It is said the Portuguese invented the puttu, a steamed preparation of rice flour and grated coconut. An easy staple for their travels on boats and ships, it later became a popular food across Kerala. Originally prepared in bamboo steamers or coconut shells, today, more practical and user-friendly metal puttu-makers are available. Previously, rice was powdered using a granite tool called oralu and a heavy wooden cylindrical hand-operated pounder to crush the grains so that they attain a fine texture. Later, rice began to be ground in mills. Ready-to-use rice flour specific to puttu is now easily available in the market.
| Rice flour, roasted | 1 cup |
|---|---|
| Salt | To taste |
| Water | To moisten |
| Fresh coconut, shredded | 1 cup |
What You Will Need
Sieve, plates, mixing bowl, puttukodam (puttu steamer), puttukutti (puttu steamer), wooden rod, saucepan/frying pan
Instructions
Use a sieve to pass the rice flour into a flat plate to remove any debris or foreign particles.
Transfer the sieved flour into a mixing bowl. Then gradually mix in salt and the water while mixing the roasted rice flour with your fingers to remove any clumps that may form.
Once homogenised, sieve the mixture to obtain a fine moist powder (the mixture must be moist enough but not clumpy).
To this sieved mixture, add in a third of the coconut and keep aside.
In the puttukodam or a pot, heat water on medium flame until it starts steaming.
To the puttukutti or the steamer, add a layer of the shredded coconut and top it up with the rice powder mixture, adding some more coconut in the end. Close the puttukutti and place on the puttukodam to allow it to steam.
Let the puttu steam for about 10-12 minutes. Using a wooden rod, push the cooked puttu out of the kutti onto a serving plate. Serve hot.
This recipe was published in ‘Eating with History: Ancient Trade-Influenced Cuisines of Kerala’ by Tanya Abraham, published by Niyogi Books India (2020). Read an excerpt from the book here.
The cover image has been captured by Nilanjan Sasmal (sourced via Wikimedia Commons)
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