PUTTU/STEAMED RICE CAKES WITH GRATED COCONUT

 This is the simplest  breakfast I have ever made.

RECIPE

1. 1 cup puttu podi
2. 1/2 cup water if the puttu podi is fine or up to (increase with 2TBSP  at a time) 3/4  to 1 cup if it is coarse powder
3. 1/4 salt
4. 1/4 cup grated coconut

METHOD

• Take the puttu podi in a bowl , add salt , mix ,pour water . The trick is that  ,every single grain should be wet . Keep it aside for atleast 1/2 an hour.
  

• Dab the wet powder tightly and keep it closed for at least half an hour.
  

• Now crumble the wet powder with your hands , breaking down any lumps. (My mother would sit down and gently break down the lumps until a fine bread crumb like texture is obtained, for about 5 minutes and that yields the softest puttu.)
• This can be done in the blender (chutney jar of the mixie ) . My MIL does this . Put small amounts in the mixie and pulse it . You will get really fluffy mixture when doing it in the mixie.

      

• When you get a fine bread crumb like texture , its ready to be put in the puttu kutti. 
  

• Put a puttu kudam(vessel for steaming) , filled with water , to boil.Layer a puttu kutti with the puttu podi and coconut , starting with a base layer of coconut and finishing the top with coconut. When the water is boiling and steam comes out , put the puttu kutti on top.
  
  
  
  

• Steam for 3 minutes. The steam has to come out properly through the top of the puttu mould. Take the puttu out of the kutti using a long bamboo skewer . Puttu is ready to eat with pazham and kadala.
  

• This is my new favorite for making cherratta puttu.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

NOTES

• The amount of water mixed into the rice flour determines the type of puttu made. Sufficient amount of water makes a soft and fluffy puttu ,which is good to eat right away but dries, as it sits. More  water , makes a moist puttu which will not dry for a long time. Increase the water , you get mani puttu, this puttu is not fluffy but consists of small balls, which remains really moist towards the end of the day.
• Pulse the grated coconut in the blender to get a fine ,uniform scraps.
  
  
  
  
• The amount of water required for the powder depends on the texture of the puttu powder. The more coarse the powder, the more water required.  Some powder requires up to 1 cup of water for 1 cup of puttu podi. The coarser the powder the fluffier and softer the puttu.
• I mix the powder with salt and water and keep it covered overnight. It should be mixed and kept aside for at least 30 minutes. The longer it is kept , the better.
• Grated coconut can be rubbed into the flour, before adding water. It's nice to get a bite coconut here and there in the puttu.
• Don't pack the moist flour into the puttu kutti , tightly. Let it be loose enough for the steam to come through.
• 1 cup of puttu podi(very coarse grainy rice powder) will make 6 cherratta puttu.
• 1 cup puttu podi makes 2 and 1/2  kutti(cylindrical mold) puttu .
• 1-1/2 cup puttu podi requires exactly 1/2 tsp salt.

MANNI PUTTU

My husband likes manni puttu. A point to note is that mani puttu cannot be made with coarse rice powder. The ball consistency can be achieved only with fine rice powder. 

For 1-1/2 cup fine rice powder use, 1/2 salt and 1 cup water to get manni puttu.