Pootharekulu (plural) or poothareku (singular) is a popular
Indian sweet from the
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
state of south-east
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
The sweet is wrapped in a wafer-thin rice starch layer resembling paper and is stuffed with sugar, dry fruits and nuts. The sweet is popular for festivals, religious occasions and weddings in the
Telugu states
Telugu states are the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in southeastern India. An ethno-region of Telugu People, they as a collective are bordered by Maharashtra to the north, Karnataka to the west, Odisha, Chhattisgarh to the north ...
.
The name of the sweet literally means 'coated sheet' in the
Telugu language
Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language fam ...
—''pootha'' means 'coating' and ''reku'' (plural ''rekulu'') means 'sheet' in
Telugu. The making of pootharekulu is a cottage industry in Atreyapuram, where around 400 families are dependent on the making and marketing of the sweet. As of October 2018, the state of Andhra Pradesh was said to be in the process of applying for
Geographic Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
(GI) tag for the sweet.
History
Pootharekulu were created in
Atreyapuram
Atreyapuram is a village in Konaseema district of Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Atreyapuram Mandal of Amalapuram revenue division of the district.
Popularity
The village is known for the popular Indian sweet pootharekulu ...
, a village and mandal headquarters in the
East Godavari
East Godavari is a district in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its district headquarters is at Rajahmundry. As of census 2011, it became the most populous district of the state with a population of 5,151,549.
In the Madras Pre ...
district of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
.
The sweet has a history of a few centuries (three centuries by some accounts).
It is said that a village woman first prepared the sweet by adding sugar and ghee to leftover rice starch.
Atreyapuram villagers soon started making wrappers from rice flour, put sugar and ghee inside and folded them. They supplied the sweets to candy manufacturers all over the two Telugu states.
Normally, women make pootharekulu in their free time while men are engaged in the marketing of the sweet. The annual turnover of the cottage industry is estimated to be Rs. 3
crore in 2016.
In August 2018, a group of cooks from East Godavari prepared a 10.5-meter long poothareku, as part of an attempt by the Andhra Pradesh tourism department to popularize Andhra cuisine.
Preparation
Pootharekulu is made from a particular kind of rice batter called ''jaya biyyam'' ('biyyam' meaning rice), combined with powdered sugar and
ghee (clarified butter). To make the edible film, a hot pot is prepared. To make the pot suitable, a hole is made in it, and to smoothen the surface for three days, the pot is alternately heated and wiped with a cloth dipped in oil. To make the films, coarse rice is ground for nearly two hours and made into a batter. This batter is then diluted; a thin cloth is dipped in the solution and put on the inverted pot with flame under it. The edible film forms on the pot instantly.
The edible film is then wrapped with sugar and/or jaggery and coated with ghee.
Varieties
Pootharekulu can be stuffed with different fillings, including fine powdered sugar, jaggery, dry fruits, and chocolate powder. Hot and spicy pootharekulu are a relatively new variant.
See also
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oy ...
References
{{Commons category, Pootharekulu
Andhra cuisine
Indian desserts
Confectionery
Stuffed dishes