Red Rice Puttu

Description:

Puttu, is a popular breakfast dish in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Traditionally ground rice is layered with coconut and steamed in special cylinders or sometimes steamed in banana leaves to make this delicious puttu.  Things have got more easy now-a-days, with ready made roasted rice flours flocking the stores, you can make variety of puttus in just few minutes. Red Rice / Kara Arisi / Sivappu arisi puttu is my favourite among all varieties and here’s a simple preparation for the same without using puttu maker.

Sivappu Arisi Puttu / Sigappu Arisi Puttu / Kara Arisi / Red Rice Puttu / Rosematta rice / Pittu

Instruction:

Store bought red rice flour is already roasted so you can proceed right-away. Take red rice flour in a wide plate or bowl. Mix salt with water and keep aside.

Sprinkle one tsp of water at a time to the flour and mix gently. After about 10 tsp, the flour should look slightly crumbly, texture shown above.

Transfer the content to a damp clean white or muslin cloth (slightly wet / Eera thuni), loosely tie a knot and keep it ready for the steaming process.

Heat up an idli cooker with little water, place the flour sack on top of the idli plate, cover and steam on medium high flame for 10 minutes.

When done, it will look lightly airy (fluffed up), the aroma of the steamed rice flour is the indication that its cooked well. Transfer the content back to a bowl, gently mash up the lumps and aerate and let it rest to cool for few minutes. Add freshly grated coconut, crushed cardamom and mix well.  Just before serving add sugar and ghee. Mix everything, press them through desired mold and serve.

I don’t have puttu maker so just steamed the flour and added the rest and used regular tumbler to mold like this.  Mostly puttu is served with kadala curry but I like it with plain sugar and ghee.

Notes:

Yield: 3 adult servings if served as a light evening tiffin.