Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Arisi Pulao
Arisi Pulao (Steamed Rice & Coconut Snacks)

Arisi Pulao

Steamed Rice & Coconut Snacks
VegetarianOrigin NewPrep 20–30 minutesCook 15 minutes

A light and crumbly steamed dish of layered rice flour and grated coconut. It offers a gentle, nutty flavor and a delicate, moist texture.

Ingredients

01
Rice flour · Chawal ka atta
125 g
flour
02
Salt · Namak
~0.3 gpinch
salt
03
Coconut water · Nariyal PaniSee the glossary: Coconut →
124 g125 ml
liquid
04
Fresh coconut · Taaza Nariyalgrated
40 g
fruit
05
Banana · Kela
to taste
fruit
06
Granulated sugar · Cheeni
to taste
sweetener

Method

  1. In a bowl, combine 125 g rice flour, 0.3 g salt, and 125 g coconut water until the mixture becomes evenly moist yet crumbly.
  2. Begin filling the puttu cylinder with 3 spoonfuls of 40 g fresh coconut, grated, followed by a portion of the rice mixture, pressing down firmly; repeat alternating layers until both ingredients are used up.
  3. Fit the lid onto the cylinder and steam over the puttu maker base for 7 minutes.
  4. Turn the steamed cylinder out onto a platter, break apart at the coconut dividing lines, and serve with bananas and granulated sugar to taste.

Don't have something?

Rice flour
  • Cornflour

    Use about 60–70% of the weight for thickening; for coatings use the same weight but the crust is denser.

  • Plain flour

    Use the same weight for coatings; contains gluten, browns faster and is less crisp.

  • Fine semolina

    Use the same weight for crisp coatings; coarser texture and needs a short rest.

Coconut water
  • Water

    Use the same weight; for each 250 g add a pinch of sugar (about 2 g) and a tiny pinch of salt to mimic the sweetness.

  • Coconut milk

    Dilute 1 part coconut milk with 3 parts water and use the same weight; it is richer and cloudier.

  • Soda water

    Use the same weight only if the dish wants lightness; it adds fizz and no coconut flavour.

Fresh coconut
  • Desiccated coconut

    Use 50% to 60% of the weight, soaked in equal parts warm water for 15 minutes before grinding. Works well for chutneys, though texture is slightly finer and sweeter.

  • Coconut milk

    Use 1.2 times the weight in curries. Adds creamy richness and authentic flavour, but makes gravies smoother and eliminates the grated, chewy mouthfeel.

Banana
  • Plantain

    Use the same weight; peel and slice. Less sweet, so add a little sugar if the dish needs it, and cook a few minutes longer.

  • Ripe mango

    Use the same weight, mashed; sweeter and more fragrant, best for desserts or sweet drinks.

  • Canned mango pulp

    Use the same weight and reduce any added sugar; gives a soft, pouring texture rather than slices.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Similar dishes

Palakkayalu
Coconut Biscuits (Crackers)
Palakkayalu is savoury, spicy, and crunchy, whereas this dish is mildly sweet and soft.
  • Same: Palakkayalu shares the core base of rice flour, fresh coconut, and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Palakkayalu incorporates sesame seeds, chilli powder, and butter and is deep-fried in ghee, whereas this dish uses granulated sugar and is steamed.
Puttu
Steamed Rice with Coconut
Puttu is less sweet and has a more concentrated, savory coconut flavor than this dish.
  • Same: Puttu shares the same technique of steaming layered rice flour with fresh coconut and salt.
  • Different: Puttu uses a much larger proportion of coconut and omits the granulated sugar included in this dish.
Yel Adai
Coconut & Rice Pancakes
Yel Adai has a richer, deeply spiced profile with molasses notes from the jaggery and cardamom, unlike the mild, clean sweetness of this dish.
  • Same: Both are steamed sweet preparations combining rice and fresh grated coconut.
  • Different: Yel Adai is wrapped in banana leaves with a filling prepared using ghee, jaggery, lime juice, and green cardamom, rather than simple layered rice flour and granulated sugar.
Appam
Rice Pancakes with Coconut Milk
Appam has a tangy, savory cumin note and a contrast of crisp edges with a pillowy center, whereas this dish is crumbly, nutty, and mildly sweet.
  • Same: Appam also pairs rice with coconut, sugar, and salt.
  • Different: Instead of steaming rice flour layered with fresh grated coconut, it uses a yeast-fermented coconut milk batter spiced with cumin and fried in vegetable oil.