Puttu without Puttu Maker

Reality TV seems to have taken over completely. Of course it is a good break from the highly drama oriented never ending serials in our Indian channels. But I find some of the reality shows to be even more drama than our serials. After seeing them, it makes me wonder if Reality TV shows are Real? Especially Bravo TV's reality sucks. Yes I am talking about the Real Housewive's series, Bethenny Getting Married series etc. What I can see is only over dramatization of a fiction show taking place in reality by a bunch of hysterical rich people. Many people might even start thinking that their lives are very boring compared to what they are seeing on TV. Of course I am not saying that all reality TV is bad. There are some shows which I like, like the Next Food Network Start, Work of Art etc. I also like the Rachel Zoe project because it teaches reality in terms of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

Coming back to my real life, I have been trying out traditional dishes. One of the dishes that I tried was Puttu. The twist is not in the recipe but how I made puttu without using the puttu maker but still managing to get the shape. To make the puttu, I took pointers from Kailas Kitchen. Here we go with the recipe:

Ingredients

Puttu powder - 1 cup (I used the readymade)

Water - 1/4 cup

Coconut - 1/2 cup (I thawed the frozen one)

Thenkuzhal Mould

Aluminum Foil

Preparation

Mix water with the puttu powder till it resembles bread crumbs. (Tip from Jayasree: Ensure that it holds the shape when held in your fist.) I used Thenkuzhal Mould for making puttu. In the bottom part of the mould put the plate with 3 stars. Add 1 tbsp of coconut. Add 3 tbsp of puttu powder. Alternate between coconut and puttu powder till the mould is filled. Wrap the opening with aluminum foil. Steam cook it for 15-17 minutes. (After several trials I felt mine was done in 17 minutes). Allow it to cool for 3-4 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil. Remove the '3 star' part. Gently push using the top part of the mould. Delicious puttu is ready and yummy! I used channa masala as the side dish.

Notes

1. The mould needs to be a light-weight one.
2. I used Idli vessel for steaming. 
3. Update: Poke three holes in the aluminum foil. This will reduce the cooking time. I will post an update on the actual cooking time as soon as I try it out.

~ Ramya

Bread Upma

There are always days when you find that there are food items left over from the previous week that you just don't feel like eating, but you also don't have the heart to throw them. I always seem to have couple of bread slices like that. That is when I got the idea of making Bread Upma. The recipe is simple and gets done within a couple of minutes.

Ingredients

Bread Slices - 6-7

Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (for tossing)

Onion - 1 medium sized

Tomato - 1

Ginger - 1/2 tsp chopped

Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - as per taste

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil

Curry Leaves and Coriander - For Garnish

Preparation

Toast the bread slices in a toaster or tava till they are crispy. Cut into small pieces and toss it with salt and chilli powder. Keep aside. In a hot pan, add oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds finish popping, add onion and fry till slight brown. Add tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add chilli powder and fry for 2 minutes. Add salt as per taste. Add bread pieces and toss for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander.

Bread Upma is ready and yummy!!! 

P.S: Tomato ketchup is a good accompaniment for this dish.

This goes to CoL - Leftover Delicacies 

~ Ramya