Saturday, December 17, 2011

Breakfast

The sunlight reflecting off the steel tumbler, which held the piping hot tea.
The steel plate which held the puttu, freshly delivered from the puttu kutti. Staring on as Amma poured a generous serving of kadala curry. And as the waft of the curry and the steam from the puttu rose from the plate, creating patterns in the air, she curiously blew them and dug into it hungrily.

****
She stared at her bowl. Yep, cereals it is. Cornflakes and milk. That's wholesome too. She said to herself.

****



For the uninitiated, puttu is the national food of Kerala; a regular breakfast item! If I had to explain what it is,  let me quote what I read once in an Emirates menu (as you guessed, it was a flight back from the Gelf) - Steamed rice cake, garnished with coconut gratings and served with chick peas sautéed in onions.

For the Malayalis - nammude puttum kadala curry-um! It's also had with banana, papadam, etc. and variants of puttu include those made with wheat flour, tapioca flour and so on.

No, it's not that this post is entirely about me. I think this is a 'common' memory from childhood, for a lot of us. I used to love puttu a lot. In fact, I used to make it as breakfast on weekends regularly, so much so that now I am quite tired of it. But I am game for puttu any time, if I get it with chicken curry or fish curry! *wide grin*

P.S. Wanted to label this post, and then realised I hadn't labelled any post with 'food'. And that surprises me. I hadn't written anything on food yet?!

11 comments:

  1. Mummmyyyyy!! Enikkippo thanne puttum kadalayum venam!! :( :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here are some 'practical' options:
    1) You cook it tomorrow
    2) You head out to the nearest Malayali restaurant (a Kairali or Maharajas or a Malayali Mess exists in any city!
    3) You wait to go home the next time to gorge on it :S

    Impractically,
    1) You ask Mom to parcel you some
    2) You drool on the PC, looking at the pic
    3) You dream of it tonight and fulfil the desire!

    Engane undu ente options? :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is actually a secret option (d). I'm headed home next week, so I'll tell Amma to make it for me. Till then I'll dream about it and/or drool over the laptop looking at this picture. :P

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ok I just realised that you already had given that option. :/Not my fault. It's the puttu-kadala's fault.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I simply LOVE puttu and pazham. My favourite dinner/breakfast option. And Amma just made it for me a few days ago :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. @ Divya - Buhaha. Really? Puttu-kadala's fault? :D
    @ Krishna - Good for you! I'm gonna have puttu with sambar for breakfast tomorrow. Have you tried that combo yet?
    And besides, I am assuming you're home now. What happens when you return? *wicked grin*

    ReplyDelete
  7. Puttu and sambhar, nope not yet tried that combo. But will when I pester Amma to make puttu again :D (yup yup I'm back home!)
    And oh no.. don't remind me of when I return :( I suppose I will google recipes and drool over the pictures only *sob*

    ReplyDelete
  8. So much for the humble puttu! Shouldn't be read on hungry mornings...

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  9. @ Arju - Hehe. Make that hungry morning/afternoon/evening!

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  10. I had puutum kadaleyum tday morning..gehehehehhehhe I am gonna miss this when I get back to my hostel :(

    ReplyDelete
  11. Aww, Red Handed. Eat as much as you can now! :D
    Can't help out on your exercise and diet regime, though ;)

    ReplyDelete

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