Puttu: A Peek into Traditional Kerala Cuisine

I love the 'puttu-kadala curry combination, a Malayalee staple, and my husband does not…which means that it is not made very often at our home. When I was in India, earlier this summer, I had decided to fill up on all the foods that I don’t make here. My mother had mentioned a street vendor near our home, who sold fresh puttu every morning. My father went one day, but the guy had sold out completely, by around 7.30 A.M. Imagine how good his business must be..and his puttu too! Finally, towards the end of my stay, I got to taste his puttu and kadala curry. They were really good, a little too spicy, but tasty!

Back home after my vacation, I realized that Square Meals did not have a post on puttu…how embarrassing even for a half-mallu blog!!! I had to rectify the situation immediately, so I decided to make it over the weekend. My very reluctant husband also agreed and I was thrilled.

Ingredients

Puttu (Serves 1)

Note: I make mine in a coconut shell, so the proportions will vary for those who use the cylindrical puttu pot/steamer.

Rice flour – 1 cup

Salt – ½ tsp

Grated coconut as required

Water as required

Coconut shell

Method

Mix the rice flour and salt. Now sprinkle water with one hand while you mix the flour with your finger tips. Continue until the flour takes on a slightly crumbly texture.The test is to take some of the flour mixture and squeeze it in your hand. When released, it should hold its form and not fall apart.

As the rice flour is being prepped, fill the pressure cooker or puttu pot with about 2-21/2 cups of water and place on the stove. This way, the steam will have formed by the time you place the puttu for cooking. When choosing a coconut shell, pick one that is stable when placed on the cooker.

Place a tablespoon of coconut at the bottom (coconut shell/puttu cylinder), top with half of the flour mixture. Place another tablespoon of coconut and top off with the remaining flour. You can add more coconut as the last layer if you please. Carefully place the coconut shell on the nozzle of the cooker (where you would usually put the weight), cover and let it cook.

Depending on the size of the coconut, the puttu will take about 10-12 minutes to cook. Once done, remove the coconut shell, carefully, place a plate on it and gently turn upside down. Voila, your steamed rice cake is ready to be devoured.

Puttu is traditionally eaten with kadala curry (black channa), payar curry (green gram), banana and papad. Another combination, to satisfy your sweet tooth, is puttu with sugar and banana.

Since the kadala curry was the bait to get my husband to eat puttu, I had no other option.

Ingredients  

KadalaCurry (Serves 2)

Black channa – ½ cup

Coriander seeds (dhania) – ½ tbsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp

Red chilies – 2-3 (more or less according to taste)

Pearl onion (sambar onion) – 3-4 (for grinding) and 2-3 tbsps finely chopped for seasoning

Coconut oil – 1-2 tbsps

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Curry leaves for garnish

Method

Soak the channa for 6-7 hours or overnight and cook. Even after a 7 hour soak, the channa took 8 whistles in the pressure cooker. So, you'll just have to re-cook it if it is not done the first time around.

Heat 2 tsps of oil in a small pan and add the coriander seeds, cumin, small onions and red chillies. Sauté until the coriander seeds pop when pressed. Turn off the heat and add the grated coconut. Grind into a smooth mixture and keep aside. Meanwhile, place the channa back on the stove. If there is too much water, remove drain and keep aside for later use. Add the ground mixture to the channa, add salt to taste and mix well. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. If the gravy feels too thick, add some of the liquid that you removed earlier. As it simmers, sauté the chopped pearl onions in coconut oil until dark brown. Keep ready.

Once the gravy comes together well, take it off the heat, add the curry leaves and the sautéed onions and serve with your puttu.

Note: This kadala curry can be paired with Idiyappam (string hoppers) and Aappam (an Indian pancake).

     Puttu can also be made with ragi flour, wheat flour and maize.

Turtle Bread

Let me start by telling you that this is one of the cutest things I have ever baked…and it was a lot of fun too.

This recipe, from Betty Crocker, has been lying in my 'to try' list for almost a year now. I guess I was apprehensive because breads with yeast and I have not had a good relationship in the past. I understand that proper proofing is required for the yeast to work optimally and I have always tried my best to make it happen, but somehow the yeast just doesn’t bubble and froth for me! (Note to self, time to buy a food thermometer!).  

