Puttu & Idiyappam Flour

Puttu is steamed rice flour layered with grated coconut in a cylindrical steamer, eaten in Kerala with kadala curry and in Sri Lanka as pittu with sambol and curry. Idiyappam, the string hoppers of Sri Lanka and South India, is rice dough pressed through a mould into fine noodles and steamed in small nests. Both rely on roasted rice flour, and flour sold for puttu or string hoppers is milled and roasted to suit each dish.

Puttu flour is often slightly coarser, giving the grainy, crumbly texture puttu should have. String hopper flour is finer so it presses smoothly without breaking. Red versions, milled from red rice, have more flavour and colour; white is softer and the usual choice for guests and festive breakfasts.

For puttu, sprinkle warm salted water over the flour and rub with your fingertips until it clumps when pressed and crumbles when poked, then rest it for ten minutes before steaming. For string hoppers, use boiling water and knead into a soft dough. General purpose roasted rice flour works for both, and the whole shelf is under rice and puttu flour.