Puttu (aka) rice steamed cake is the iconic breakfast of Kerala. It is also called ‘Malayali’s own breakfast’. This traditional breakfast is something that people eat with their hands. Puttu is pretty easy to make and you just have to make sure that you have all the right utensils to make it. Puttu is cooked in a vessel (Puttu-maker/Putt-Kutti) where the lower section holds water and the upper section holds the Puttu and the rice mixture is inserted with grated coconut.
The dish is usually served hot with Kadala curry (Black Chickpea/Whole Bengal gram). The color and taste of the Puttu also depends on the rice variety used. Although Puttu is traditionally prepared with rice flour, in order to improve its nutritive value, it can also be prepared with wheat flour, ragi or oats. Since it’s steam cooked, it’s safe for diabetics as well as those who have hypertension.
The highlight of having Puttu is you can match it with almost any south Indian dish and it still tastes good. The commonly used pairing are banana, Kadala curry, pappadam, jackfruit, fish curry, and Cherupayaru curry. Maybe on your next visit to a Kerala restaurant, you should try this wholesome traditional dish of Kerala.
