Chiratta puttu-Step by Step.

Puttu is a traditional and filling breakfast paired with kadala curry. In olden days puttu was made in cut pieces of bamboo shell or in coconut shell. I love making in coconut shell, its ideal for those who do not own a puttu kutti or vessel used to make this ideal breakfast.

If you do not own a puttu kutti please do not deter from making this wonderful dish, I will show you how to use coconut shell to cook puttu without any trouble. All you have to do is poke one of the eye in the coconut shell and use a pressure cooker to steam it. Coconut shell is one of the most eco-friendly utensil, which you can throw away after sometime and get a new one.....

Puttu is made by slowly adding water to ground and roasted rice until it resembles breadcrumbs, then added to the puttu kutti and steamed with layers of coconut.

Puttu is usually served with kadala curry, beef ularthiyathu, chicken ularthiyathu, meen curry, fish pickle, cherupayar thoran, pappad....the list is endless.....you can even have it with a drizzle of honey or mix with ripe plantains or steamed bananas....

Other than rice flour you can also use wheat flour, ragi flour, oats etc.

So lets get cooking!

You will need about 1 cup of puttu podi, Please visit my older post to make puttu podi.

First, take an empty coconut shell, the part which has eyes, scrape off the inside remains with a spoon, rise in water. There are three eyes in the coconut, poke the flimsy eye with your finger or with a spoon.

Select shells which has the flimsy eye in the center..

Add a tablespoon of freshly grated coconut scrapings.

Top it with puttu podi (rub water into rice flower mixed with salt till it resembles breadcrumbs) and again sprinkle some coconut scrapings.

Pour little water into a 3 litre pressure cooker and do not put the weight, when steam comes, put the poked eye of the chiratta (coconut shell) on top of the cooker stub. Simmer the fire. Close with a small lid. It takes somewhere between 2 to 3 min once the steam comes.

See the puttu is getting cooked or rather steamed.

With a towel carefully take the hot chiratta and invert it into a plate.

That's it...rustic chiratta puttu is ready.

Just incase you are looking for ready-made puttu flour, try Eastern Puttu Podi and want to own a puttu mould....do check out the links.

Pottu and Kadala Curry.                                                             Bananna Puttu.