AUTHENTIC DISHES | Saute Fry N Bake

Thulli

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time :20- 25 minutes

Serving : 10 -12 members

Description

Thulli . A simple dessert very own to the ravuthar ( tamil speaking muslim ) community of the Salem region in Tamil Nadu . A must on the break fast table for eid ul azha or bakrid usually made in large quantities mainly to be shared with near and dear ones with staples thats adapted to suit the brew available .( I guess thats why the measurements mentioned in this recipe is also of large quantity ) . This recipe is from my friend Fathimas mother – in – law Mehar ammas patiently preserved hand written smudged recipes from her cook book containing hundreds of our family recipes neatly written in her version of Tamil ( Mehar amma is a Malyali married to basha mama who is a tamilian ) . This cook book of her’s is a precious treasured family hair-loom , more important to me than any silk Saree , diamond or gold that I may one day inherit . This dessert is just another version of the kesari that is served through out India in various names . Here they have used wheat semolina instead of the white regular semolina and the jaggery syrup is added for sweetness instead of sugar . The dessert looks and sounds less felicitous but one spoon gulped in , I assure you peeps no way you can stop with one spoon full as they offer insights into the communities that devised them yielding secrets about people’s past .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Wheat semolina	1 litter
Ghee	1 glass
Cashew nuts	one hand
Raisins	one hand full
Water	1 1/2 litter
Jaggery	1 kg ( heat with little water , dissolve and strain )
Cinnamon	1 inch piece two
Salt	a pinch
Cloves	2

Method

Heat ghee in a non – stick sauce pan . Add cloves , cinnamon , cashew nuts and raisins . When cashew nuts are light brown add water and a pinch of salt .
Bring to boil . Add the wheat semolina and stir in little by little as we do for upma . Once all the semolina is mixed in and boiled nicely . ( Takes about 10 minutes ) Add the brown sugar .
Mix well , keep stirring in low flame till it gets to a semi thick gooey paste consistency . ( like for kesari ) pour into desired bowl ,
Set aside for 10 minutes , so that the thulli gets set and serve hot or at room temperature .

Sweet potato balls

Preparation Time : 10 -15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10- 15 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Sweet potato balls . A simple 3 ingredient wonder that I learnt at my mother – in – laws place . This dish is uncomplicated and ready in a few minutes . At mom’s place we mix boiled , peeled and mashed sweet potatoes with thick coconut milk and sugar to a porridge consistency or just have boiled and peeled sweet potatoes as it is . The natural sweetness and aroma of the sweet potato just melts you . These sweet potatoes are seldom eaten in any other form except boiled . While sweet potatoes are in season my home is over loaded with them from our farm . Once I did take a huge box full of these balls to my moms place . We ended up having a bunch of cousins for dinner . So these sweet potato balls also were served at the table . To my surprise my cousin Ahmed shah( shabu’s ) wife zarina loved it a lot and its my boy afzar’s favourite snack too . This pucker – inducing heavenly sweet ball took centre stage on the table . This absolutely addictive drool worthy dessert snack is ridiculously easy to make With very little effort . It’s a must try dish for beginners .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Boiled sweet potatoes	1/4 kg
Sugar	to taste
Coconut grated	1/4 cup
Salt	1/4 teaspoon

Method

Boil washed and cleaned sweet potatoes to soft and cooked through In 4 cups of water and salt .
Usually I pressure cook them for 4 whistles . Cool completely , peel and mash the sweet potatoes .
Add sugar to taste and grated coconut . Mix well . Roll into lemon size balls and serve at room temperature .

Rainbow kinnathappam

Preparation Time : 30 minutes + 3-4 hours for soaking the rice .

