Kerala Puttu / Pittu
Puttu principally consists of coarsely ground rice, grated coconut, little salt and water. It is often spiced with cumin, but may have other spices. The Sri Lankan variant is usually made with wheat flour or red rice flour without cumin, whereas the Bhatkal recipes have plain coconut or masala variant made with mutton or shrimp flavoured grated coconut.
In Bangladesh, the outside is made of a mixture of rice flour and ground moong dal, while the filling is a mixture of coconut flakes and a type of caramelized sugar that is similar to dulce de leche
How to Make Puttu (Pittu)
To make Puttu, you need a special vessel called a Puttu Steamer, which consists of two parts:
- Puttukudam (Steamer base): If you don’t have a traditional steamer, you can use a pressure cooker without the weight.
- Puttukutty: A long cylindrical steel pipe with a perforated disc (jali) at the bottom and a lid on top.
In this recipe, we are using a Chiratta Puttu Maker instead of the traditional Puttukutty.
- 1 cup Raw rice flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seed
- 1/2 cup Grated Coconut
- 1 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Fill the Puttukudam (steamer) or pressure cooker halfway with water. Let it boil until steam starts to come out.
- 2
In a bowl, take 1 cup of rice flour (Puttupodi).- 3
Add the required amount of salt and cumin seeds, and mix well using your hands.- 4
Sprinkle water little by little, and mix with your fingertips until the mixture forms moist crumbs.- 5
Some types of rice flour may require a 1:1 ratio of flour and water.- 6
In the Puttukutty (or Chiratta Puttu Maker), place the perforated disc (jali) at the bottom.- 7
Add a layer of grated coconut and spread it evenly.- 8
Fill half of the Puttukutty with the rice flour mixture, then add another layer of grated coconut.- 9
Repeat the layering — rice flour, then coconut — until the mold is filled. Finish with a final layer of coconut on top.- 10
Close the lid and place the Puttukutty over the steaming Puttukudam.- 11
Steam until hot steam starts to come out from the top.- 12
Switch off the flame and let it rest for 2–3 minutes.- 13
Remove the Puttukutty from the steamer and use a stick or spoon to gently push out the steamed Puttu. - 2
