Vellam puttu/Steamed Rice flour, sweetened using Jaggery. A traditional neivedhiyam/offering done during Navratri/Navrathri.
The Food
Arisi puttu/vellam puttu, is a traditional neivedhiyam/offering done during Navrathri, especially on a Friday. A simple sweet dish made using rice flour, steamed and sweetened with jaggery.
Apart from the sundal made everyday, this arisi vellam puttu | rice & jaggery puttu is very famous during navarathri. This Vella puttu is made especially during a Friday in the 9 days of the festival.
Traditionally done using home-made rice flour, but today I have made it using store-bought rice flour.
During festival season, especially in August-September we get Modak flour/Kozhakattai maavu, which is more or less similar to homemade rice flour. Homemade rice flour, is also called eera-arisi maavu, literally translating to wet rice flour.
Rice is soaked for few minutes, drained, then it is shade dried and ground to a powder. So you cannot expect it to be a fine powder as we get it flour machines. This finely coarse rice flour have that texture needed for this puttu.
If you are looking for a millet based puttu, check this Thinai/Foxtail millet puttu, and thsi dal puttu, for a savory treat.
The Ingredients
- Rice flour, as mentioned i have used store-bought rice flour. We also get puttu rice flour also, you can even use modak flour /kozhukattai maavu.
- Jaggery, is used to sweeten the vella puttu. I normally keep organic jaggery powder handy. you can also use jaggery cubes.
- Fresh coconut, cardamom, used to flavor the puttu.
- roasted nuts, to garnish the puttu.
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Check my Navarathri Kalasam Decoration and Navarathri Gift Ideas post here.
Step by Step Instructions to make Vella Puttu
Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions
- Dry roast the rice flour in kadai. Take care while roasting, we don’t want the flour to change color.
- Sprinkle salt mixed water to this roasted rice flour and mix. The mixture should resemble coarse sand. When pressed between palms it should hold shape, and should collapse when we crush.
- Steam cook this salt mixed flour mix for 5-8 minutes. Remove and crumble it to a coarse mix again.
- Melt jaggery in a sauce pan, prepare a syrup of one-string consistency. Pour this syrup over the steamed rice flour and mix well. Garnish with roasted nuts and raisins.
- There is a chance of the Jaggery syrup getting into ball-like consistency, in that case, the puttu might become little clumpy. Do not Worry, let the puttu rest for sometime, then take it in a mixer and pulse it 2-3 times and transfer it to a flat plate, the puttu will separate and become powdery.
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Recipe
Vellam Puttu | Vella Puttu | Navarathri Neivedhiyam
Equipment
- Steamer/Pressure cooker/Idy steamer
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Rice Flour
- 1/4 Cup Jaggery
- 2 tbsp Freshly grated Coconut
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1/4 cup water
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 3 nos each Almonds and Cashews
- 1 tbsp raisins
Instructions
- Dry roast the Rice flour in a pan to just make it hot. This will take just 2 minutes. We don't want the rice flour to change color.
- Take the warm rice flour and spread it on a plate. Mix the salt in 2 tbsp of water, sprinkle little salt-water on the flour and mix well with your hands. The Water mixed flour should hold if you hold it tightly, and collapse if you break it.
- Take the salt mixed flour in a bowl/steamer plate and steam cook it for 5-8 minutes. I used my idly steamer.
- Make sure water doesn't touch the flour, even the water droplets from steam. If using a vessel inside the steamer, then cover the rice flour container. Or you can wrap the rice flour in a cheese cloth like a bag and steam.
- After the given time, take it out of the steamer, spread it on a flat plate. Heat Jaggery with 2 tbsp of water and prepare a syrup of single-string consistency.
- Pour this Jaggery syrup on the steamed rice flour and mix well.
- Add grated coconut, cardamom and roasted nuts and raisins . Mix well and Serve.
Notes
- There is a chance of the Jaggery syrup getting into ball-like consistency, in that case, the puttu might become little clumpy. Do not Worry, let the puttu rest for sometime, then take it in a mixer and pulse it 2-3 times and transfer it to a flat plate, the puttu will separate and become powdery
That’s all a simple, yet delicious neivedhiyam ready in minutes. This Vellam puttu can be made in bulk to be served for your friends visiting this navrathri.
Any leftover puttu can be refrigerated. Since we have added coconut to this, i prefer to refrigerate. Slightly warm the puttu in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and serve the puttu warm.
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Interesting. This looks like the panjeeri we make with with atta.
I learnt about a rice flour laddu being made at my grandmother's place recently. I am so enamored by a few similarities in evolution of food all around the places.
Yummy puttu.. love it…
New and interesting recipe for me ! Lovely clicks…
Love this puttu very much one of my neighbour aunty's signature dish..