Video: Guide to making Kerala’s special chakka puttu or jackfruit steam cake

Preparation Time:10 minutes

Cooking time:10 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

6 to 10 jackfruit bulbs (fully ripened)

1 cup roasted rice flour

¼ cup grated coconut

Salt for taste

Water (as required to mix the rice flour)

Method

Step: 1

Slice the jackfruit bulbs after removing the seeds.

Step: 2

Take the rice flour in a bowl. Add salt to taste and mix them well.

Step: 3

To make the perfect steam cake (puttu), gradually add water to the rice flour until you achieve a slightly wet and crumbly mixture. When you shape the dough with your hands, it should hold its form but crumble easily when pressed. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes by covering it.

Step: 4

In a pressure cooker, add water. Close with its lid and allow it to boil until the steam starts to come out.

Step: 5

To make puttu, use a coconut shell-shaped mould and place the plate inside the puttu maker.

Step: 6

Start by adding a tablespoon of grated coconut to the puttu maker and gently pat it down. Next, add one to two tablespoons of chopped jackfruit on top of the coconut. Fill the rest of the puttu maker with the rice flour mix, making sure not to apply too much pressure. Cover the puttu maker with a lid and place it over a cooker.

 Step: 7

Set the flame to low or medium and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Once you see steam escaping through the holes on the puttu maker lid, it is an indication that the puttu is fully cooked.

Step: 8

Turn off the flame, remove the puttu from the cooker and invert it on a plate. The perfect chakka puttu is ready to be relished.

Recipe courtesy: Sobha Varghese is a homemaker based in Mumbai, India. Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

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