PaaPottu

We spent a nice and refreshing weekend at Coorg-Madikeri.
With a splendid climate and lovely coffee plantations drowned in mist around, our stay there was nothing short of bliss.
We used to set out on foot early morning, have steaming coffee [Coorg coffee] after a filling breakfast and return to our room, jut to set out again, with our pre-appointed guide, who would drive us to various points around Madikeri and leave us at our hotel by dinner time.

On one such ride back to our hotel, we bumped into PaaPottu.
Now Madikeri is really famous for its coffee, cardamom, pepper, oranges, and ofcourse for local cuisine like Pandhi Curry(Pork Curry), Kadumbuttu (Rice Dumplings), Koli Curry (Chicken Curry), Nool Puttu ( Rice Noodles), Bembla Curry (Bamboo Shoot Curry) ,Votti (Rice Roti) and Paaputtu (Rice cake).

Since we are veggies, the delicious Pandhi and Koli curries were formidable for us. Bembla was out of season. Only options at our disposal were Votti, Kadumbuttu, Nool Puttu and Paaputtu.
Since I now have these names at hand, I can confidently say what is what.
But that wasn't the case when we were in the car with our driver, and we had no handy reference to these names. So what we actuallly ended up asking was
" where do we get to eat puttu nuttu [ that was supposed to be nool puttu] ,
dumkuttu [kadumbuttu],
akki roti [ well rice rotis we did remember , but votti we didn't ]
and the sweet thing made of steamed rice? [ Paaputtu! ] "

In the above words when the query was made to our confused-tired-but-very-very-enthusiastic driver, he braked and skidded and wheeled the car in such frenzy that we feared someting really snapped inside him on the mention of these delicacies.

" Saar.. you want to taste pork? Verrri nice and famous here saar.. local foodda saar.. christmas time.. I can parcel it and deliver to your room.. " he said.
My husband, who wasn't much for the local stuff neways.. gave up immediately.
But I persisited.. " that sweet thing with rice..ottu, otti some thing ..." I said.

And then light dwaned upon him.. " PaaPottu madam.. its not available in hotels.. tomarrow morning, arder deke rakhta mein ek chotta mess hain oodhar.." he promised.

So next morning when we set out again, he stopped the car in a tiny lane, and went inside a tiny looking shed and told someting to a middle-aged lady there. She came out, waved and smiled at us. On our way back, the driver re-visited her. This time she handed a steel plate with a white mass covered with coconut spread evenly, covered with a plastic sheet. She went in and handed 2 sppons as well.
" Its very hot now. let it cool, then cut into squares and eat madam. " she said.
I was very happy to get an authentic madikeri receipe to taste.

Sometime later when we actually tasted it..well.. all I can say is I was disappointed. The stuff was really light and fluffy, but there wasn't anything cake-ish about it. It wasn't even sweet.
But this was for the insiders..
For those who haven't had it.. well do taste Paaputtu when you are in Madikeri!