Puttu or some call it pittu, is generally a breakfast dish and in my house it’s a dinner dish. Traditionally you have puttu with kadala (chickpea, the smaller & darker variety) curry, green moong dal curry, or my personal favourite which is with butter, sugar and banana! You must have it while it’s still a little hot so that the butter will melt, and the sugar is softened. Of course, these days there are many varieties in making puttu, like adding small pieces of cooked meat/chicken/beef in between.

My mum started adding veggies to the puttu long back and this time I saw her adding onions too! Though I am not a huge fan of onions (especially raw ones) I must say this turned out really good and that tinge of sweetness from the onion was just superb! Do try it out next time when you make puttu or pittu and let me know how it turned out for you 😉.

Ingredients

• Plain rice flour or Chemba puttu podi – 2 cups
• Water – 1 cup
• Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
• Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
• Cabbage – a small piece, finely chopped
• Carrot – 1, finely chopped
• Beans – a bunch, finely chopped
• Salt

Method

• Heat some water in the puttu kudam (this is the vessel in which you make the puttu; it comes with a base where you heat the water and the cylindrical part to steam the puttu).
• In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and slowly sprinkle the water little at a time and keep rubbing the flour mixture with the water with your fingertips.
• Do not pour the water all at one time as you need to be careful that it does not get too lumpy.
• Take a small portion of flour in your palm and press gently and it should hold. On pressing this lump, it should crumble easily and then you know that you have got the consistency right.
• If it’s dry and the lump is not holding, sprinkle more water and if you find that the flour is too damp then add a bit more of flour.
• In the cylindrical vessel, add about 2-3 tbsp of fresh coconut, followed by about 5 tbsp of the puttu flour.
• Again, add the same amount of coconut followed by the puttu flour.
• You should be able to do this about 3 times and ending with the coconut right at the top of the cylindrical vessel.
• Cover the cylindrical vessel and place it on top of the base vessel where the water should be boiling by now.
• Let it steam for about 10 mins or till you see the steam releasing from the tip of the cylindrical vessel.
• Remove from the base and let it sit for about 2-3 mins.
• Using the stick that comes with the puttu kudum or the back of a long ladle and push the puttu out of the cylindrical vessel onto a plate.
• Serve hot with kadala curry or green moong dal curry or have it my way, that is with butter, banana and sugar!

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