece was placed and tied nicely with a cloth so that no steam escaped out except through the holes.The bamboo tube was filled with rice powder and coconut alternately to the brim.Then a plate with holes,an oil strainer was placed over.After 10 minutes the puttu was ready.It tasted awesome.It was really worth the labour.My brothers were very proud of their endeavour.

After marrying ,when I settled in Kerala,I saw my neighbour making this puttu so easilywith a readymade puttu machine with ready made powder.

Then one of my friends showed me to make this with a coconut shell.

Now a days ready made powders are available making the job much easier.

It is very delicious and a much filling one.We can make it easily.

Ingredients:

Rice powder---3cups

Shredded coconut----1cup

Salt to taste.

Method:

Dry roast the rice powder in a thava till the colour changes without any oil.  

Take 1to 11/2 cup of boiled and then cooled water.

Add little by little in to the rice powder and mix it.

When we hold it ,it holds and when we scatter it ,it separates.That should be the status of the mixture.

Take a coconut shell (top one with 3 eyes),pierce one hole thoroughly so that it can be placed over the pressure cooker.

First put water in a cooker and close it and heat it

Then take the husk ,put little coconut,then the rice mixture,then again coconut till the brim of the shell.The bottom layer and the top layer should be coconut.

Place it over the cooker and cover it with a plate with holes.(You can either use the one we use for oil strainer or the idly thattu or take the aluminium foil 1foot ,fold it so that we get a squarewith little thickness and make on it some 10 holes)

When you see steam coming out through these holes puttu is ready.

Tips:

Instead of rice,we can use wheat powder or ragi powder.

Before using we should dry roast the powder nicely.

If you find this coconut shell difficult,mix the coconut also along with the rice powder

and just put this on idly thattu pressing lightly and cook as you cook idly.


5 comments:

  1. Mmm, i love puttu, the way u'v made makes me hungry, its breakfast time here..!:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely puttu radha ! i make it with wheat flour...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love puttu with kadala curry and this looks yumm.
    I have not had puttu for long, i have never mad ethem home , so always wait till i get home to eat them.

    ReplyDelete