Puttu & Black Channa Curry

For making puttu a special utensil is used named puttukutty or micro puttu. In Kerala puttu curry is a breakfast item. It is a steamed rice cake served with channadal in gravy or pappadam and ripe plantains.




To Make Puttu




Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 2 cup
Grated Coconut – 1 cup
Water to sprinkle
Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak rice in water for 3- 4 hrs, then drain it . Place a cloth or news paper on a flat surface and put the rice on it and spread it.
2. Let it sit for another one hr or till it is completely dry.
   
3. Dry roast it keeping in sim till the rice become hot.It should not change colour at all. Keep it aside to cool down.
   
4. Grind it to make powder.It need not be too fine,but little coarse like rawa.If you donot need the whole 2 cups you can store it in a tight container in the freezer and use it later.
5. Mix salt with water sprinkle this to the powdered rice just to make the powder wet. Tightly combine the flour into a hill shape(it will not loose its moisture) and close it with a lid. Let it stand for 5 mnts.
6. Put the wet rice flour in the mixie.Add 1 tsp grated coconut and pulse it 1-2 times.
7. Put 1 tsp of grated coconut in the puttukutty and then put rice powder till half then add another tsp of grated coconut.
8. This is done till the top. Close with the lid steam it for 5-7 mts in cooker.
9. With a long needle it is pushed out (it has a hole in the bottom) to a plate.
   

Hot puttu goes well with black channa curry.

Black Channa Curry


Ingredients

Black channa -1 cup
Grated coconut- ½ cup
Onion-1 large
Tomato – ½
Tamarind – small sized ball
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
Green Chilli or red chilli – 2
Ginger – 1 small piece
Salt to taste
Coconut oil – 3 tsp
Curry leaves – 6

Method

1. Soak the Channa over night.Cook it adding salt and water in the pressure cooker.
2. Cut the onions and tomatoes. Make tamarind juice.
3. In a pan add 1 tsp coconut oil. Add the onion to the oil and fry it. Add coriander seeds,Green/red chillies and grated coconut. Fry till the coconut is light brown. Add the tomatoes , ginger and 3 curry leaves. Grind the fried mixture adding tamarind juice.
4. Add 1 tsp oil and pour the ground mixture in the pan Add the Cooked channa to it. Add little water if necessary. Add salt to taste and cook it for 7-10 mnts in medium flame.
5. Garnish it with curry leaves and drizzle some coconut oil in the end.