Recipes
Sri Lankan Pittu — A Pillar of Simplicity and Comfort
Pittu is one of Sri Lanka’s most humble yet beloved dishes. Made from just rice flour, grated coconut, and water, it’s steamed into soft, crumbly cylinders and served with everything from spicy sambols to creamy coconut milk.
Pittu (also spelled puttu in Tamil) is believed to have originated in South India and Sri Lanka, with both regions sharing similar culinary traditions due to their proximity and long history of cultural exchange. The word pittu comes from the Tamil language, where it literally means “portioned” or “divided.”
In many Sri Lankan households, especially among Tamil and Sinhalese Buddhist families, pittu holds a place in religious offerings and festive meals. It is often considered a pure, sattvic food — simple, plant-based, and steamed rather than fried.
A Dish of the People
Pittu is a traditional village food, created from ingredients that were always on hand in rural homes: rice flour, coconut, and water. These staples were cheap, filling, and naturally suited to the tropical climate. The rice was often ground by hand, and the coconut was freshly grated — both reflecting a slow, handmade rhythm of life.
It was cooked using basic tools — a bamboo or metal tube placed over a pot of boiling water — making it accessible to families across all income levels.
🏝️ A Daily Staple in Sri Lankan Homes
Pittu is a dish that spans regions, religions, and rituals. Whether it’s served with curry for dinner or sweetened with coconut milk and banana for breakfast, it’s a comfort food deeply rooted in Sri Lankan village life.
It’s light yet filling, flavorful yet neutral — the kind of food that adapts to what you serve it with. In many homes, pittu is steamed fresh each morning, using simple ingredients readily available in the kitchen.
The Cooking Technique
The crumbly dough is lightly packed into a special Pittu maker, a tall cylindrical steamer often made of metal or bamboo. What makes pittu special is the alternating layers of rice flour and grated coconut. When steamed, it forms a lightly compacted tower that can be sliced or crumbled.
If you don’t have a pittu maker, you can easily improvise with ramekins or cups in a regular steamer. What matters most is the balance between moisture and air — the mixture should hold together loosely but not be sticky.
🍽️ A Versatile Dish
Pittu is incredibly versatile and can be eaten sweet or savory:
- With dhal curry or potato curry
- With kiri hodi (coconut milk gravy)
- With lunu miris for a spicy kick
- Or with banana and jaggery for a traditional sweet version
It's a gluten-free, vegan-friendly dish that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
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Sri Lankan Pittu
NUTRITION
Ingredients
- 200 g roasted red or white rice flour
- 150 g fresh grated coconut (or rehydrated desiccated coconut)
- 3 g salt
- 100-120 ml warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the rice flour and salt.
- Add the grated coconut and mix to combine.
- Slowly sprinkle warm water into the mixture while mixing with your fingers. The texture should be crumbly and slightly moist — like wet sand.
- Fill a Pittu maker (or bamboo tube/metal cylinder) with alternating layers of the flour mixture and grated coconut. Do not press tightly.
- Steam over boiling water for 10–15 minutes, or until the pittu holds together and is fully cooked.
- Carefully remove and serve warm with coconut milk gravy, dhal curry, banana, or lunu miris.