Puttu
Encyclopedia
Puttu is a South India
n and Sri Lankan breakfast dish of steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut. It is popular in the Indian state
s of Kerala
and Tamil Nadu
as well as in areas of Sri Lanka
, where it is also known as pittu. Puttu is served with side dishes such as chickpea
curry
or banana
.
and as the dish is prevalent in Tamil-speaking areas in South India and Sri Lanka this is the likely origin of its name. Alternatively, puttu may derive from the Sanskrit
word Pishtu.
Puttu has been mentioned in works of Tamil literature
, including:
, but may have other spices.
Puttu is usually cooked in a metal puttu kutti vessel with two sections. The lower section holds water and the upper section holds the puttu - where the rice mixture is inserted with layers of grated coconut. Perforated lids separate the sections to allow the steam to pass between them.
In older times, people in Kerala used bamboo pieces instead of the metal upper section of the vessel.
An alternative steaming vessel is the chiratta puttu made of a coconut shell or of metal shaped similarly to a coconut shell.
Further alternative cooking vesels include a pan similar to an idli pan with small holes in the bottom, pressure cookers and, mainly in Malaysia, hollow bamboo stalks.
, yellow Kerala plantain
, fish curry, jackfruit
, mango, chicken curry and kadala
curry. In the Kottayam / Kanjirapally region of Kerala people eat puttu with black coffee and sugar. In Tamil Nadu
it is served with grated coconut with either palm or sugarcane jaggery
or else with sweetened coconut milk.
The layered filling of coconut can be replaced by other foods, such as egg curry or banana.
Puttu prepared in a ball shape are called Manipputtu.
in north Kerala made a 10 foot long puttu. They cooked the giant puttu in a specially designed 12 foot long aluminium mould, using 20 coconuts and 26 kg of powdered rice. It took about one and a half hours to cook.
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
n and Sri Lankan breakfast dish of steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut. It is popular in the Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
s of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
as well as in areas of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, where it is also known as pittu. Puttu is served with side dishes such as chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
or banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
.
Origin
Puttu means 'portioned' in TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and as the dish is prevalent in Tamil-speaking areas in South India and Sri Lanka this is the likely origin of its name. Alternatively, puttu may derive from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word Pishtu.
Puttu has been mentioned in works of Tamil literature
Tamil literature
Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...
, including:
- Tiruppugazh, a 15th century anthology of Tamil religious songs. The poet ArunagirinatharArunagirinatharArunagirinathar was Tamil poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Tiruppugazh, a book of poems in Tamil in praise of the Hindu God Murugan. He was a member of the Isai Vellalar community....
recounts puttu being offered to VinayagarGaneshaGanesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
(Lord Ganesh).
- Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam, a 16th century Tamil epic. This was written by Paramjyoti Munivar and describes 64 divine acts of Somasundara Peruman (Lord Shiva of MaduraiMaduraiMadurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
).
Ingredients
Puttu principally consists of coarsely ground rice, grated coconut and water. It is often spiced with cuminCumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
, but may have other spices.
Preparation
Puttu is made by slowly adding water to ground rice until the correct texture is achieved. It is then spiced, formed and steamed with layers of grated coconut.Puttu is usually cooked in a metal puttu kutti vessel with two sections. The lower section holds water and the upper section holds the puttu - where the rice mixture is inserted with layers of grated coconut. Perforated lids separate the sections to allow the steam to pass between them.
In older times, people in Kerala used bamboo pieces instead of the metal upper section of the vessel.
An alternative steaming vessel is the chiratta puttu made of a coconut shell or of metal shaped similarly to a coconut shell.
Serving
Puttu is frequently served with various breakfast dishes.In Kerala with papadumPapadum
Papadum, also known as papad in Northern India, , pappadam in Malayalam, happala in Kannada, appalam in Tamil, appadum in Telugu, pappadum or poppadom in the UK, is a thin, crisp Indian preparation sometimes described as a cracker. It is typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India...
, yellow Kerala plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
, fish curry, jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
, mango, chicken curry and kadala
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
curry. In the Kottayam / Kanjirapally region of Kerala people eat puttu with black coffee and sugar. In Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
it is served with grated coconut with either palm or sugarcane jaggery
Jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...
or else with sweetened coconut milk.
Variations
Some variations of puttu use other grains such as wheat flour, tapioca and corn flour.The layered filling of coconut can be replaced by other foods, such as egg curry or banana.
Puttu prepared in a ball shape are called Manipputtu.
World record attempt
In 2006, students of the Oriental school of Hotel Management in WayanadWayanad District
Wayanad District in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Kalpetta is the district headquarters as well as the only municipal town in the district. The region was known as Mayakshetra in the...
in north Kerala made a 10 foot long puttu. They cooked the giant puttu in a specially designed 12 foot long aluminium mould, using 20 coconuts and 26 kg of powdered rice. It took about one and a half hours to cook.
See also
- Cuisine of KeralaCuisine of KeralaThe cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the history, geography, demography and culture of the land. Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat.-Ingredients:...
- Putu bambuPutu bambuPutu bambu is an Indonesian and Malay cake originating from the Tamil puttu. It consists of rice flour cooked with palm sugar, pandan leaf and desiccated coconut, steamed in bamboo pipes.-External Links:*...
- Sunga Pitha, Assamese dish similar to Puttu