Paean to Puttu: Palakkadan Chiratta Puttu/ Coconut Puttu, Palakkad Style! ;-)

Palakkadan Chiratta Puttu

Could not resist using this elaborate, over the top wording for this dish! It happily contains the emphathetic sounds from Mallu speak!The rice powder is courtsey moi MIL and the Chiratta = Coconut Shell, courtsey moi grandmother....

It is made from Single Boiled, Matta Rice. Rice is soaked for a few hours, drained, dried completely in shade, then powdered according to the desired consistency. This powder is then lightly dry roasted. The coarse texture of the rice powder makes it perfect for this dish but is also made into Nool Puttu = Rice noodles: seiving it and taking the finer powder;  these noodles are slightly thicker in diameter but with a reddish colour unlike the Nool Puttu/ Sevai made from polished/raw rice.

I have used natural coconut shell here; one can also get steel versions in Kerala markets.  Other Puttu recipes: An example of the steel version of the coconut shell can be found here. 

Serving:

The measurements here would serve 4.

Ingredients for Puttu

1 Cup Palakkadan Single Boiled Matta Rice powder, roasted ground

3/4 Cup Water

1/2 Cup grated coconut for mixing with the rice powder

1 cup of grated coconut for layering in between [ amount can be increased according to preference]

Salt

Ghee/Clarified butter [optional]

Appliances/Utensils!

*Coconut shells with one 'bored'  eye! :-)

* Pressure Cooker or a vessel with a mouth wide/narrow enough for the shell to rest snugly. If it does not and 'just makes it', foil can be used to wrap around and make it more steam-escape-proof!

* A perforated cookie press disk/ puttu/sevanazhi-disk with holes in it, to lay on the bottom of the coconut shell. [yes the plateau on the puttu!]

*A clean linen or cotton towel,  to wrap over the coconut shell; others put on a light steel lid loosely over the coconut shell.

Method

Bring water to boil in the appropriate vessel

Keep the grated coconut ready

Put the rice powder in a large bowl

Add Salt

Sprinkle warm water, adding a little at a time,

Wet the rice powder evenly, so that it resembles a coarse meal texture; it should not be mushy or overtly sticky

Cover and keep aside.

Lay the sevanazhi  disc on the bottom of the coconut shell,
Layer with grated coconut  and a layer of moistened rice powder,

Continue with the layers till the top,

Tie the cotton towel loosely on top of the coconut shell.

Steam until done.

Served here with Potato Ishtu/Stew.

Notes: It is always weird and funny trying to translate the colloquial words and instructions into english when one receives instructions in the vernacular...Almost always the technique gets importance than the exact measurement, which comes later! This is then always amended with that particular chef's experience, hard won expertise emergency measures and tips and tricks.