Healthy Tri-Colour Puttu

• Take three bowls (for three colours) and put 1 cup rice powder in each bowl
• Add salt (as per taste) and plain water in batches to the first bowl and crumble the powder
• Mix well with your fingertips. The wet rice powder needs to hold its shape when pressed in your palm and should break on further pressing. This is the correct consistency of the mix
• Break all the lumps (if any) in the mix with your finger. Alternatively you can blend it in a mixer for two to three seconds using the whipper button
• Add salt and drumstick (Moringa) leaves puree in batches to the second bowl and crumble the powder as in step two. Follow the steps three and four
• Similarly, add carrot puree to the third bowl and follow above steps to mix it to the consistency
• Take a Puttu Steamer - the cylinder - and add two tbsp of fresh grated coconut and spread it to cover all the holes
• Add three tbsp of puttu powder mixed with carrot puree (for saffron colour of the flag) and spread it evenly
• Add two tbsp of grated coconut on top of the powder and spread it. I have used coconut powder mixed with carrot puree (to make saffron colour) for this layer of coconut. You can use plain coconut as well
• Now add three tbsp of white puttu powder (for the white colour of the flag) and spread it evenly
• Add two tbsp of grated coconut (white) on top of the powder and spread it
• Next is to add three tbsp puttu powder mixed with moringa leaves puree (for green colour of the flag) and spread it evenly
• Add grated coconut mixed with moringa leaves (to make it green) on top of the powder and spread it
• Take the steamer pot and add two glasses of water (about 500ml) for steaming
• The steamer cylinder must be full. If the size of it is different, you may have to add more three tbsp of powder in each layer. Cover the cylinder with the lid and place it over the steamer pot containing water and keep it on medium flame
• Steam for about 10 minutes or till the steam escapes out of the holes of the lid of the cylinder
• Remove the cylinder from the steamer pot and push the Puttu using a wooden ladle from the back
• Healthy Tri-Colour Puttu is ready to be served. Serve it with Kadala (Black Chickpeas) Curry or Ripe Banana and Papad

Notes

• Add water and puree in batches to prevent the rice powder turning too watery
• In case the water becomes more in the powder, add one or two spoons of rice powder and then blend it in a mixer for two to three seconds using the whipper button
• If you do not have Puttu Steamer, you can use the Idly Maker as well