Puttuപുട്ട്
Video: Hebbars Kitchen (YouTube)
Kerala's most beloved breakfast needs only rice flour, fresh coconut, and a little patience — yet what emerges from the cylindrical puttu maker is something deeply comforting and unlike any other morning meal in India. The cylinder unmolds at the table in warm layers that soak up kadala curry the way bread soaks up gravy. Every Keralite household has its preferred companion — some swear by banana and sugar, others by crisp papadum — but the classic pairing with spiced black chickpea curry is what expats crave from home.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- For the Puttu
- ▪puttu podi — coarsely ground rice flour (ari podi)2 cups
- ▪fresh grated coconut (thenga)1 cup, divided
- ▪salt1/2 tsp
- ▪water1/4 cup cold, added gradually
- For the Kadala Curry
- ▪black chickpeas (kadala / kala chana), soaked overnight1 cup
- ▪coconut oil (velichenna)3 tbsp
- ▪mustard seeds (kaduku)1/2 tsp
- ▪curry leaves (kariveppila)2 sprigs
- ▪shallots (chuvanna ulli), thinly sliced1/2 cup
- ▪green chilies (pachamilagu), slit lengthwise2
- ▪ginger (inji), finely grated1-inch piece
- ▪coriander powder (malli podi)2 tsp
- ▪red chili powder (mulaku podi)1 tsp
- ▪turmeric powder (manjal podi)1/2 tsp
- Puttu podi is sold at South Indian grocery stores as 'Kerala rice flour' or 'puttu flour'. Outside these stores, use regular fine rice flour — sift it and reduce water slightly as it absorbs differently, producing a denser but still good cylinder.
- A puttu maker is available at Indian grocery stores and online. To improvise: punch several small holes in the base of a clean tin can, line with a muslin square, and set it over a pot of boiling water with a snug-fitting lid. It works.
- Black chickpeas (kadala / kala chana) are available at South Asian grocery stores and most health food shops. Canned chickpeas (drained) can substitute — skip the pressure-cook step and simmer the curry with 1/2 cup water instead.
Method
- 1Drain soaked kadala and pressure-cook with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 cups water for 4-5 whistles, or until completely tender. Reserve the cooking liquid.
- 2Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy pan. Add mustard seeds; once they pop, add curry leaves, shallots, green chilies, and ginger. Saute on medium heat until shallots are soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
- 3Add coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric; stir 1 minute on low heat. Add the cooked kadala with its liquid. Simmer 10-12 minutes until the curry thickens and coats the chickpeas. Finish with remaining coconut oil and adjust salt.
- 4For the puttu: combine puttu podi and salt in a wide bowl. Sprinkle cold water one tablespoon at a time, rubbing the flour between your palms after each addition. The mixture is ready when it just holds together when pressed but crumbles when flicked — like damp sand. Do not make it wet or sticky.
- 5Plug the perforated disc into the puttu maker cylinder. Add a thin layer of grated coconut (about 2 tbsp), then a 1.5-inch layer of rice flour mixture, then coconut again, alternating until the cylinder is full. End with a coconut layer on top.
- 6Add 2 cups water to the puttu maker pot and bring to a vigorous boil. Place the filled cylinder over the pot. Steam for 5-7 minutes until steam escapes freely from the top and a skewer meets no resistance.
- 7Unmold directly onto a plate by pushing the bottom disc through — the puttu slides out as a warm cylinder. Serve immediately with hot kadala curry, and offer a ripe banana or papadum alongside.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.