Ragi puttu

Puttu is steamed rice cake made from layers of moistened rice powder and grated coconut. Usually white rice powder is used. Sometimes red rice powder and ragi powder is used. Puttu is cooked in a puttukutti which is kept on top of a pressure cooker with water. When the water in the cooker boils, the steam will pass into the puttukutti, thus cooking the moistened powder and coconut. Puttukutti or puttu maker is conventionally cylindrical. I like the half coconut shell shaped puttu maker called charatta puttukutti.  

This breakfast dish is traditionally eaten with banana. Our breakfast was ragi puttu with payar mezhukupuratti and toasted papad. The masq domino crystal is hand-painted using organic colours in Sweden. The glass sculpture is a design by Mats Jonasson. 

Ragi powder - 1/2 cup 

Salt -  pinch

Water - 2 Tbsp

Coconut, grated - 4 Tbsp

In a bowl, mix ragi powder and salt. Sprinkle water. Gently work on the powder with your fingers until it is evenly moistened.

In the puttukutti, add a thin layer of coconut. Then add a thick layer of the prepared ragi powder, followed by a layer of coconut on top. I add an extra coconut - ragi powder layer in between. Cook by steaming.