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Putharo
Steamed rice flour cakes
Putharo: Khasi soft steamed rice-flour cakes for breakfast
In Shillong and the Khasi Hills, putharo are plain steamed rice-flour cakes eaten at breakfast with red tea or with a bowl of curry. Freshly milled, slightly damp rice flour is what makes them soft. The common mistake is using dry supermarket flour without moistening it, which gives crumbly, dusty cakes; sprinkle the flour with water and rub until it holds when squeezed. Chef's tip: steam on a cloth so the bottoms don't turn soggy.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cakes
- 9 oz rice flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup waterapproximately
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz rice flour and ¼ tsp salt. Sprinkle in ½ cup water a little at a time, rubbing with your fingertips until the flour feels like damp sand and holds a shape when squeezed.
8 minStep 2: Press the mixture into small round moulds or tart tins, or pat into 1.5 cm-thick rounds on a damp cloth.
5 minStep 3: Steam over boiling water, covered, until the cakes are firm and a skewer comes out clean.
12 minStep 4: Cool for a few minutes, unmould and serve warm.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does putharo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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