Cooking Time : 25 -30 minutes

Serving : 10 members

Description

Rainbow kinnathappam . With an over dosage of my savoury posts this last few weeks , made up my mind to post a sweet dish today . Kinnathappam is a steamed sweet snack made by the tamil speaking Muslims of the nagar kovil , thenga pattanam , kanyakumari , marthandam region in Tamil Nadu . Every house hold has this dish as a staple in these regions . Flavoured with coconut milk , this snack is light and delicate . Usually made as it is in white colour . I came across a Malaysian recipe on the net named Kuih Lapis which looked similar to the kinnathappam but was so colourfully layered . Kuih Lapis is a popular steamed snack in Malaysia and Singapore and it literally means layer cake in Malay. Went through the recipe which demanded for pandan leaves and tapioca flour to be used but my pantry didn’t have these two ingredients . Wanting to give this dish a try , came up with a sweet recipe idea of making the kinnathappam colourful with a twist to the dish . Was nervous not knowing if it would work out as it looked very different from the traditional kinnatappam but in a good way and tasted awesome . The colour added gave a whole new dimension to the humble sweet dish . So my quest of making Kuih lapis was done , cooking with traditional methods with a staple that I cook at home always but styled to look contemporary and of international standards .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice ( pacharisi / the rice we use to make appams )	2 cups
Coconut milk	3 1/2 cups
Eggs	3
Salt	a pinch
Sugar	1 1/2 cups ( if you have a good sweet tooth 2 cups will be apt )
Food colour of your choice	few drops
Coconut oil or ghee	2 tablespoons to grease
Green Cardamom pods	5

Method

Soak the rice in water for 3-4 hours . Strain the rice and grind in coconut milk to a very smooth paste . Add the eggs , salt , sugar and cardamom pods . Grind again to get a well blended smooth ,loose , watery , running consistency batter .
Then strain mixture through a sieve to ensure it is free from lumps.Divide mixture in two equal portions and add desire colouring into one portion, keeping one portion white. (You can use more colours if you prefer to have more colourful layers)
Grease a 7 inch square or round cake pan and place in steaming pot for few minutes over high heat.( I used my idli steamer )
Pour about 100-125ml of white liquid into the heated pan and steam at high heat for about 4 minutes or until batter is cooked.
Then add 100-125ml of pink liquid onto it and steam for another 4 minutes. (reduce liquid for thinner layers)
Repeat the procedure, alternating white and pink liquid until all the batter is used up. Remember to stir the batter every time before pouring out the liquid to steam each time.
Add a little more rose pink colour to the last layer to make it a deeper shade of pink.
Leave the rainbow kinnathappam to cool completely after steamed and invert the cake pan to knock out the kinnathappam .
Grease knife with little oil before cutting. You may also brush a little oil on the surface to get a glossy finish . Serve at room temperature , warm or cold .

Notes

Store the cut pieces in a foil paper in the refrigerator for a day or two .
Steam it again to be served fresh or just dip it in cold water and microwave for 30- 40 seconds to be served warm .

Keema kofta stuffed snake guard gravy

Preparation Time : 35 minutes

Cooking Time : 20-25 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Description

Kheema kofta stuffed snake guard . The first prize winning dish in sauté, fry n bakes second anniversary recipe swap event . This dish was brought by Hamidha shabeer all the way from tirupur to Coimbatore for the event . What do I start with the creator of the dish or the dish ??? Well first the creator then the dish I guess . Hamidha shabeer is a far relative of mine whom I meet at family gatherings and all we do is exchange a hello and and a smile . It’s sauté , fry n bake that has let me get to know her more as a person and what a good mother and cook she is . This recipe is an ancestral recipe of her family that has been passed down from her grand mother to her mother and from her mother to her now . The gravy was creamy , subtle and flavoured perfectly with oil floating on top ( that’s a good sign to a perfectly cooked curry ) . The koftas were moist , melt in the mouth and packed with flavours infusing the aroma of the curry into it as well . The art of blending individual spices and flavours has been done in a light and wholesome way . In total a heavenly marriage that hits you at the right spot . A fusion of basic with the exotic . I just wish I had taken a better picture that day . My instincts did tell me that this is the winning dish . I was lucky enough to relish the left overs of this gravy for dinner as well . I feel Privileged to give you all an opportunity to learn and try this ancient recipe that has been handed down from one generation to the next , hoping this cherished family recipe will continue to be enjoyed by future generation .

Ingredients for the koftas

Ingredients	Quantity
Mutton keema	1/2 kg
Shallots	8
Ginger	1/2 inch piece
Garlic pods	6
Green chillies	6
Coriander leaves	3 tablespoons
Roasted Bengal gram dhal	3 tablespoons
Coconut grated	2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Cardamom , cloves , cinnamon	2 each
Snake guard	( thin , long variety ) 1

Method for koftas

Grind all the above ingredients together except for the snack guard in a blender without adding water .
Scrape the skin of the snake guard and cut into 2 inch cylinders .
Deseed them . Stuff the ground keema into each snake guard cylinder and pack tightly and Set aside .

Ingredients for gravy

Ingredients	Quantity
Big onions	2 chopped finely
Cardamom , clove , cinnamon	2 each
Ginger garlic paste	2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Coriander powder	2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Tomatoes	3
Oil	2 tablespoons

Ingredients To grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Coconut	4 tablespoons
Cashew nuts	6
Fennel seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Poppy seeds	1/4 teaspoon

Method for gravy

Heat oil in a board vessel adding the whole spices letting them to splutter . Add onions and fry to translucent .
Top with ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell vanishes . Add red chilli powder , turmeric powder , tomatoes and sauté until oil separates .
Add one cup of water and boil to take away the raw smell . Add ground coconut masala paste and boil to thicken until desired consistency .
(Semi loose will be fine as we have to boil the keema stuffed snake guard in it ) slowly drop the keema stuffed snack guards into the boiling gravy and cook until the keema is tender .
Garnish with chopped coriander greens . Serve hot with ghee rice ,pulaos , rotis , parata’s of your choice .

Mutta charu

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 – 25 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Mutta charu . Mutta means egg and charu is how we address curries at home . So this is an authentic egg curry that my grand ma ( dads mom , balkess perima ) used to make for us . From the first time I remember eating this curry I have loved it to the core . The poached eggs in the tamarind , coconut and red chilli curry base is to die for . I end up eating a lot of rice when ever this curry is made at home . My grand ma used to high light this dish by making an omelet mix ( the usual onion, green chillies , coriander leaves , tomato , salt , pepper , turmeric powder mix ) and make round omelettes in a kuli pariyaram mould . Add the omelettes to the mutta charu just before serving . These panniyara omelettes were reserved for the kids at home . This curry is always the first wanted dish in my wish list when at moms place . Hubby’s place this curry is never heard of before and no one Fancies it at home . So this curry is made only on all alone “ME ” days at home . Best served with white boiled white rice . Give this dish a try folks , happy cooking to all .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
eggs	4
tamarind pulp	1 1/2 cup
chilli powder	5 table spoons ( or according to taste as this curry is very hot )
coconut ground	1/2
thick coconut milk	1 cup
green chillies	4 slit
tomato	3 chopped
small onions	2 1/2 hands cut into 1/2
salt	to taste
coconut oil	5 table spoons
cumin seeds	1/2 tea spoon
fenugreek seeds	1/2 tea spoon
garlic flakes	10

Method

Mix tamarind pulp , ground coconut , coconut milk , chilli powder , green chillies , 3/4 of cut small onions and salt to taste together .
Add 4 cups of water to the tamarind coconut paste mix .Taste and adjust and set aside .
Heat oil , add fenugreek seeds , cumin seeds , little small onions and garlic flakes .Fry till the fenugreek crackles .Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till oil separates .
Top with 1 tablespoon chilli powder and fry for 10 seconds as to get a good red colour to the curry .
Pour the mixed tamarind ,coconut paste mixture over .Cover with a lid and cook till green chillies are cooked and colour changes .
Lower the flame to medium and drop the eggs one at a time far apart from each other . let it cook for 5 minutes undisturbed , then turn over the dropped eggs and cook further for another 5 minutes undisturbed .
Simmer for another 2 minutes till oil floats on top. Serve hot with boiled rice .

Jalar roti

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 minute for each jalar roti .

Serving : 8- 10 members

Description

Jalar roti or roti jalar as known to the world but at home its known as jalar parota . This dish is an authentic dish very own to the Muslims of Malaysia . At mom’s place we don’t know head or tail about this dish . I got to know about this dish first when I was newly married at my in – laws place . The best part is this dish is not an authentic dish at my in – laws place also . They got to know about this dish from a place called NAGOOR ( a pilgrimage place ) near vellankanni in Tamil Nadu . The cone used to pour out the jalar roti is also available in NAGOOR or at Malaysia . This lacy crape poured out like a net pattern is eaten along with any non – veg curry or gravy . Made with easily available ingredients at home , its a fast , clever , easy time saving dish when you have sudden guests at home . This 5 ingredient wonder is a favourite at home . Every time I make it , I feel the batter is a lot but finally it’s always not enough at the table . there are 2 more recipes that we make at home with the jalar parota being the main ingredient . I will be posting them soon . First we shall start with our mighty simple jalar parota .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Eggs	2
Water	650 ml
Thick Coconut milk	100 ml
Salt	to taste
Flour	350 grams
Oil	100 ml

Method

Mix all the ingredients together except for oil making sure no lumps are formed . Heat a tawa greased with oil .
Pour the batter using a jalar cup or a piping bag in a circular motion , making thin , lacy pancakes .
Cook until set and crisp on one side . Fold into a triangle and serve hot with any non – vegetarian curry .
I just mix flour with salt to taste and water , at times which works perfect as well .
Health freaks can follow this method for the batter .

