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.

 

 Linking to:  To check other Blogging Marthorners

 

 

Katharikai Curry / Eggplant Gravy

For the second day of wedding occasion theme I choose Sri Lankan food, I have a Sri Lankan neighbor when ever she arrange a party there will be Eggplant gravy in here food list. When I was asking her about this dish I came to know this is one of their important dish in wedding, I tried first but it didn’t taste like one I tasted in here place. For the second time I got the recipe from here and tried it came out well even she approved it, thanks Sri Theevi for sharing your recipe.

 

Poricha Katharikai Curry (Deep Fried Eggplant Gravy) as the name says this gravy is made out of tamarind water, coconut milk and some spice powder and finally need to add deep fried eggplant. It can be served with rice, puttu and idiappam.

Ingredients:

Eggplant (Chinese)	2 big
Onion chopped	½ cup
Garlic	4 pods
Mustard seeds	¼ tsp
Fenugreek seeds	¼ tsp
Chili powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	1 Tbsp
Tamarind paste	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Coconut milk	3 – 4 Tbsp
Curry leaves	few
Oil	2 Tbsp + Deep fry
Salt	as per taste
For Spice Powder:
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Cinnamon	1 inch
Clove	4
Cardamom	1 small

 

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplant length wise (2 inches) and ¼ - ½ inch thickness; soak in water with a pinch of salt until needed (this avoids turning brown).
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, squeeze the eggplant and dry using paper towel or kitchen towel and deep fry until brown. Remove the excess oil using paper towel. Deep fry the garlic also in same oil (until you see brown spots).
3. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in pan, splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds then add chopped onion few curry leaves sauté until golden brown.
4. Add tamarind paste with 2 cups of water and allow it to cook, when it starts to boil add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
5. Cook until the raw smell of tamarind goes and the gravy should be thick, in this stage add coconut milk and allow it to boil once add fried eggplant and garlic, give a gentle stir to mix everything together.
6. Dry roast the ingredients of spice powder and ground that to fine powder using mortar add ½ tsp of this powder to the gravy and turn it off.

Note:

• Instead of deep frying you can bake them, but the traditional method is deep frying it adds taste too.
• To remove excess oil from fried eggplant, cover the eggplant with paper towel and place some weight on top change the paper couple times. This helps to remove most of the oil. If you don't remove the oil properly then the gravy will be oily.
• You can add another teaspoon of coconut milk if you feel tangier. Instead of coconut milk you can add regular milk again coconut milk enhances the taste.
• Curry will turn thick after cooling so cook accordingly, if you feel it’s very thick add boiling water and a pinch of salt for adjusting the desired consistency.
• If you have Sri Lankan chili powder add that instead of chili powder and coriander powder.
• For best taste use home made chili powder and coriander powder.
• When deep frying open windows it use to smell strong.

Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27