Puttu

Puttu is one recipe I have tasted hardly. My mom does not make it often and perhaps that could be the reason why I am not so crazy about this dish...All I knew about Puttu few days ago is ,it is a kerala dish and it goes very well with chenna as its side dish. After marriage I saw Puttu maker in my MIL's place and being so ignorant about the preparation I never dared to use it. Last weekend my MIL was busy washing the rice and allowing it to dry when enquired I came to know that puttu preparation was going on. I was a mute spectator on that day and my MIL made it. I bring it to you the preparation I saw and here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Rice(Puzhungal arisi)

Puttu maker

Salt

Water

Grated coconut(optional)

Preparation:

1.If you are going to prepare Puttu in the evening,soak the rice in water by morning.

2.After few hours drain the water out from the rice and dry the rice in a neat white towel.

3.The rice should have moisture content and it should not be dry. At this stage powder the rice using a mixer. Make sure that you don't grind it as a fine powder and let it be bit coarse.

4.Take water and add salt to it and mix well.

5.Sprinkle the salt water in the rice powder and mix it well. You should reach a consistency when you are able to hold the powder and make a shape out of it also the shape should crumble when you break it. This is the right consistency for Puttu.

6.Now place the bottom part of the puttu maker with water on the stove.Wait till vapor comes from the water.

7.Fill the top part of the puttu maker with the rice powder and fix it with the bottom part.

8.Wait till vapor comes out from the top part.This is the stage when you need to switch the stove off.

9.Carefully remove the top part of the puttu maker and tap the puttu from it with the help of provided helper and Voila the kozha puttu is ready.

10.If you wish to have puttu with cococnut.Grate the coconut.First fill a portion of the top part of the puttu maker with rice powder then with grated coconut and alternate the mixture and place it in the bottom part. Once done you will get puttu accompanied with grated coconut.

You can serve the dish with just plain sugar or with Channa masala or side dish of your choice. My MIL made it with PachaPayaru masala(Green gram masala).