Raagi Puttu ~ Finger Millet Flour Steamed Cakes (Using Leftover Rice)

Girls are girls, aren't they? As we set up and get settled into our new abode, I once very subtly reminded HD that we should be getting a little mirror for the kids' room. He gave me an odd look, "A mirror? Why?" "Simply, because they are girls!" A little hint to Azza that she is looking beautiful - I would say, "Umminte kutti chundariyayitundallo..." (Ummi's darling is looking beautiful...) and immediately she would want a couple of clips on her head and her eyebrows to be drawn, something she would not be bothered till then! Last week, I noticed Rasha had drawn her eyebrows. Since it was looking out of place, I thought it was HD who had done it. Upon checking with her, she remarked, "I only put, ummi. I have to get used to this, right?" I was just short of gasping! The other day, we were watching TV and there flashed an advertisement of a shampoo, where one lady asks the other one, "Can I touch your hair?" Azza immediately turned to me and with a smile asked, "Can I touch your hair, ummi?" Yeah... ummi's hair looks nowhere close to those shiny and thick locks that they display on TV, but still she thought it worth to ask that question. Sometimes the little joys of life comes from their little talks and doings, which you can't but seep in and push out at a tiny smile! :)

Off to the recipe today... one of the most important learnings that I came back with when I went home on vacation in August was that you could make puttu with leftover rice! All you need to do is to store it in the freezer till use. The day you decide to make puttu, keep it out till well thawed but cold. Mix it up with rice flour till it represents bread crumbs and you are ready to go! The person who told me this, my umma's sister, is a teacher and I bet they are the people who will know all sorts of short cuts to cooking, considering their tight schedules! I tried this technique to make raagi puttu and I must tell you that they were amazingly soft! You can see that for yourself in the pictures! I served them with kadala curry while my B had it with bananas and we loved it. You can very well replace raagi flour with normal rice flour, but the remaining procedures are the same. Let's hop on to see how it is made...



Ingredients:

1 cup cold cooked rice
1 1/4 cup raagi powder
Salt to taste
Grated coconut, as required

Method:

Grind the rice in a grinder. Empty into a bowl. Slowly add the raagi and rub using your fingers till it resembles wet bread crumbs. Add the salt and mix again.

Layer in the puttu maker, starting and ending with thin layers of coconut. Steam on high flame till you can see steam coming from the top, then minimise the flame and cook for 8-10 minutes. Slowly push into a plate without disturbing the layers.

Serve with cherupayar curry, kadala curry or bananas and sugar!


Notes:

You can use just raagi flour, enough to make the puttu. Add water and keep rubbing till it represents bread crumbs and is wet enough to hold on. But I personally find it much easier and softer this way.