Black Rice Puttu

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Kavuni Arisi Pittu, Healthy Puttu Varieties)

Black Rice is a deep purple coloured rice from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Kavuni Arisi or Karuppu Arisi in Tamil. This rice is known for its high nutritious content especially antioxidants which gives it the colour. On cooking it has a sticky texture. A popular sweet is made by cooking this rice in Chettinad. Another popular dish made is this Kavuni arisi puttu.

This rice is quite hard to cook so it needs some time to soak before making any dish. Overnight soaking is preferred but a minimun of 2 hours is recommended to get soft puttu. The flour can be made at home using mixie or in bulk by giving in a flour mill and stored for few months. The process of making the black rice puttu is the same as regular puttu making. Lets get into the recipe.

Recipe for Black Rice Puttu

Preparation time: 10 minutes + 4 hours for making flour
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Black Rice - 1/2 kg
• Grated coconut- as needed
• Salt- as necessary
• Water- as necessary

How to make Black Rice Flour?

1. Wash the black rice in water. Soak it overnight or for atleast two hours.
2. Drain the excess water and spread in a clean cloth to air dry. It should dry in 2-4 hours.
3. Grind it to a coarse powder at home using a mixie or by giving in a flour mill.
4. Dry roast the flour in a heavy bottomed kadai for 3-5 minutes till all the moisture is gone and it becomes very dry. This puttu flour can be stored in an airtight container for upto 2 months. It is ready to make puttu.

Method

1. Take about 2 cups of black rice flour in a plate. Add some salt and mix.
2. Sprinkle some water and keep mixing with your hand just until the flour becomes moist and crumbly. The flour should hold together when pressed between your palm but quickly crumble up. That is the perfect texture.
3. Today I have used my cheratta puttu maker on top of my pressure cooker to make this puttu. First take water in the pressure cooker and bring it to boil.
4. Put the disc in the puttu kutty and add 1-2 tbsp of grated coconut at the bottom. Fill to the top with the prepared puttu flour.
5. Put the lid and carefully place it on the pressure cooker or puttu kudam.
6. Within few minutes, you will see steam coming from the top holes of the puttu kutty. Wait for another few minutes and you will get a nice aroma.
7. Remove it onto a plate and eat it hot for best taste.

Detailed Steps for making Black Rice Puttu

Take required amount of the black rice flour in a plate. 

Add salt and sprinkle some water to the flour.

Keep mixing with your fingers until all the flour becomes moist and crumbly. 

Take water in the pressure cooker bring to boil. Put some grated coconut in the bottom of the puttu kutty and top it with the prepared flour. If you have the cylindrical puttu kutty, do check out my puttu page to see how I have layered.

Put the lid and place it on the whistle of the pressure cooker . Within few minutes, you will see steam coming out of the puttu kutty. Wait for another couple of minutes and remove from stove.

Enjoy hot steaming puttu for best taste.

Serving Black Rice Puttu

• Traditionally puttu is eaten by mixing it with some sugar or jaggery. For healthier option, you can use brown sugar or naatu chakkarai.
• People also enjoy puttu with banana.
• In Kerala people eat all puttu varieties with kadala curry (Black Chikpeas Curry) or boiled green-gram and papad.

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