MAHAANI / SARSAPARILLA CHIRATTA / COCONUT SHELL PUTTU

Puttu is a steamed cake traditionally made of wet coarsely ground rice flour mixed with grated coconut, salt  and spiced with cumin seeds.But I have  given a pickly flavor to the puttu , from our usual traditional puttu.I have added sarsaparilla / mahani pickle to the flour. You can add any pickle of your choice and prepare it.

Another uniqueness in this puttu is that this sarsaparill / mahani puttu steamed in coconut shell.

Coconut shell is one of the most eco-friendly one and it  imparts Natural taste and smell to the puttu.    

                                                                                                                        

First, take an empty coconut shell, the part which has eyes, scrape off the inside remains with a spoon, rise in water. There are three eyes in the coconut, poke the flimsy eye with your finger or with a spoon.

Select shells which has the flimsy eye in the center..

INGREDIENTS FOR MAHANI / SARSAPARILLA PUTTU

Puttu powder                                               - 1 cup

Mahani pickle / sarsaparilla pickle         - 2 tbsps

Grated coconut                                              -1/2 cup

Salt  - required, (adjust the salt because there is salt in pickle  already)

Water                                                              - 1 cup

Cumin seeds                                                  - 1 tsp

Sugar(optional)                                              - 1 tsp

METHOD FOR MAKING  MAHANI / SARSAPARILLA PUTTU

Grind the mahani / sarsaparilla pickle to a smooth paste adding ¼ cup of water

Mix flour,ground sarsaparilla/mahani paste,  cumin seeds, sugar, salt, half of the coconut and sprinkle remaining 3/4^th cup water in smaller quantities and mix well.

The right consistency of the flour is, when you press a handful of flour and drop , it will become Powder again.

In the coconut shell add 1 to 2 tbsp of grated coconut & add mahani / sarsaparilla puttu mix & top with some more coconut leaving one inch space above .

Fix this filled shell over the pressure cooker with boiling water .

Provided  the steam should enter through to cook the puttu )

Steam for about 10 to 15 minutes .

Remove the shell from the heat & keep the shell upside down & tap it gently.

Mahani / sarsaparilla puttu will be in the shape of coconut shell .

Saffron, spicy, yummy mahani / sarsaparilla puttu is ready to serveServe hot with kadalai curry. 

REFER THE BELOW LINK FOR KADALAI CURRY

http://hottavasandovens.blogspot.in/2015/09/corn-puttu.html

NOTES

Once you mix the flour, let it rest for 20 minutes.puttu will be softer.

When you mix the flour, just whip the wet flour in a mixer or in a food processor to remove all  lumps