Puttu (Tube Bread)

Puttu, also known as Tube Bread, was a popular and healthy breakfast option in the past, particularly for those who preferred not to have fermented rice. This dish is considered one of the healthiest in the world. To make Puttu, rice flour is used, which is not powdered too fine but resembles breadcrumbs used for cutlets. The rice flour is first roasted until it becomes dry to ensure it can be preserved for an extended period without becoming sticky. Now you can get ready to cook rice puttu flour in grocery shops. I used the brown rice flour that’s the reason for this colour puttu.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Roasted Rice Flour
• 1 cup Grated Coconut
• Salt, to taste
• ¾ cup Water

Preparation:

In a container, mix the rice flour with salt. Gradually add water and mix well to ensure there are no lumps and the mixture is not sticky.

Add 2 tablespoons of grated coconut to the flour mixture and blend thoroughly.

In a pressure cooker or Puttu Kudam (special pot for making Puttu), add water and bring it to a boil.

Take the Puttu Kuti (Puttu tube) and insert the round (chillu) with holes at the bottom. Layer the tube by adding 1 tablespoon of grated coconut followed by 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture. Repeat this process until the tube is full. Do not press the mixture too tightly. Finally, sprinkle some coconut on top and cover with the lid.

Place the filled tube on the cooker or Puttu Kudam as shown in picture and steam it.

When steam starts coming through the holes on the lid, and a pleasant aroma fills the air, the Puttu is ready. If steam doesn’t come out after 10 minutes, insert a stick through the holes to allow even cooking.

Let the Puttu cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Ensure there is enough water in the bottom pot or cooker to prevent burning.

Remove the tube from the heat, open the lid, and gently push a stick from the bottom to release the cooked Puttu, which will come out in the shape of a tube. Remove the steel chillu from the bottom.

Serve the hot Puttu with banana, papad, cooked green gram, or Kadala Kari (a side dish made of chickpea grams). Enjoy this delightful meal for breakfast or as an evening tea snack. You can use any meat or fish curry too if you wish.

If you don’t have a Puttu maker, you can use a pressure cooker by removing the whistle along with a coconut shell. Fill the shell with rice flour and coconut (Add 1 or 2 spoon coconut at the bottom and top), cover it with any lid, and steam until ready. Lid should be heavy if no holes, otherwise chances are there to fall off with the force of the steam.

In the old days, my Grandma used to cook Puttu on a firewood stove, using a Puttu maker made of Bamboo bark and coir. Utensils were made of natural and organic materials, such as spoons made from arecanut (betel nut) tree trunks and coconut shells.

They would remove the husk and powder the rice at home using a mortar. The rice used for making the flour was specially prepared without boiling the paddy; instead, they would sun-dry the paddy after threshing and pound it in a mortar to make raw rice (Unakalari). This raw rice was used to make this delicious dish, making it even more nutritious compared to milled raw white rice.

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