Kashayam for digestion

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20 to 25 minutes

Serving : 2 members

Description

Kashayam is a term used to represent a drink made with spices that have medicinal qualities in them to heal cold , digestion , body pain so on and so forth in south India . Especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala . They are excellent digestive aids and often the best expectorants. The word kashayam takes me back to my childhood days when my grandmother sabiya perima ( moms mom ) insisted we drank those home-brewed kashayam at least once a week , mainly being the jeeraga kashayam which was the one and only kashayam we were given mostly . At hubby’s place they have so many different kashayams for every possible thing . You name it and they have a kashayam for it . These home remedies are a treasure trove that I have learnt from my mother – in – law and she learnt from hers . I confidently hope to pass it on to my daughter , daughter – in – law and each one of you . Sundays were always a body cleansing day , from cutting your nails to oiling your hair and having a bath with a final kashayam drank after bath. All those years later, I religiously followed the same thing for my two children. Frankly, they hate it, but drink it only because they trust me enough not to poison them :-)) . Well now for you peeps , sure after lining your tummy’s with all the possible sweets for Diwali . This kashayam will sure cleanse and relive your system . Give it a try and watch what wonders this does to you !!!

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Cumin Seeds	3 tablespoons
Black Pepper Corns	2 tablespoons
Dry Ginger powder	2 tablespoons
Liquorice / costus root	1 inch piece ( sarana veru in Tamil , mulethi in Hindi , adimathuram in Malayalam )
Garlic	4 flakes crushed
Water	2 glasses
Palm jaggery	1 cup

Method

Dry roast cumin seeds and peppercorns separately for a 1-1½ minutes on a low flame till the heady aroma of roasted spices fills your home! Make sure that you don’t over do it and burn the spices.
Spread the roasted spices on a wide plate and let them cool down completely to room temperature.
Take water in a sauce pan , add roasted cumin seeds , pepper corns , dry ginger powder , liquorice crushed , garlic and palm jaggery and bring it to boil.
Once the water comes to boil, mix well . Lower the flame and let the water reduce to one glass of liquid .
Takes about 15 to 20 minutes . Switch off the flame and let it rest for 1 minute for the flavours to infuse.
Strain the Kashaya through fine sieve and drink it while hot. Enjoy this cup of goodness at any time of the day .

Note

Make sure to dry roast cumin seeds and black pepper corns in low flame separately until a good aroma arises . Be sure not to burn the spices as it results in a bitter kashayam instead .
This kashayam works best with palm jaggery / karupatti .
The kashayam is authentically done in a man chatti / clay pot .
Do not drink water immediately after you have had your kashayam as it tends to up set your tummy .

Home made ghee

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 25 to 30 minutes

Serving : 10 members or more

Description

Home made ghee . I learnt the art of making home made ghee from my mother – in – law .At moms place it’s more of busy buzz home style cooking as mom is a working woman . My in – laws place it’s laid back leisure cooking ( I like it at my in- laws place as cooking and food is my first love .) moms place every thing is store brought and in – laws place every thing is done from starch that results in better taste what so ever . These facets raise home cooking to a sublime art form . In today’s busy life , the skilful use of subtle cooking would be some what daunting but taste and character to food comes from a treasure trove of home style recipes as such . We had a couple of cows at in – laws place so milk products were ample always . Every 15 days once my mother – in – law would prepare ghee . The entire street would be filled with the aroma of unique earthy ghee .This ghee was used only to make dosas , chappathi’s , on top of iddlis , white rice and iddi podi for kids and guests mainly . My hubby keeps telling me about an incident that happened to him as a kid . In the lunch table he was offered ghee to have along with boiled white rice . He tilted the ghee bottle ( horlicks glass bottle ) and half of the ghee in the bottle just jumped out into his plate . My mother – in – law was like .. No way you are going to waste it , better eat every bit on the plate . Hubby dear felt heavenly while eating but the after results put him through a lot of un digestion , vomiting sensation and heaviness in the tummy . Poor fellow till date he has an aversion towards ghee because of this …

