It is not considered to be Passover if you do not prepare puttu during the holiday.
Puttu is very small balls made of matzah flour or rice flour - for the gluten-free version, whichever is preferred. They are steamed and served with a sweet coconut and date hony sauce.
This is probably a unique ancient version for the Cochin Jews since, in India, the puttu is completely different. Puttu is made of rice flour and coconut mixture, shaped as a roll that and cooked in a special long steamer. it is served and eaten with curry dishes. There is also a sweet version but it looks and is served differently.
In our family, making the puttu is a family ritual. Everyone sits around the table and dribbles the small balls with their fingers. The balls are very small, with a diameter of about 0.5 cm, just like pearls. That's the secret of the magic, the incredible texture and the taste. If the balls are big, it will not be the same!
Ingridients:
For balls:
1.5 cups of rice flour or matzah flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of water
For the sauce:
5 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of water
1 cup ground coconut
1 Can (240 ml) of coconut cream
Serving:
Date Honey
preparation method:
Put the rice flour or matzah flour in a bowl
Add a little salt
Add the water gradually and knead until a stable and non-sticky dough is obtained
dribble tiny balls with the help of your fingers, with the size of no more then 0.5 cm
Put on a flat plate aside
Boil water in a steamer. When the water boils, lower the heat.
Put the balls over the steaming grid and cook with the lid closed for about 15 minutes
Remove carefully and set aside
Boil water with sugar in a small pot
When the water boils and the sugar melts, add the ground coconut and mix
Add the coconut cream and bring to a boil
Cook for another 5 minutes
Serving:
Put 2-3 tablespoons of balls in a samll serving bowl
Pour over 3-4 tablespoons of the coconut sauce (as much as you like)
Decorate with a small amount of date honey