Pazham Pappadam Paayasam: Rava erachi puttu (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1. Roasted rava 2 cups
2. Grated coconut ¾ cup
3. Salt as required
4. Chicken ¼ kg, boneless
5. Onion 1 medium, finely chopped
6. Ginger 1 tsp, chopped
7. Garlic 1 tsp, chopped
8. Green chilly 3 nos, finely chopped
9. Curry leaves a few
10. Whole black pepper 5 nos, crushed
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Garam masala a few pinches
11. Tomato 1 small, chopped
12. Coriander leaves 2 TBSP, chopped
13. Mint leaves 1 TBSP, chopped
14. Oil 1 TBSP

Preparation

Clean and cube the chicken into small bite size pieces. Cook this in a pressure cooker along with ingredients numbered 10 and salt till one whistle. Allow the pressure to release, open lid and cook until dry. Set aisde.
In a nonstick pan, heat oil and saute ginger, garlic and green chilly one by one.
Next add the chopped onions and curry leaves. Cook until onions start to turn golden brown.
Add salt and the leaves. Mix well and add the tomato. Cook for 3 minutes.
Now add the cooked chicken and saute for a few more minutes. Switch off flame and set aside. Make sure the masala is dry, we don’t need any water content as it will make the puttu soggy in texture!

To make the puttu:

Combine roasted rava and salt in a bowl. Now sprinkle water little at a time and wet the flour well by mixing with your fingers. For 1 cup of flour you will approximately need 3-4 TBSPs water. It should hold its shape when pressed between your fist but easily crumble when you press it harder, that’s when you know it has the correct wetness needed.
Add water to the pressure cooker and close with a lid. Do not put the weight. Put this at medium high heat and wait until steam start to come.
Meanwhile, in the puttu maker (I used the cylindrical one here), add a layer of grated coconut. Top it with the chicken masala and top with wet puttu flour and then top it again with grated coconut, chicken masala and wet flour. Make sure the final layer should be grated coconut. Put the lid and set aside. Once you see steam coming from the pressure cooker, keep the puttu maker on it and steam for 4-5 minutes. You should see steam coming out of the puttu maker holes too.
Transfer to a plate and serve…