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
butter	4 cups ( I use cream that forms on top of the milk every day at home , preserved in a container in the freezer until the container gets full . Takes about 2 months or so . Then blitz the cream with water in a food processor to get butter out and use that butter )
Salt	a pinch
Drumstick leaves	1 small strand ( optional but adds a good aroma to the ghee )

Method

Place butter , salt and drum stick strand in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring butter to boil.
This takes approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. The butter will form a foam which will disappear.
Ghee is done when a second foam forms on top of butter, and the butter turns golden.
Approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Brown milk solids will be in bottom of pan along with crisp drumstick strand .
Gently pour into heatproof container through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Store in airtight container being sure to keep free from moisture.
Ghee does not need refrigeration and will keep in airtight container for up to 1 month or more .

Thikkadi

Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 10 members

Description

Thikkadi . An authentic one pot dish very own to the ravuthar community of the northern districts of Tamil Nadu . The southern districts make a similar dish called takkadi but the flour used is different and the texture and taste also differs . At home there is always a big debate about which of theses two dishes tastes better . This was one among the first dishes as a kid , I remember helping my grand mother to cook . All the kids were given each a ball of dough and asked to make thikkadis out of it . We cousins used to sit in circle with a huge plate ( thala ) placed in the Center and have a competition on who finishes first on rolling the thikkadis . My grand mother ( dads mom balkees perima ) used to make it in a huge vessel in a fire wood stove top mainly to be sent over to her married daughter’s homes . i wish you all could smell the fragrant Thikkadi simmering away with the smokiness of the fire wood . I love old school cooking . This dish may require a little effort but that makes the dish all the more worth while . I am on a mission to share lesser known family classic dishes to keep ravuthar cuisine alive . The real test of ravuthar food lies in how sleepy it makes you after you have it . The sleepier you feel , the better the dish . So happy eating and sleeping to all .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice flour ( the rice flour that we use to make iddiappam 's )	1 cup
Salt	taste
Water	1 1/4 cup

Method

Boil Water and salt . When it is bubbling hot add rice flour . Place a wooden ladle in the Center of the rice flour and water . Cover it with a lid and Let it stand for 2 minutes in low flame .
Mix well, using the wooden ladle to combine the rice flour with the salted water making sure no lumps are formed . Remove from heat .
Use your hands to knead it to a dough like we do for idiyappam. The dough will be boiling hot , dip your hands in to a bowl of cold water to avoid the heat felt on your hands while kneading once in a while .
Make small balls out of the dough and flatten them like gems chocolate .rub your hands with rice flour powder once in a while to avoid the dough sticking on to your palms .
Usually I follow till this step , sprinkle some rice flour to the Thikkadi / dumplings and store them in a plastic cover kept in an air tight container and keep it in the refrigerator .
( I do this the previous day as at home every one likes to have Thikkadi for breakfast ) .

Ingredients for mutton gravy

Ingredients	Quantity
Mutton	1/2 kg
Small onion chopped	1 hand full
Green chillies slit	10 or to taste
Cinnamon	1 inch piece
Cloves	2
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder	3 tablespoons
Oil	3 tablespoons
Salt	taste

Ingredients To fry and grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Coconut grated	1 cup
Cumin seeds	1 tablespoon
Coconut oil	2 tablespoons

Method

Heat the coconut oil and fry the cumin seeds and grated coconut to a golden brown colour until you get a nice aroma of the fried coconut .
Cool and grind to a corse powder with out using water and Set aside .

Method for mutton gravy

Heat oil in a pressure cooker . Add cinnamon , cloves , fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds .
Once the fenugreek seeds crackle , top with small onions and fry to brown .
Add the mutton , green chillies , coriander powder and salt to taste . Toss well and sauté for 5 minutes until the colour of the meat changes .
Pour 6 cups of water to cook the meat and pressure cook for 3 whistles or until the meat is cooked through .taste and adjust the mutton gravy .

