Puttu

- Written by Eifa Armar

Breakfast in India is typically the most sizeable meal of the day. It normally consists of one dish, an accompaniment, and a hot drink with it, this easily makes up one very balanced meal.

Puttu, is one such scrumptious dish originating from the rich heritage of Kerala. It is healthy and has a unique texture and flavor that it gets from the container it is steamed in. Originally, made in coconut shells, it is now steamed in long aluminum containers. Puttu is made of layers of coarsely ground and seasoned rice and coconut. The dish is served with different side dishes, based on where it is made- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka and Sri Lanka, ranging from the traditional kadala curry, jaggery and banana,ish curries, sweet coconut milk and even tripe curry, or sambol .

A personal favourite is a variation where the coconut is mixed with a meat curry and then layered between the rice. This distributes the superb flavour of the meat throughout the rice, creating an amalgam of textures in the process. This variation can be used to incorporate other vegetables or meat of choice into the puttu, without having to make a separate curry.

So, let us see how we can make this delicious meat puttu with the simplest ingredients!

This recipe makes two standard puttu cylinders (approx. 330 g=11 servings)

Puttu Ingredients:

200 g parboiled rice, soaked and dried

50 g grated coconut

50 g choice of meat, minced or shredded( here, mutton was used)

½ onion, medium, finely chopped

½ tomato, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

A pinch of garam masala

1 teaspoon flavourless oil

Salt, to taste

Puttu Recipe:

1. Powder the rice with a little salt in it. The powder should hold when pressed in your fist but should break into a powder when disturbed. Keep aside.

2. For the curry, sauté onions in a pan till golden brown, then add the tomatoes and spices. Cook till the tomato softens. Add the meat and cook till it is tender and brown. Add coconut and mix till combined.

3. Turn off the heat and keep aside.

4. In the puttu cylinder, first put a layer of plain coconut. Then add the rice powder layer(thick), then a layer of the meat and coconut(thin), and then the rice powder and so on till the cylinder is full.

5. Place a pressure cooker with water and the lid, but without the whistle, on the flame. Place the cylinder over the outlet to steam, till steam begins escaping from the top hole in the cylinder. Remove once cooked and use a chopstick or skewer to push the puttu out of the cylinder. Serve hot.

Even though the Puttu is such a unique and flavourful dish, it does not cut down upon the nutrients it can provide. It makes a light but filling breakfast that is packed with energy as well as a good portion of protein for the rest of the day. Let us have a look at how these nutrients are distributed in one serving of a meat-layered Puttu:

Puttu Nutritional Details:

Carbohydrates – Total in grams for 30 g- 14.47g

Total in percentage for 30 g- 48.24%

Proteins – Total in grams for 30 g- 2.45g

Total in percentage for 30 g- 8.17%

Fats – Total in grams for 30 g- 3.09g

Total in percentage for 30 g- 10.30%

Totally, the amount of energy present in each serving of puttu is 96.5 calories.

Indulge in this delicacy from the treasure trove that the South Indian kitchen is, to kick start your day with an energy filled, balanced meal. Enjoy this with a steaming cup of sweet coffee to seal the deal. Happy feasting!