Puttu is one of the favorite breakfast item in God's own Country,Kerala .Puttu is a staple food in every Mallu's home around the world (mostly). Perhaps ,it represents Kerala in it's edible way as Kerala is known for its rice paddy fields (they are also getting extinct lately) and lush coconut trees and that is simBly and basically ,Puttu is made up of .
[RELATED:How to make soft Gothambu Puttu recipe]
Moreover,Ari puttu or puttu made with rice powder is quite simple to make . All you need are rice flour and coconut,the main ingredients for making puttu traditionally Kerala way,rest there are many varieties these days.
Not only that ,this puttu is quite flexible and adjusting.It can go well with any curry or even side dish.Every Keralite's favorite breakfast combo is puttu and kadala curry or simply puttu and plain sugar or Puttu and Banana or pappadum or cherupayar thorans/mung beans stir fry .Some even enjoy puttu with non-vegetarian curry .I have a childhood friend whom I fondly remember eating puttu with milk and sugar.
[Related :How to make Alleppey style Kadala curry/Brown Chickpeas curry]
Oh well ,one of the famous actor of Mollywood (Malayalam cinema),Dileep ,even has a famous restaurant ,"Dhey Puttu ( meaning Look Puttu!) " ,as the name says for itself ,is dedicated exclusively to the wide variety of puttus from sweet to sour ,spicy to exotic,veg to non-veg etc etc..Is sky the limit,I wonder ! ...Well,our simple humble Puttu is getting ultimate makeovers there !
I suppose, the main reason why puttu is one of the traditional food of Kerala is that it is quite filling and keeps hunger at bay .During olden days ,puttu were prepared in Bamboo stalks or in chirattas,broken Coconut shell with rice and coconut .Rice being a carb and coconut being a good fat was a good combo especially for farmers toiling hard in padams/agricultural farms ,I believe.
By the way,I always thought Puttu is eaten by Mallus/Malayalees only.However,Wiki told me that,my G.K. succcks ,Puttu is also prepared in some parts of Tamil Nadu,Karnataka , Srilanka,Assam (Sungo Pitha),Indonesia,Mauritius,Philippines,Malaysia etc as well.As a matter of fact,Puttu is known as pittu in Tamil which means "Portioned",which is self-explanatory ,one word that justifies the true meaning of puttu .
Traditionally,puttu is made in puttu kutti meaning puttu vessel which is mostly cylindrical in shape ,the top part and the bottom part is like a pot with hot water that can hold this cylindrical vessel into it and both are fixed together and kept on flame to cook puttu .During olden days,Bamboo stalks or perforated coconut shells were used over pots .Nowadays,even bamboos are becoming extinct and much more advanced techniques or containers called puttu makers or puttu cookers are available in metal especially.
Nowadays, there are many varieties of puttu available with varieties of fillings .
[Related:How to make white chickpeas curry/Vella Kadala Curry]
However,for now,I am gonna to stick to the basic or the nadan puttu ,the traditional Kerala style puttu and this is going to be an instant version using ready-made rice powder .Traditionally,raw rice is cleaned,dried and ground to powder and steamed to make a puttu .
However,puttu made using ready made rice powder tastes good as well.
So,this is how I make Kerala style puttu at home with rice powder .
Kerala Style Puttu
Ingredients
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Warm water with little salt - As needed to sprinkle
Coconut,grated - 1 cup (Approx)
Puttu maker
Preparation method to prepare soft puttu : Pls watch the video below that will show tips and tricks how to make the homemade puttu podi /puttu powder and tips and tricks to make soft puttu.
