Corn Puttu and Kadala Curry

Puttu comes in different flavours and shapes; the latest rage is the corn puttu, made with corn meal. It's new, different and yummy! Try it with the traditional kadala curry.

Ingredients
For Puttu


2 cups yellow corn flour/corn meal
1 cup grated coconut
Salt, as required

For Kadala Curry



250gm brown chick peas
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt, as required

Grind together



1 cup freshly grated coconut 

3 tbsp coriander seeds
4 red chillies
1 onion, chopped

Preparation
To make Puttu



In a bowl mix yellow corn flour and salt
Sprinkle a little water and mix well without any lumps
Keep sprinkling water a little at a time and mix well. Repeat until you get the right consistency
The flour should be wet enough for steaming. It should not become watery. The right consistency should be you could make a ball with the flour and it could still break off into flour
Fill the puttu vessel (cylindrical) with water (the quantity should be from ½ to ¾ of puttu vessel)
Close with the lid and heat it
Once the flour mixture is ready, fill the puttu maker with a layer of coconut and then the flour mixture
Repeat the coconut layer and corn mixture until you fill the puttu maker
Now the puttu vessel is ready with the flour and coconut layered alternatively
Once the water in the puttu vessel starts boiling, fit the puttu kuzhal and heat it until the steam escapes off the puttu maker
Continue heating for 5-10 minutes and remove from heat
Serve with hot kadala curry



To make Kadala Curry



Wash and soak brown kadala (chick peas) overnight
Pressure cook adding enough water, red chilli powder and turmeric powder
Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry coriander seeds, red chillies, onion, grated coconut and cumin seeds. Grind to a fine paste
Heat one tsp oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds
When it splutters, add finely chopped onion and fry till they turn soft
Add ground masala and kadala along with salt, and cook till gravy thickens
Garnish with curry leaves and serve with puttu


(The author is a food blogger who blogs @www.hottavasandovens.blogspot.in)