148) FOUR GRAIN PUTTE

FOUR GRAIN PUTTE

A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY, MULTICOLORED, MULTITASTE PUTTE OR PUTTU

Ingredients:

     1)    Putte podi (roasted rice powder) – 100 gm.

     2)    Ragi powder – 100 gm.

     3)    Corn powder – 100 gm.

     4)    Whole wheat powder (atta) – 100 gm.

     5)    Coconut – ½ of one coconut (buy a whole coconut for you need the      water)

     6)    Sugar – 2 teaspoons

     7)    Salt – 1 level teaspoon

Four grain putte with cherupayar curry

To Make:

          You can buy the different grain powders from supermarkets or you can make them at home. The method of making putte podi is described in my putte recipe. Only the raw rice powder needs to be roasted as described. The other grain powders can be used without roasting.

          Save the coconut water while breaking the coconut. Sieve and set aside. Scrape half the coconut and set aside. Save the other half for making cherupayar curry to go with this putte (see my recipe).

          Put the four grain powders separately into 4 mixing bowls. Take half of the grated coconut, divide it into 4 equal portions and put a portion into each bowl. In a glass, pour in the sieved coconut water and tip in the salt and the sugar. Add more water to bring it to a total of 200 ml. Stir till the sugar and the salt are dissolved fully. Now put 50 ml. of the solution in each of the four bowls of rice powder.

          It is better to mix the lighter colored powder first and then move on to the darker colored powders in order to keep the darker colored powder from mixing with the lighter shades. So start with the rice powder. If it is too dry, sprinkle a bit more water and mix well. Mix with your fingertips without squeezing.

          The mixture should be only lightly moist, but not wet. To test the consistency, take a handful and squeeze lightly. It should bind together and at the same time, it should be loose enough to crumble back to powder at the slightest touch. So sprinkle just a little water, mix and bring it to the required consistency. Now mix the other grain powders too likewise.

          Pour a little more than 2 inches of water in the base pot of the putte maker and set on the stove. Open the lid of the putte mould (cylinder) and put in the perforated basal metal disc. Check with the skewer–like putte stick to see that the disc is seated properly. Put in 2 teaspoons of scraped coconut, spreading it evenly by shaking the spoon as you put it in. Put in half of the mixed rice powder loosely without pressing at any stage (if you press it in, the steam won’t rise through and the putte will be raw).

          Put in 2 more teaspoons of scraped coconut and then put in half of one of the other mixed powders. Repeat likewise till half of all the four powders are inside the mould. The water in the pot should be boiling by now. Put the mould on the pot and put on the lid.

          Wait and watch for the steam to rise up through the perforated lid. Once you see the steam, continue to cook for 3 minutes more. Turn down the heat and lift up the mould. Open the lid.

          Put a large flat plate on the table. Insert the end of the putte stick into the hole at the bottom of the mould. Holding the mould horizontally, close to the far end of the plate, steadily press the putte stick in while drawing back the mould as the beautifully cooked multicolor putte comes out of the mould like a train out of a tunnel onto the plate.

          Now check the water level in the pot and add more water if necessary. So also, check the moisture level of the remaining putte mix in the bowls since it often dries up as time passes. Sprinkle a bit more water if necessary and make your second putte with the remaining grain powders. Serve hot with cherupayar curry (see my recipe).

Note:

          You can fill the putte mould with the different powders in any order to get the colour combination of your choice.