Idiyappam / Noolputtu

Idiyappam or string hoppers have been my favorite since I was a kid. I may not even need anything particular to go by its side... Just some sugar or shaved jaggery could do the job. 

The finest strands of idiyappam are the ones that taste just awesome. Alas, my idiappam maker does not make the finest ones. My hunt to get the finest holes in the idiyappam maker continues till date. 

My lil buddy also like it. I bet the likeness has got to do with its shape - string or noddle shaped. They go equally perfect with veg. or non veg sides. Here is how you make these beauties. 

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups of roasted rice flour
2. Salt to taste
3. Boiling water as required
4. 1 cup of grated coconut 

Method

• In a bowl, take the rice flour. Add salt and give a stir to spread the salt. Now add boiling water little by little. Simultaneously, keep mixing the mixture with a spoon or ladle to form a dough. When the entire rice flour seems to be wet, cover the bowl and keep it aside for 5 minutes. This would help the mixture to cool down for you to knead it with your hands and also will give time for the rice flour to absorb water.
• Knead the dough with hand to obtain a smooth texture. Fill the idiyappam maker with dough. Take the Idli maker and put a tbsp full of grated coconut in each depression. 
• Prepare a steamer. Using the idiyappam maker, squeeze out the dough in the form of strings. Steam it in the steamer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the steamer and scoop it out using a spoon.
• Serve it hot with some kadala curry, chicken curry, egg curry or green peas curry or any curry of your choice.

Tips

1. Using roasted rice flour is important, else your idiyappam would turn out sticky.
2. The finer the holes of your idiyappam maker, the yummier would be your idiyappam. So while getting the idiyappam maker, check out for the size of holes and go with the smaller ones.
3. Do not add too much of boiling water while making the dough. It would get sticky. Just make sure that the entire rice flour just gets wet while mixing it and resting it would make the rice flour soak in the water.