WHEAT STEAM CAKE-GOTHAMBU PUTTU

Wheat steam cake is a special breakfast in Kerala, popularly known as Gothambu puttu or Wheat puttu. Due to health reasons people are avoiding rice flour breakfast and switching over to wheat flour recipes, oats recipes as this is healthy and filling too. People with diabetes will not feel hungry till noon.  Wheat steam cake is a healthy breakfast which can be made easily at home.

I learnt this recipe as my in-laws were diabetic and I wanted to avoid rice flour in the breakfast menu. The preparation is easy, you require a puttu maker or a steel sieve like utensil with large holes. This can be placed over a wide bowl such that all steam passes thru’ the sieve and the puttu is steam cooked.

We have a puttu maker so that we get a long cylindrical steam cake in our plates. When served hot they enjoy it. You can certainly give a try.

Ingredients :

Wheat flour: 1 cup

Grated coconut: ¼ cup

Salt: 2 pinches ( to taste)

Water: 1/3 cup or sufficient to wet the powder.

Accessory required: Puttu maker

Procedure for preparing Wheat Steam cake – Gothambu puttu:

Method:

• Dispense wheat flour in a wide kadai. Dry roast wheat flour over medium flame stirring continuously until the powder feels warm when touched with your palm.
• Watch out for the powder not to catch the base.
• Remove from flame and allow wheat flour to cool.
• Sprinkle lukewarm water on the powder and stir the powder thoroughly. You will observe small lumps. Continue sprinkling little water till all the dry powder has formed small fine lumps.
• Ensure the powder has not become sticky. The right check for consistency is when you hold a fistful of powder it forms a shape and stays together, when you press the ball it falls apart.
• Transfer this wet powdery lumps into a mixer and inch it 2-3 times. This will remove all lumps and give a uniform puttu base.
• Place the puttu maker on the flame and when steam starts releasing from the vent holes, remove the puttu holder from the pot.
• Fill the ingredients layer wise. Fill grated coconut, prepared wheat flour, and repeat this filling once more. The last layer should be grated coconut.
• Fill contents loosely .Do not compress the wheat flour into puttu maker.
• After 6-8 mins of continuous steam releasing thru the vent the wheat steam cake is ready to serve.
• Gently push the steamed wheat puttu onto a plate. Ideal combination is with small banana (pazham) and sugar.

Diabetic patients can enjoy gothambu puttu with pappadam, cooked moong gram, Kadala curry. Few enjoy wheat puttu without any additions. They prefer it hot. The fresh coconut which blends with the gothambu puttu gives that extra taste factor.

A suitable alternative if you do not have a puttu maker is a kadai in the bottom with a wide sieve placed on top to grab all the steam. Spread coconut at the base then prepared wheat flour and again repeat this layer 1 time. Ensure the spread is loose and not compressed. Close the sieve with a large plate to avoid steam loss.

Wheat puttu is a healthy breakfast and can be made easily at home. Have a healthy start. There are other variations like rice puttu, ragi puttu, oats puttu,rava puttu.

If you like this recipe or know of any variations do let us know in the comments.