This recipe is very flexible. I used 300g of Thai white rice, just feel free to grind rice according to your needs.

Rinse the rice thoroughly in water a couple of times.

Soak in water for about 2 hours and drain the water completely using a strainer.

Spread the soaked rice on a clean towel to dry for 30 min or so in the shade not in the sun.

The rice should not be dry completely but should be moist and damp but not wet.

Grind the rice into a fine powder using a powerful grinder.

Do it in batches to avoid overloading.

Take the ground rice in a sieve and then sift it.

After sieving you will see some rice grains in the sieve.

Return them back to the grinder jar, grind, and sift again.

Repeat this process to gain rice flour as much as you want.

Take the rice flour as needed.

Heat a large frying pan and dry roast the flour on a medium flame for about 5 minutes without changing the color.

Keep stirring continuously in order to avoid burning and browning.

Take it off the flame and allow it to cool.

Place the 100g of desiccated coconut on a small ball, and add 100ml of warm water. Mix with a fork and keep aside. If you use freshly grated coconut use it as it is.

I like to use some coconut to make layers but optional. So, I soaked 50g of desiccated coconut with 50ml warm water separately.

In a large bowl, combine the rice flour and salt.

Sprinkle some water on the flour mixture, a little at a time, and start crumbling it with your fingertips until a bread crumbs condition is formed breaking any lumps that form.

Ensure you do not add too much water as it will make a sticky dense mixture.

The flour should be in sand form and damp enough so that it will steam well.

Keep sprinkling water until you reach the right consistency.

To check the right consistency, take some mixture and press it.

The mixture should clump together easily and hold the shape, but it should easily crumble when you put it back. See the image below.

When you get this consistency, stop adding water.

Add the prepared coconut (not the one kept for layering), and mix well with the flour.

Now use both your hands and start mixing it well and breaking the lumps.

your Pittu mixture is ready for steaming.

A Pittu steamer has four parts; a large vessel, a cylindrical mold with a perforated disc, and a cap.

Fill half the vessel with water and allow the water to boil.

Take the top cylindrical part of the steamer and place the perforated disc at the bottom.

First, spread evenly a single layer of coconut on the perforated disc in the mold as it will allow steam to enter into the mold.

Don’t press the mixture down into the Pittu maker, it will become hard and not let the steam pass through and cook it through.

Next, spread a thick layer of flour mixture. Again, add a single layer of coconut, and then add the remaining flour mixture over the coconut layer.

Finally, add one more layer of thin coconut layer, if desired.

Close with its lid and place the filled mold on the top of the vessel with boiling water.

Steam for about five minutes until you notice steam coming out of the tiny holes in the lid.

Once you notice steam coming out of the hole, continue to steam for another 5 minutes or so and turn off the heat.

Remove the mold from the vessel and open the lid.

Gently push the pittu out of the mold by using a roller and slide it onto a plate.