Sweet Puttu - வெல்லப் புட்டு - Navarathri Special - Step by step

        Sweet puttu is a traditional sweet,prepared during Navarathri . It is prepared with rice flour and jaggery. I have tasted this puttu, once in my friend's house, when I went for golu. Her mom prepared it very well. I was craving to make it for so long. It is quite long process, but its taste worth the work. I was quite impressed with its taste. Try this delicious puttu for the neivedhyam. We can make the puttu using rice cooker. Check my "Ragi puttu " ,which I have prepared using rice cooker. 

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves : 1

Ingredients:
1.Rice flour - 1 cup
2.Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup or less
3.Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
4.Water - as needed
5.Cardamom powder - a big pinch
6.Edible camphor - a pinch (optional)
7.Salt - as needed
8.Ghee - 1 tsp

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Method:

* We can either use store bought rice flour or can make it at home . Check the link ,to make rice flour at home. Sieve the flour twice. The flour should be lump free ,to get soft puttu. Dry roast the flour in a pan, till it gives out nice aroma. We can also steam the plain flour ,instead of roasting. Let it cool completely. * Take 1/4 cup of water and mix salt to it. Sprinkle this salt water to the rice flour ,little by little.Don't add water fully  to the flour. * The flour should be wet ,but not completely. For example, take the flour and press it in your hand, you should be able to form a shape out of it. * But, when you crush it, it should crumble to fine powder,as shown in picture. Now, take a damp cloth,transfer the rice flour to it. Tie the cloth well and form a pouch. Take a idli pan, add water and place a idli plate . Keep the pouch inside . * Steam it for atleast 10 minutes.We can also steam the rice flour in a rice cooker. * The rice flour would have cooked. Now take the puttu out and mix it with a spoon or fork. Break the lumps, which are formed ,while steaming. If you can, sieve the puttu again to make it lump free.Cool the flour completely. Now , if you don't like jaggery, we can just add sugar ,cardamom powder and coconut to the puttu and have it as such. * Now let us make the syrup for rice puttu. Take a pan ,add grated jaggery to it. Add water to the pan,till the jaggery is covered with. * Boil the jaggery,till it dissolves. Now strain the syrup and remove the impurities. Again  boil the jaggery for another 5 minutes or untill .it reaches soft ball consistancy,  That, is when we drop the syrup on a plate of water,it should be firm. And when we take it out, it should form a ,ball. That is the right consistancy. Below is the jaggery syrup ,with right consistancy. You can check my Adhirasam post to know, how to make jaggery syrup ,with step by step pictures. * Now add the ,jaggery syrup to the puttu and mix. The syrup should be hot,while mixing. Don't add the syrup fully to the puttu. Taste it, if you feel it so sweet, then reserve the syrup. Mix cardamom powder,ghee and edible camphor. At last, add shredded coconut and serve. Serve this puttu ,while it is warm.!!!

Notes: * Sieve the flour twice or thrice,to get a lump free puttu. * Initially, we can roast the flour or steam it. * Always the check the consistancy of the flour by pressing it. If you add too much water, then the puttu will have lumps.Add less water to the flour. * Edible camphor is optional, if you don't have ,just skip it. * The puttu should be cool, when the hot syrup is added.