How to proceed

Bring the cooked meat watery gravy to boil . ( Make sure you have enough gravy to cook the thikkadi / dumplings , add more water in case you need more gravy .then season the gravy ) Add 10 Thikkadi / dumplings at a time to the mutton gravy .
In 5-8 minutes the Thikkadi / dumplings will float on top .
Do the same until all the Thikkadi / dumplings are over . Once all the Thikkadi / dumplings are cooked and floats on top add the ground coconut coarse powder and mix well . Taste
And adjust . Serve hot .

Puttu

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 – 12 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Puttu , a Staple at home which I was fed and pampered With A lot. Being mother’s Day today wanted to dedicate my post to my beloved mother . So wanted to post a recipe which she makes often and is a staple at home . Puttu has been served to us steamed in a coconut shell , to puttu maker . First the coconut shells , then shifted to the puttu maker with five long puttu makers attached to it in aluminium , then to a puttu maker with one stick and finally we have settled with just the stick alone , that we stick to a pressure cooker without the mighty puttu is followed with the same authentic recipe . At my in-laws place they use another coarse rice flour powder that is fried with coconut which is called as thengaatta maavu . The colour of the puttu is also light brown in colour and they steam it piled up in an iddiappam plate . Finally it looks like coarse sand and is much more rough that the regular puttu . My choice is always the authentic kerala puttu. Every alternative days (actully every day) the puttu is there in the table . I just used to love it when my mom and grand ma mixes the puttu with the right amount of bananas , sugar and ghee. Mostly it’s done in a huge amount as all our cousins sit in a circle waiting for our share to be fed one after other . Oops this puttu is just taking me away from today’s dedication being my mom . Mom is a sophisticated , out spoken , loud, smart , business minded , always the center of attraction even till date sort of a person . My brother and myself are just the opposite to her like my dad . Soft spoken , shy and mostly like to be quite . There are people in this world who spend every day making important decisions , trouble shooting refereeing fights , nursing egos , doing damage control and multi tasking , They are called mothers- LINDA POINDEXTER . My mom is all that is mentioned above . The most apt phrase to explain my mother . Love you mom for what ever you are and being beside me through out from the time god infused me into you .

Needed

Puttu maker or Coconut shells ( thenga cherattai with holes in the bottom ) .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice Flour	2 cups
Grated Coconut	1 cup
Water	1 1/4 cup
Salt	to taste

To serve

Ripe bananas
Sugar
Melted ghee
Grated Coconut Or Kerala pappadam
Boiled green moong gram ( paccha payaru , siru payaru ) Or Kadala curry ( sundal kolambhu ) Or Hot ghee
Powdered jaggery

Method

In a large bowl, place the puttu powder. Add salt to taste to 1 1/4 cup of water and slowly add about 2 tbsps at a time to the puttu powder and mix it. Do not add all the water at once. It should be a bread crumb consistency and not form a dough.
Normally 1 cup of water is sufficient to wet 2 cups of puttu powder so save the 1/4 aside and use it if needed .
The right consistency of puttu powder is achieved when you take the prepared flour in your fist and close it to form shape. Leave aside this prepared rice mixture for an hour or two at room temperature.
When the mixture sits, water is absorbed. After sitting time of 1 or 2 hours, if you find that the mixture is slightly dry, add a little more water and mix.sift this mix in a sieve , so that you get a crumb free , sand like puttu . An important tip I learnt from my grandmother .
Add 2 cups water to the bottom vessel of the puttu maker or pressure cooker and allow to simmer till hot.Wet the puttu mould and lightly grease it. Place the round perforated disc with holes inside the puttu mould such that it fits well at the bottom of the mould.
Place 2 tbsps of grated coconut at the bottom of the puttu mould. Carefully and slowly pour about 6 tbsps of the puttu powder from a height followed by another layer of 2 tbsps of grated coconut.
Again layer with 6 tbsps of puttu powder and finish off with 2 tbps of grated coconut on the top. Place the lid over the puttu mould annd place the mould over the water vessel.
Steam on high medium flame for 5-6 mts and 4 mts on low flame. Turn off heat and wait for 2 to 3 mts before removing the puttu from the mould with the help of a wooden ladle or skewer.
Hold the puttu mould parallel to the serving plate and with the help of a long ladle gently push the bottom disc such that the puttu slides onto the plate. Serve hot with required accomplishments .

Note

Can layer the puttu with dry mutton or beef roast along with the grated coconut , its yum .Make sure to sift the puttu mix before steaming , it’s gives a good soft texture to the puttu.