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Steamed Finger millet cake-healthy breakfast,ideal snack for kids

Breakfast/snack Ideas: How to make healthy finger millet puttu

A healthy puttu/steam cake made using finger millet flour along with rice flour and can be made as a sweet version with Kerala/Nendran banana
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Snack, sweet
Cuisine Indian, Kerala
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Puttu maker

Ingredients
  

  • Roasted Rice flour-1 cup
  • Roasted finger millet flour-1/2 cup
  • Grated coconut
  • Salt
  • Water

For banana stuffing

  • Chopped Nenthran banana(big-sized)-2
  • Jaggery or palm sugar-4 tbsp(based on your sweetness preference)
  • Grated coconut-1 tbsp
  • Oil or Ghee-2 tsp
  • Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp

Instructions
 

  • Add rice flour, finger millet flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Don't add all the water at once. Sprinkle some water at frequent intervals and mix them.
  • To get soft Puttu, the rice flour to water ratio is important.
  • To check this, gently press a small portion of the flour between your palms. It should form a lump. When you press this flour lump more, it breaks and crumbles. This should be the texture of the flour.
  • Keep this aside.
  • Heat oil or ghee in a pan, add the Nenthran banana and roast. After a few minutes, add jaggery, cardamom. Cook for some more time until the banana slices become a little soft. Add grated coconut and keep aside for cooling.

Steaming puttu

  • To make Puttu, you need the Puttu pot and cylinder part which comes along with the pot.
  • Fill the Puttu pot halfway with water. Allow it to boil.
  • Meanwhile, place the perforated disc inside the cylindrical vessel. Now, add 2 tbsp of grated coconut into the cylinder on the disc.
  • Add Puttu flour until it makes up half of the cylinder.
  • Add 2 tbsp of the banana mixture and add the Puttu flour.
  • Now, add 2 tbsp of grated coconut to cover. This will help the flour from coming out of the cylinder when the steam comes out.
  • Keep the cylinder part in the pot and allow it to cook. When you see a lot of steam coming out from the holes of the cylinder, turn off the heat. You can smell the aroma of cooked rice flour when it is ready.
  • Allow it to cool down for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

  • It goes along with boiled green gram(Payar), papad, sugar and banana. you can enjoy with small garbanzo beans/chickpea curry.
  • Potato stew or veg stew, chicken curry, egg curry, mutton curry can also be paired with Puttu.
  • You need Puttu maker to try this recipe. If you don't have a Puttu maker, Idli cooker can be used. Spread enough flour in the idli plates and place banana mixture and cover again with Puttu flour. Add coconut on top of that.
  • I am using the store-bought rice flour and store-bought finger millet flour.
  • If you can't find the roasted finger millet flour, roast it before adding. This step cannot be missed as roasted finger millet flour gives flavour and prevents from sticking.
  • The 1:1/2 ratio of Rice flour and finger millet works perfectly if you are trying finger millet for the first time and you are worried about its flavour as this will not be very different from rice flour.
  • Finger millet flour can be fully replaced by rice flour.
  • If you want the Puttu to be soft, use a blender to pulse the rested flour once or twice.
  • Nendran banana gives nice texture and taste. If other types of banana are used the banana will become mushy as they are not dense like Nenthran banana.
  • If you don't want to add banana stuffing and wanted to eat with any other curry skip the banana stuffing and continue with the rest of the steps.
  • Kadala curry (garbanzo beans)and dried green peas curry are the best-suited ones.
Keyword after school snack, finger millet puttu, finger millet steam cake, kerala breakfast, kerala food, nendran banana, sweet puttu