Puttu Makers are important in Sri Lanka and the South Indian states of
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Karnataka. They are used to make
cylindrical cakes of ground grain mixed with freshly grated coconut and
spices, particularly as a breakfast dish.
Puttu Makers are a long tube fitted to a pot of boiling water. The original Puttu Maker was a length of bamboo, about 3 inches in diameter and a foot long, cut from just below a joint. A piece of perforated coconut shell would be fitted in it with the joint securing it. Today, they are usually made of aluminum or stainless steel, though clay ones are also made.
In Southern India, the grain is usually Rice, but in Sri Lanka it can be Wheat, Millet, Rice, or Tapioca, sometimes mixed with Urad Dal. The ratio of grain to coconut varies greatly, as do seasonings and optional ingredients. It is usually served with a curry.
Photo of Aluminum Puttu Maker by Natkeeran at Tamil Wikipedia distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v4.0 International. Photo of Bamboo Puttu Maker by Fotokannan distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.
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