Puttu and Sambal

Puttu is one of the traditional foods of Kerala cuisine; this is the main food of Sri Lanka too. Sambal is one of the great combinations for puttu, I learnt this from my Sri Lankan neighbor. Actually puttu are made using rice flour, Sri Lankan’s use red rice or kaikuthal arisi which is very good for health. Since I was running out of red rice, I tried with all purpose flour. APF puttu are always soft and tasty when compared to rice puttu and kids love this.

Ingredients:

For Puttu:
All purpose flour	2 ½ cups
Water	1 ½ cups
Salt	1 tsp
Coconut grated	½ cup
For Sambal:
Coconut grated	1 cup
Dry red chili	10
Shallots	4-5 medium size
Curry leaves	few
Tamarind paste	½ tsp
Salt	as per taste
Yields: 2 Adults

 

Directions:

For Puttu:

Steam cook 1 pound all purpose flour for 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 5- 10 minutes and using a food processor grind it to fine powder.

Sieve and flour and repeat the process until you fine the whole batch.

In a large mixing bowl add 2 ½ cups of sieved flour, add salt and water mix using a wooden spatula.

When it’s warm enough to handle mix using your hand (if you bind you should able to form a ball like shown in picture).

 

Transfer this to a flat bottomed vessel, take a tumbler or bowl the mouth should be sharp, using that break the flour to course powder as shown in picture. (Like we do for kottu paratha)

 

 

Now heat water in puttu mold (bottom portion), in the top (cylindrical portion) add 1 tablespoon of coconut next add one handful of flour again coconut, repeat the process until its filled.

Steam cook for 10 minutes, and remove carefully.

 

 

For Sambal:

In one or two drops of oil roast the chilies until you hear noise from the roasted chili (keep on stirring or else it will burn).

Allow it to cool and using coffee grinder powder the roasted chilies to course powder.

Add coconut, chili powder, curry leaves and tamarind paste to food processor and pulse couple times.

Finally add salt and shallots and give one or two pulses.

Transfer to a bowl and enjoy with puttu.

 

Note:

• Now a days you can get readymade puttu mix in store, for that follow from step 3 use cold water.
• Instead of APF you can use wheat flour in this same way. You can store the extra flour in air tight container for couple months.
• If your flour turned too watery don’t worry, add some flour when you break it.
• If you don’t know to break using sharp mouthed bowl, skip that and add the flour to food processor and give it a pulse one difference will be you will not get even some will be small and some will be big that’s ok .
• If you don’t have puttu mold don’t worry, mix flour and coconut and steam cook in any vessel.
• Some suggestion for side dish: chicken gravy, kadalai curry, katharikai curry.
• Use fresh coconut for best result.

 

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