Puttu (steamed rice cake)

Delicious Puttu Ready :)

Removing the steel plate before serving.

Notice the round steel plate which falls off outside the puttu vessel. This plate ensures even heating of the puttu as well as ensures that the puttu powder does not fall back from the bottom of the vessel.

Using the stick to push the puttu from the vessel after it is cooked.

The Puttu vessel . The thin long stick is used to push the puttu from the bottom of the vessel after it is cooked. The cap of Puttu vessel has many vents to let out the steam to ensure the Puttu is properly cooked.

Inside the puttu making vessel

When I remember Puttu, I remember a funny dialog in a malayalam movie where a chef wants to impress his client with his culinary skills by telling that he knows to prepare "steamed rice cake" :)...well none of the people in Kerala would know when you ask them about steamed rice cake, hence the comedian just wanted to add a "stylish" touch by giving a english name for the traditional name for the dish , ie "Puttu" ....Anyways Puttum Kadalayum has been the favorite among keralites . Puttu is prepared with rice flour and grated coconut (fresh not the dry version) in a special vessel. I have posted the pic above. You get this vessel in most of the indian stores. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups

salt

Water

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Method:

Mix rice flour and salt. Sprinkle water over this mixture and mix it well until it forms crumbs. That is the correct consistency. Grease the vessel in which you are preparing the puttu. Add the rice mixture first to form the major layer, followed by grated coconut alternativly to form a small layer alternativly. Never press the mixture inside the vessel as this prevents the steam while cooking the Puttu to come out of the vents of the vessel . The vessel I use for preparing puttu can be used over the vent of a pressure cooker. So I fill the my pressure cooker with sufficient water , and when the steam comes through the vent of the pressure cooker, I cover it with the Puttu vessel. Cook until the steam comes out of the vents on the Puttu vessel. Check if the steam is escaping from the bottom of the Puttu vessel if you are unable to see steam coming out of the Puttu vessel for 30 minutes. I cover the bottom with a cloth to prevent the steam from escaping. The usual cooking time is 5-10 minutes. Serve it along with coconut milk, or kadala curry, or with ripe banana or just plain sugar.