Puttu Kadala
User Reviews
4.9
Puttu Kadala
Description
Puttu Kadala is a South Indian breakfast dish featuring puttu, a steamed preparation made from roasted rice flour mixed to a coarse, breadcrumb-like consistency and layered with grated coconut in a cylindrical steamer. The steaming process creates a tender yet crumbly texture that captures the mild sweetness and nuttiness of the rice flour and coconut. Served alongside is kadala, a thick curry of brown chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked with spices such as turmeric, red chili, and coriander powders. The curry gains depth from a roasted coconut and whole spice powder tempering featuring cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, dried red chili, and shallots, enhancing its fragrance and richness. A final tempering with mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil adds an herbal note. Altogether, this dish provides a hearty, textural balance between the soft steamed puttu and the thick, spiced kadala curry.
The mildly spiced chickpeas complement the neutral, slightly sweet puttu well. The layers of grated coconut inside the puttu add moistness and subtle sweetness while also contributing textural contrast. This dish can be eaten at breakfast or as a filling snack, offering a blend of carbohydrate and protein from chickpeas. The distinctive roasted flour and spice tempering set this recipe apart from other steamed rice dishes paired with legume curries.
Ingredients
Puttu:
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 2 tbsp sugar /jaggery
- salt
- water
Kadala:
- 1 cup brown channa soaked in water overnight at least for 8 hours, aka Kadala
- a handful shallots aka Chinna Vengayam
- 1 tomato roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- salt to taste
To roast and grind
- 1/2 cup coconut grated
- 6 shallots Cut into half, aka Chinna Vengayam
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 dried red chili
- cinnamon a small piece
- 2 cloves
To temper:
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- few curry leaves
Instructions
How to Make the Puttu:
- Use roasted rice flour for puttu. If you can't find roasted rice flour, buy plain rice flour and dry roast it over a low heat in a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned wok or kadai.
- Put the roasted rice flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle in the water a little at a time and mix well.
- The mix should look like grated coconut or breadcrumbs. Do not add too much water or it will become sticky. The consistency is right when you compress a fistful of the mixture in your palm and it retains its shape, similar to a crumble base or pie dough pastry.
- Let it rest for 30-60 mins.
- Once rested, if it is too dry, sprinkle on a little more water.
- Bring water to a boil in a puttu steamer. Fit the perforated disc correctly on the bottom of the puttu maker.
- Grease the puttu maker with coconut oil or ghee and start filling it with the flour mixture followed by a layer of grated coconut alternately until you fill the puttu maker all the way to the top.
- Now place it over the base of the puttu steamer and cook for 5-7 mins over a low heat.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for 2-3 mins, then, using a wooden spoon, gently push the puttu so it comes out clean.
- Serve hot with kadala curry.
How to Make the Kadala:
- Pressure cook the channa, in water covering the channa by an inch, until soft. Don't drain the water; set it aside for later.
- Heat a pan and add the dry coriander seeds followed by the cloves, cinnamon, and red chilis till dry and aromatic. Next, dry roast the shallots and grated coconut, and sauté all the ingredients till slightly golden brown.
- Transfer to a mixer and grind it to a fine paste. Set aside. Heat the coconut oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow them to splutter.
- Add the shallots and fry till golden brown, followed by the tomato and sauté till the mushy and raw acidic smell of the tomatoes is gone.
- Then add the coconut and ground spice paste along with the red chili powder and coriander powder.
- Season to taste.
- Mix well, sauté for 3 min then add the cooked channa along with water. Allow it to boil, cover and cook.
- Once the curry is thick and the oil starts separating to form a film on the top, shut off the heat and serve the curry with the puttu straight out of the steamer.
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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