Earlier this week, I mustered all my courage, called out to all the baking super powers above and decided to make the bread…and I am glad I did, it was a lovely experience. Don't misunderstand my elation for eccentricity but it is true pleasure to see your dough rise and double in volume (I am sure other bakers will agree). Anyway, let's move on to the recipe.

I apologize for not photographing the entire process. I was finding it cumbersome to stop every few minutes, wash my hands, get the camera, take snaps and then go back to work. I promise that the next time I bake this bread, I will make sure that my husband is around to take pictures.

Ingredients                             

Flour – 1 ½ cups and more for dusting

Yeast – 1/2 tbsp ( ½ of a 7gm package. I used Red Star Active Dry Yeast)

Sugar – 1/2 tbsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/4 cup

Milk – 1/6  cup

Butter – ½ tbsp + more for greasing the baking sheet

Egg – 1

Raisins – 4

Method

Mix 3/4^th cup flour, yeast and sugar in a big bowl. Heat the milk, water and butter in a saucepan, to 125°F to 130°F. I just dipped my finger into the mixture and when it felt hot I took it off the stove. Not the best way to check the temperature, I am afraid. But it worked!

Stir into the flour-yeast mixture. Add the egg and enough of the left over flour to make the dough easy to handle (until it stops sticking to your fingers). Remove onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about five minutes. The dough will be soft and springy by now. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile grease a cookie sheet (not required if you are using a silpat). Once the dough has rested for 10 minutes, you can start shaping. I decided to make two turtles, you could always make one big one.

For the body:

• One ball for the head
•  Four slightly smaller balls for the legs
• One ball for the tail (shape accordingly)
• Remaining dough for the body

Place the body(ies) on the cookie sheet. Take the head and place under the body, securing it well. Similarly, place the feet and the tail. The original recipes says to press the raisins(eyes) into the head but I found that the raisins were quite burnt by the time they came out. So my suggestion would be to affix the eyes later, with a drop of honey. 
Cover and let it rise for 20 minutes, in a  warm place. Meanwhile, you can turn on the oven and preheat it to 400^oF. Before putting the dough into the oven, make a ¼ inch deep circular cut into the body and make a crisscross pattern on the top, for the turtle's shell. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Happy baking and bon appétit. 

Link to the original recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/turtle-bread/02a87ed3-d9ae-4488-8985-15ab094e1b97

Bottle Gourd (Lauki) Raitha

The Square Meals duo apologizes for being MIA for a month and a half…we are extremely sorry, once again. 

Deliciously Yours,

Square Meals

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Summer 2013 was erratic, for lack of a better word. I reached Chennai in time for the dreaded Agni Nakshathram (supposedly the hottest days in Chennai), and survived them without much trouble. It cooled down a bit and then came June with even hotter days. Those I had trouble with, maybe because it was unexpected, unlike the scheduled ones in May. Anyway, all said and done, the heat waves of Chennai gave me ample opportunities to savor some delightful raithas and thirst-quenching buttermilk…which I am missing now!!!

It was during that time that I enjoyed this refreshing raitha that my mother made for dinner one night. We had it with chapathis and I fell in love with the combination of yogurt and bottle gourd. It is the best thing that can happen to your body at the end of (or middle of) a hot summer day, trust me.

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

Bottle gourd – 3/4^th cup (grated)

Yogurt – 1 cup

Finely chopped green chilies – 1-2

Cumin powder – a pinch

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Peel and grate the bottle gourd. Heat oil in a small pan and add the bottle gourd to it. Add a pinch of salt and sauté for about 4-5 minutes; just to ensure that the raw taste/smell is gone. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Meanwhile, beat together the yogurt, green chilies, cumin powder and some salt. Keep chilled. Once the bottle gourd has cooled completely, add to the yogurt mixture, mix well and add more salt if required. Serve chilled with parathas, chapathis, pulav etc. Bon Appétit.

P.S. I have mentioned that this quantity can serve 2-3 people…but if you are like me and love a good raitha, this might just be enough for one.