Hey you lovely people! How are you after the weekend and what were you up to this weekend? I visited the Bangalore Food Fete and has some amazing burgers at the Black Rabbit. I also picked up my favourite dessert (which I realised was my favourite after yesterday) baklava from Byblos at the Bangalore Food Fete. But we started our day with this heavy breakfast because we had a long day ahead and that included our Jungle book show as well. I am a puttu lover and I can have it 365 days a year. The chola puttu is a new addition to my list of favourite puttus. And the kaada mutta peas curry is the outcome of my toddler not having the eggs that’s supposed to be healthy for her and since these eggs were nearing their expiry date, they agreed to accompany the puttu. But I think they are a match made in heaven, chola puttu and kaada mutta green peas curry. Sounds rustic right? Well quail eggs are so teeny weeny that they would be insufficient if I relied on them alone for a curry and so I thought of pairing them with a bean/lentil. I did not like the idea of cooking them with chole, kadala, black eyed peas or green gram and that’s when I thought of dried peas and bingo! the combo was set. But now when I consider the chola puttu next time I am sure the kaada mutta green peas curry will be my choice. I plan to start a puttu series with this one, there are various renditions to this wonderful meal and chola puttu is just one among them. Also the combination matters a lot when it comes to puttu. Pair it with banana, papad, fish curry, prawn curry and you have a different flavour right there. Also the medium you steam your puttu in matters too, if you steam them in a bamboo puttu kutti, they taste different from the aluminum ones or the actual coconut shells. I hope I can stick to this series like the toddler meals, I guess I also have a pork series and soup series and oh the pizza series pending too. But we will start with this one first. And let me leave you with the recipe and end my rambling.
Ingredients for Chola Puttu and Kaada Mutta Green Peas Curry
For the Chola Puttu
Maize flour- 1 cup
Grated Coconut- 1/4 cup
Salt-a pinch
Rice flour for puttu ( Buy store bought one)
Directions
You can buy instant powder of chola puttu podi but I mostly use normal puttu podi and ad other flours to it to create my version of a puttu podi. To prepare the puttu podi, add all the ingredients mentioned above except grated coconut and wet the powder using little water at a time. The powder will start resembling sand the more you wet it. It should be grainy and this might need 1/4 cup water to wet the powder. When the powder is wet, prepare the steamer to stem the puttu with water. Now in the cylinder shaped container insert the sieve that will block the bottom of the cylinder (also known as puttu kutti), add some grated coconut to seal the sieve inside the cylinder. Now add the wet flour followed by grated coconut. Do this is three rounds such that there is some grated coconut in the bottom,middle and top of the puttu. Place the puttu kutti on the puttu kudam (a small pot the puttu kutti is placed upon). Steam the puttu for 5-12 minutes with a lid/coconut shell on top of the puttu kutti. After 5 minutes, you will see some steam on top of the puttu kutti and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes from this point. Once done, use a wooden spoon and push the puttu from the sieve behind and it will fall as a long cylinder shaped cake onto the plate. Serve with a curry or some ripe plantain.
Ingredients for Kaada Mutta Green Peas Curry
Dried green peas- 200 g
Quail eggs(kaada mutta)- 12
Onions- 2
Garlic- 10 cloves
Ginger- 1 inch long piece
Tomatoes- 2
Green chilies- 2
Curry leaves- 5-6
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Chili powder- 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder- 1 tsp
Coconut oil- 3 tsp
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Directions
Soak the green peas in sufficient water, overnight after washing the peas twice. Pressure cook the green pea in the morning with half the spices ( turmeric, chili, kashmiri chili, garam masala and chili powder) and salt in 2 cups of water up to 3 whistles. Boil the quail eggs in a sauce pan for 10-12 minutes. Peel the shell when the quail eggs cool down. In a pan now add the coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and roast them a bit. Now add the sliced onions and saute them for 2-3 minutes before adding minced ginger and garlic paste. Saute till the ginger and garlic is roasted. Add the tomatoes and pinch of salt and saute till the tomatoes wilt. After this add the remaining spice powder left after adding to the green peas. Saute the spices till their raw smell vanishes. Switch off the flame and let this masala cool down a bit. Now add some stock from cooking the peas and some peas from the cooker to this masala. Using a hand blender or in a mixie jar, puree this masala with some stock and cooked green peas. You will have a thick gravy by the end of the process. Return this gravy to the pan and switch the flame on. Let this gravy simmer over low flame and to this gravy, add the cooked peas and stock. Let the peas simmer for 5-10 minutes and the stock reduce to half it’s volume. Add the egg after this point and let the eggs cook in the gravy for 5-8 minutes. Switch off the flame after this. And serve the kaad mutta green peas curry with the chola puttu.
It is quite a busy week so pardon me if I am not around. I will get back to you with all the action this week and in the meantime, try some chola puttu. And hey I had some black coffee with palm jaggery, also known as chakkara kappi with the chola puttu, it is just normal coffee but the addition of the palm jaggery, lends this coffee a distinct flavour. So try this one. And see you soon….. Till then stay blessed and eat healthy.
