Puttu with Kadala Curry

About This Dish

Puttu is one of those dishes that instantly transports you to a Kerala morning. Steamed in a cylindrical mould, it's made with coarsely ground rice flour layered with fresh coconut. Kadala curry — a spiced black chickpea gravy — is its most famous companion.

Ingredients

For the Puttu:

• 2 cups puttu flour (coarsely ground roasted rice flour)
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• Salt to taste · Water, just enough to moisten

For the Kadala Curry:

• 1½ cups black chickpeas (kala chana), soaked overnight
• 2 medium onions, finely sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste · 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp red chilli powder · 1½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric · ½ tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp coconut oil · Curry leaves · Mustard seeds
• ½ cup grated coconut, toasted and ground · Salt to taste

Method

Preparing the Puttu

1. Mix puttu flour with salt. Sprinkle water little by little, rubbing between your palms until it resembles moist breadcrumbs — hold shape when pressed but crumbles easily.
2. Layer the mould: coconut → rice flour → coconut → rice flour, ending with coconut.
3. Steam over boiling water for 7–8 minutes until steam rises from the top holes.
4. Push out the cylinder onto a plate.

Making the Kadala Curry

1. Pressure cook soaked chickpeas with salt and water for 4–5 whistles until soft.
2. Dry-toast grated coconut until golden; blend smooth with a splash of water.
3. Heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, then sliced onions. Cook 10–12 minutes until deep golden.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Cook 2 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and cook until broken down and oil separates.
6. Add all dry spice powders and cook 1 minute.
7. Add boiled chickpeas with cooking water. Simmer 10 minutes.
8. Stir in coconut paste and simmer 5 more minutes until thick. Adjust salt.

Serving

Plate the puttu alongside a generous bowl of Kadala curry. A sliced banana on the side is traditional — the sweetness perfectly balances the spiced curry.

Tips

• The moisture level of puttu flour is critical — too dry makes hard puttu; too wet makes gummy puttu.
• Freshly grated coconut makes a significant difference.