Steamy Kerala Rice Cake Towers
Cylinders of fluffy, steamed rice flour layered with freshly grated coconut, crumbling apart at the gentlest touch. Puttu is Kerala's beloved morning staple — earthy, subtly sweet, and impossibly light, traditionally paired with banana and black chickpea curry or simply drenched in sugar and coconut milk.
Ingredients
- 2 cups puttu podi (roasted rice flour)
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut
- Salt to taste
- Water for sprinkling
+ 6 more ingredients
Instructions
Place the puttu podi in a wide bowl and add salt. Sprinkle water little by little while mixing with your fingertips. The flour should hold together when pressed in your fist but crumble easily when touched — not wet, not dry, just moist.
Rub the moistened flour between your palms to break any clumps. The texture should resemble damp sand with no lumps.
Grease the inside of the puttu maker cylinder lightly with coconut oil.
Place a small handful of grated coconut at the bottom of the cylinder. Add a layer of the moistened rice flour, about 2 inches deep. Do not press or pack the flour — keep it loose and airy.
Continue alternating layers of coconut and rice flour until the cylinder is full, ending with a coconut layer on top.
Fill the base vessel of the puttu maker with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
Attach the filled cylinder to the base. Steam will travel up through the loose flour layers.
Steam for 7-8 minutes until steam flows freely from the top of the cylinder.
Remove the cylinder carefully. Push the puttu out gently using the provided rod or a wooden spoon handle.
Serve immediately — break the puttu apart into a plate and pair with ripe banana slices, a drizzle of coconut milk, or a bowl of spicy kadala curry.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI