Indian & South Asian · Breakfast · Lunch
Puttu and Kadala Curry
പുട്ടും കടലക്കറിയും (Puttum Kadala Curryum)
Fluffy red rice puttu layered with fresh coconut, served with a hearty black chickpea curry simmered in a toasted coconut and spice paste. This lighter take on Kerala's favourite breakfast uses less coconut, oil and salt while keeping all the flavour.
- Prep
- 505 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 560 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 66% · Fat 22% · Protein 12%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup180 gdried black chickpeas (kala chana)
- 6 cups1,440 gwater for soaking and cooking chickpeas
- 3/4 tsp5 gsalt (for curry)
- 1/4 cup25 gfresh grated coconut (for curry paste)
- 2 tspground coriander
- 1 tspKashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tspground turmeric
- 1 tspgaram masala
- 1/4 cup60 gwater for curry paste
- 2 tsp9 gcoconut oil
- 1 tspmustard seeds
- 2 sprigscurry leaves
- 2 medium220 gonions, thinly sliced
- 1 thumb-sized piece10 gfresh ginger, minced
- 4 cloves12 ggarlic, minced
- 210 ggreen chilies, slit
- 1 medium120 gtomato, chopped
- 2 cups240 groasted red rice puttu flour
- 1/4 tspsalt (for puttu)
- 3/4 cup180 glukewarm water for puttu dough
- 1/2 cup40 gfresh grated coconut (for puttu layers)
- 3 cups720 gwater for steaming
Steps
- 1
The night before, rinse the black chickpeas and soak them in 3 cups of the soaking/cooking water for at least 8 hours.
- 2
Drain the chickpeas, then add them to a pressure cooker with the remaining 3 cups of water and half the curry salt.
- 3
Pressure cook for about 25 minutes (6–7 whistles) until the chickpeas are soft enough to crush between your fingers; keep the cooking liquid.
- 4
While the chickpeas cook, toast the 25 g grated coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until golden brown.
- 5
Turn off the heat and stir in the coriander, chili powder, turmeric and garam masala for 30 seconds.
- 6
Blend the toasted coconut mixture with 1/4 cup water into a smooth paste.
- 7
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy pan and add the mustard seeds; let them splutter.
- 8
Add the curry leaves, onions and remaining curry salt, and cook for 8 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
- 9
Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chilies and cook for 1 minute.
- 10
Add the tomato and cook for 3–4 minutes until it breaks down.
- 11
Add the coconut paste, the cooked chickpeas and their liquid, then simmer for 10 minutes, mashing a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy.
- 12
For the puttu, mix the rice flour with the 1/4 tsp salt in a wide bowl.
- 13
Sprinkle the lukewarm water over the flour a little at a time, rubbing with your fingertips until it looks like damp breadcrumbs and holds together when squeezed.
- 14
Pulse the mixture briefly in a dry blender or rub through your fingers to break up any lumps.
- 15
Bring the steaming water to a boil in the base of a puttu maker (or a pot fitted with a steamer).
- 16
Fill the puttu tube in layers: about 2 tsp coconut, then about 1/2 cup flour mixture, repeating and finishing with coconut.
- 17
Fit the tube on the base and steam for 6–8 minutes, until steam flows steadily from the top.
- 18
Push the puttu out gently with the handle and repeat with the remaining flour and coconut.
- 19
Serve the hot puttu with the kadala curry spooned alongside.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use white rice puttu flour instead of red rice puttu flour if that is easier to find; the puttu will be softer and paler.
- Swap the fresh grated coconut for unsweetened desiccated coconut moistened with a splash of warm water.
- Use canned black chickpeas, drained and rinsed, with about 2 cups of water or vegetable stock to skip the overnight soak and pressure cooking.
- Replace the coconut oil with any neutral vegetable oil such as sunflower or canola for a milder flavour.
Storage
Refrigerate the kadala curry within 2 hours in a covered container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months, and reheat until steaming hot, adding a splash of water if thick. Puttu is best eaten fresh, but because it is a cooked rice product, cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour, and eat within 1 day. Re-steam only once, until steaming hot all the way through. It does not freeze well.
Make ahead
Make the kadala curry a day ahead, since the flavour deepens overnight, and reheat until steaming hot. You can also toast and blend the coconut spice paste and dampen the puttu flour a few hours ahead, keeping both covered in the fridge.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Mustard
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (822 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 513 kcal | 62 kcal |
| Protein | 15.8 g | 1.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 86.5 g | 10.5 g |
| of which sugars | 9.7 g | 1.2 g |
| Fiber | 12.2 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 12.8 g | 1.6 g |
| of which saturated | 7.4 g | 0.9 g |
| Sodium | 624 mg | 76 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
