Sri Lankan Pittu

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted rice flour
• 1.5 cups freshly grated coconut, plus extra for layering
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 to 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup coconut milk (for serving gravy)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (for serving sambol)
• 1 green chili, sliced (for serving sambol)
• Juice of 1 lime (for serving sambol)

Before you cook

• Toast the rice flour in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3 minutes if it isn't pre-roasted, then let it cool.
• Rub the grated coconut into the rice flour with the salt until evenly combined.
• Sprinkle the warm water over the mixture a little at a time, rubbing it through with your fingers, until it forms a moist, crumbly texture that holds together when pressed but is not a dough.

Steps

1. Fill the base of a pittu steamer, or a large pot, with water and bring it to a boil.
2. Fit the perforated cylinder or mold onto the steamer.
3. Spoon a layer of the coconut-rice crumb into the mold, then a layer of plain grated coconut, repeating until the mold is full.
4. Press the top layer down gently without compacting it too firmly.
5. Set the filled mold over the boiling water and cover.
6. Steam for 6 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the cylinder feels firm.
7. Push the steamed pittu cylinder out onto a plate.
8. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make more cylinders.
9. Slice each cylinder into rounds and serve warm with coconut milk and onion sambol.