Nuuputtu (Coorg Rice Noodles)

By now, from my earlier posts, you must be acquainted with 2 very popular puttus (Kaddambuttu and Paputtu) that are staple in Coorg. And today I bring to you the third most popular puttus called Nuuputtu or Noolputtu (Coorg rice noodles). Nool means thread.

Like the other puttus, this is also made from steamed rice thari dough pressed into thin strands, formed into small cakes thereby deriving its name.  A special kind of press known as a nuuputtu wara is used to press the rice dough. It takes some strong shoulders to work the rice dough through these presses.  You can do with using a murukku or chakli press to twirl out these rice noodle cakes. Nuuputtu has cousins all over South India where you can spot the family resemblance in Shavige as called in other parts of Karnataka and the Konkan coast, Idiyappam in Kerala, Santhakkai in Tamil Nadu.

Making nuuputtu isn’t really complicated and though it looks like a lot of instructions – it is only because timing is critical here and I have tried to detail out as much as I can. Making these is no less an art like making handmade Chinese noodles or pasta. 😊 Nuuputtu, I promise makes a hearty dish no matter what time of the day.

Here is what you need to make Nuuputtu

Equipment Needed:

1. A sturdy wooden spoon
2. A sekala or steamer
3. A nuuputtu wara or an idiyappam press
4. A large, deep, heavy bottomed pan, preferably with handles
5. Cheesecloth or muslin cloth
6. Small plates or squares of banana leaf to collect the noodles as they are pressed

Makes 12-14 nuuputtus

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fine rice thari or rice rava

3 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly powdered cardamom

2 tsp oil

METHOD:

1. Soak rice thari (rava) in water for half hour or longer
2. Bring the water to a boil in the pan and add the salt, cardamom and 1 tsp oil
3. Add the soaked, drained thari and cook for 10 – 15 minutes on medium-high, stirring constantly. The mixture begins to thicken, it forms a lump of dough that comes away cleanly from the sides and bottom of the pan
4. Remove from the heat, cover with a clean cloth or lid to keep the steam in and set aside for 10 minutes
5. Meanwhile heat water in the steamer. Lay the steamer plates in and line with cheesecloth or layers of muslin large enough to fold over and cover the rice dough
6. In a bowl of take little warm water with a little ghee / oil in it
7. When the dough is cool enough to handle, moisten your palms in the prepared water. Then take small portions of dough out and press firmly into cylindrical forms, approximately four inches long and two inches wide. The size of this also depends on how much can fit comfortably in the barrel of your press  
8. Arrange the dumplings inside, fold the cloth over to cover completely. Put the lid on and steam for approximately 30 minutes on medium heat  
9. While the dough is steaming, prepare the press and a place to lay out the nuuputtus.
10. After 30 minutes, take the steamer off the heat and open it to allow the steam out for a couple of minutes
11. The next steps of making the noodles are critical and one must work quickly, before the dough cools and hardens. Lightly moisten your fingers in the bowl of water, pick up a hot dumpling and begin the pressing out noodles
12. It is always better to have extra hands to do this so one can do the turning and the other to receive the noodles on small individual plates. Move the plate in a slow spiral motion to allow the noodles to pile up in tidy, compact twirls
13. Transfer the puttus to a surface lined with a slightly dampened cloth or banana leaves (to prevent sticking and also drying out) and cover with a tea cloth until ready to serve
14. Serve hot with koli curry or mix veg curry

For more recipes from Coorg: https://myculinarysaga.com/category/coorgi-cuisine/

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Love & Hugs,

Trupti