1. Pressure cook Bengal gram with ginger, green chillies, onions, tomato, turmeric powder, salt and water for seven whistles.
2. Put cooked gram and the ground masala paste in a pan.
3. Cook until masala starts to separate from the oil. Remove from the heat.
4. Heat coconut oil in another pan. Add mustard seeds.
5. When they splutter, add red chilli, coconut and shallots and fry until golden.
6. Add curry leaves, stir and add to the gram curry. Check seasoning.

To make the puttu:

1. Blend the dried rice to a coarse powder.
2. Roast in a pan on low heat, stirring continuously. Allow to cool.
3. Put in a bowl and add salt.
4. Add enough water to get a moist crumbly mixture, and not a wet, sticky one.
5. In a puttu kutti, or a puttu steamer (a cylindrical appliance), first stuff a handful of the puttu podi, followed by the grated coconut.
6. Make 3 more layers, beginning and ending with the puttu.
7. Close and steam for 6 mins.
8. Serve hot with kadala (gram) curry.