Vella Puttu (sweet puttu)

Navratri is finaly here! Now people are going to proudly display their doll collection. Ladies and kids are going to be seen in all their traditional attires. So much of festivity in the air! So let’s celebrate the first day with a sweet- Vella Puttu or sweet puttu. A different type of sundal is made on each day of navratri. But don’t the gods also need a change? So this sweet dish is made on a Friday. Who doesn’t like a sweet change?

The recipe I have shared is a traditional one. The puttu has a crumbly texture. The jaggery is the sweetener and as you already know, it is super healthy. The cashews and coconut fried in ghee are the little add ons which add to the taste and introduce a crunch factory. The cardamom powder also makes it tastier.

There are a certain tricks to get the perfect texture of the puttu. It may seem like a tedious task, but luckily, I have a collection of tips and tricks from one of the experts in traditional dishes, Vijayalakshmi amma, my friend Anandhi’s mother-in-law. This is her recipe and I have made this dish under her guidance. I have shared all those tricks in the method and also the notes. Try the dish and have a sweet navratri!

Preparation time: 5 minutes| Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian | Course:Dessert

Ingredients:

Raw rice flour: 1 cup

Powdered jaggery- ½ cup

Coconut- 2 tblsp

Cashews- 4 to 5 (break into small pieces)

Ghee- 1 tsp

Salt- ½ tsp

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp

Cardamom powder- a pinch

Method:                                                                             

1.      Add raw rice flour to a kadai and fry it on medium flame. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t gets burnt. The colour has to change to slightly brown colour. It takes close to 10 minutes to get the correct texture. Transfer it to a plate.

2.      Heat 1 cup water in a kadai. Add salt and turmeric powder to it. Let it become slightly warm.

3.      Start adding the water to the rice flour little by little and keep mixing it with your hands. If you take a little flour and press it, it should hold its shape and when pressed again slightly it should crumble easily. This is the correct texture.

4.      Transfer the moist flour to a cloth and tie it. Place it inside idly cooker and steam it for 15 minutes.

5.      Open it and transfer the cooked flour to a plate. Press it with the back of a ladle and smoothen it.

6.      Take the jaggery in a kadai and add ¼ cup of water. Stir it well and dissolve the jaggery. Let it boil well.

7.      To check the correct consistency of jaggery do the following test. Add a drop of the boiling jaggery syrup to a small bowl of water. Leave it for a few seconds and take it in your hands and and try making a small ball. If so, this is the correct consistency. If not, let it boil for few more minutes and do the test again. See the below pictures for reference.

8.      Now add the jaggery syrup to the cooked flour and mix it well. Vella puttu or sweet puttu is ready. Collect everything together and make a small heap and keep it closed for 5 to 10 minutes.

9.      Meanwhile roast the cashews in a spoon of ghee. Remove and keep aside. In the same ghee fry the freshly grated coconut.

10.   Add fried cashews and coconut along with a pinch of cardamom powder to the prepared puttu.

11.   Puttu is ready to be served.

Notes:

·        Frying the flour in kadai is a very important process. Make sure it doesn’t become over burnt. The colour has to change to slight brown colour.

·        While adding water to the rice flour, do it little by little keeping in mind the required texture.

·        Steaming for 15 minutes is very important.

·        The consistency of jaggery is also very important. Don’t forget to do the above mentioned test to check the correct consistency.

Step by step pictures

 dry roast the rice flour in a kadai

 the colour has to change to 

slight brown colour

 transfer it to a plate

 heat a cup of water

add salt and turmeric powder

 once the water becomes slightly warm add 

little by little to the rice flour

and mix it with your hands

 if you take the flour and press it in your

hands, it should hold its shape

 and when pressed again slightly

it should crumble easily

this is the correct texture

 tie the flour in a cloth

steam in idly cooker for 15 minutes 

 flour is cooked

 transfer it to a plate

use the back of a laddle and press it 

to smoothen any lumps

take jaggery in a kadai

add a little water

stir well and dissolve it

 boil it well 

do the below mentioned test

 to check consistency

add a drop of boiling jaggery syrup 

to a bowl of water

leave it for few seconds

 take it in your hands

and try making a ball

if you are able to roll it 

into a small ball, it is of perfect consistency

 pour the jaggery syrup

on the cooked flour

 mix well. puttu is ready

collect everything together

and make a small heap

keep it covered for few minutes 

 roast cashews in ghee

 roast coconut in ghee

add roasted cashews, coconut and 

a pinch of cardamom powder to the puttu

mix everything together

puttu is ready to be served