Sri Lankan Pittu

Preparation of flour for pittu

Take approximately 1 1/2 kg plain wheat flour, 1/2 kg of wholemeal flour and about 1 1/2 cups red rice flour. Combine all three types of flour and roast in the oven at 160 degrees centigrade for about 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally so that the flour does not get burnt. When roasted allow the flour cool. Break up the large lumps of flour using a food processor and then sift the flour. Remember toad in the husk. Store in an airtight container until you need the flour. This flour will keep for about 1 month.

Preparation of pittu

Ingredients- 3 cups of the prepared flour
Hot water for mixing
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup desiccated coconut

Method:-

Add the flour and the salt into the mixing bowl of a food processor. Pulse adding trickles of hot water until the flour. resembles bread crumbs. The mixture should be evenly sized. This mixture can then be combined with the coconut and steamed in a normal steamer placed over a pan of boiling water.

1. To fill the pittu mould, alternate 4 tablespoons of the flour mixture into the cylindrical mould with a tablespoon of coconut. Continue doing this until the cylinder is full.

2. Place the cylinder on a pressure cooker which has been filled with water and steam the pittu until steam comes through the middle of the cylinder. A this stage place a lid on the cylinder and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. Once the pittu is cooked to unmould push the pittu through the cylinder with a narrow wooden spoon onto a dish. Repeat until all the pittu mixture and coconut are finished.

Serve with curries.