PUTTU AND KADALA (Black Chicpea)CURRY:

This is an all time favorite kerala cuisine served mainly as a breakfast item. Rice flour is the main ingredient. White rice or raw rice is washed and soaked (for about 10-15 min) and powdered (not very finely) and fried. Here I used raw rice and white kuruva rice in equal proportion and powdered separately and fried separately and then mixed them together. This can be done at a flour mill. You just have to give them the washed and drained rice and tell them it is for pottu and they will do accordingly.  You can get readymade puttu podi (powder) at Asian stores.

Picture updated on June 2013

Kadala or black chickpea is pressure cooked with onion, ginger, green chilly, vinegar, and spices....for almost 30 minutes and then tempered in coconut oil. The best part is you need only 1 tsp or maybe 2 tsp of coconut oil to tempter.....and that makes it low calorie and healthy.

A perfect healthy low calorie protein rich breakfast......which is one of the healthiest breakfast of Kerala....and totally VEGAN.

Update: March/2013

I posted how to make puttu in a coconut shell for those who do not have access to the puttu maker. Please click here for more on that.

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.

TO MAKE PUTTU:

Puttu podi: 2 cups.                           

Salt: ½ tsp or to taste.

Water: As needed.

Coconut scrapings: As needed.

METHOD:

1.      Mix puttu podi with salt.

2.      Sprinkle water as needed and rub with your fingertips till it resembles bread crumbs.

3.      Put little coconut scrapings into the puttu kutti and then put puttu podi. (I used cherattu pottu kutti).

4.      Put it on top of the cooker. (the place were u put the cooker weight).

5.      When steam comes, simmer the flames and in 2 minute your puttu is ready.

KADALA CURRY:

Ingredients:

Soaked black kadala (chick pea): 300 gms (soak overnight for best results).

Onion: 1 1/2 medium, sliced.

Ginger: 1 inch (chopped).

Coconut: Cut into thin stripes (1/4 of a coconut)

Green chilly: 2

Vinegar: 1 tsp.

Tomato: 1 (optional)

Red chilly powder: 2 tsp. (I use Kashmiri red chilly which I get it powdered from the mill; it has rich red colour and is less spicy).

Coriander powder: 3 tsp.

Garam masala: ½ tsp

Turmeric: ¼ tsp.

Water: As needed.(it should be just above the chickpeas)

Salt to taste:

FOR THE SEASONING:

Coconut oil: 1 tsp. (or any refined oil).

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp.

Chilly flakes: 1/2 tsp.

Small onions (shallots): 2 or 3 sliced.

Curry leaves: As needed.

1.      Put the cleaned and washed kadala in a pressure cooker. Add water, it should cover the kadala.

2.      Add sliced onion, chopped tomato, ginger, slit green chilly, vinegar, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, sliced coconuts, and salt. Mix well and close cooker. After 1 whistle let it simmer for ½ hour. After 10 min open cooker and put in salt and let it simmer for 2 min.

SEASONING:

Heat a small pan, pour oil, put in mustard sees, chilly flakes, shallots sliced, and plenty of curry leaves. Pour this over the cooked kadala curry, close the lid so that the flavors do not escape. Serve hot with Puttu.

Note: When I made this kadala curry, I just put in some coconut scrapings instead of thinly sliced coconut.

Some more varieties of puttu:
Meat masala puttu.
Chiratta Puttu/Coconut shell puttu.
Fish Puttu.