Oats puttu (Serves 2)

Here is a perfect blend of health and taste. Malayalis favorite breakfast adapts to the new rage of health consciousness sweeping our breakfast table, namely Oats. On our last visit to Kerala we heard complaints from some of our elderly folks about how they were forced to eat oats as their breakfast and how the tongues used to idli, dosa and puttu couldn’t adapt to it. So here is a solution I showed them and now to you friends as to how you can bring oats into our usual breakfast..

Rolled oats 2 cups
Grated coconut 2-3 TBSP
Salt as needed
Water as needed

Preparation

Dry roast the oats at medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and using a blender, powder the oats. You can either make it coarse or fine powder to your preference. Now add salt and wet the oats by adding little water at a time and mixing simultaneously. Break the lumps if any using hands and set aside for 3-4 minutes. Now in a puttu maker (I used a coconut shell shaped one), add a thin layer of grated coconut followed by the wet oats and some coconut to top off. Cover and steam this for about 5 minutes as you do for the regular rice puttu (using a pressure cooker or the traditional puttu mould) and serve warm with kadala curry, green peas masala, pappad or even banana..

Notes: It will be a little difficult to wet the oats as they stick together pretty fast. If you find it really challenging, add water directly to the blender, may be about 1-2 TBSP at a time and pulse for a few times which works well too.

Cheers!!!
Suji