Idiyappam.... Rice string hoppers

Idiyappam is a simple dish which is not so heavy to the tummy and so very apt for breakfast. If you have idiyappam rice flour ready at hand then it takes no time to pull this together. My kids love it so we tend to make it for school as well for a simple weekend breakfast

They are soft steam cooked rice noodles which melt in the mouth. You can have it with some sugar or give it a little tadka and enjoy as idiyappam upma. We love it both ways so we end up serving both style

Serves... 4 ppl

Serve option... Hot

This is what u'll need....

Idiyappam Flour - 1 1/2 cup
Gingelly oil - 1 tspn
Sugar - as needed
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Broken Dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves- few
Red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tbspn
Salt to taste

Here is the stir.... 

• To make idiyappam flour just soak raw rice for an hour. Drain the water and set it aside. Spread a cotton cloth on a table or counter top. Spread rice on it and let it air dry or dry under the fan. Dry till there is very little moisture which will hold the rice together when you try to squeeze a handful of rice inside your palm. Grind it fine in the mixer. Sieve if needed. Dry roast this flour on low flame till you get the aroma filling your kitchen. Let it cool. Store it in an airtight container

• In a deep pan measure in some homemade idiyappam flour. If you dont have then you can also use store-bought flour

• Add in little salt as per your taste

• Boil some water in a pan

• When water comes to a rolling boil add a teaspoon of gingelly oil. This will make the idiyappam very soft and also keeps it soft longer

• Pour the hot water into the flour and give it a quick mix using a wooden spatula. Add some more water if you  see any dry flour in the bowl

• Stir it around till all the flour is incorporated well

• Keep moving the spatula till get a soft dough

• When the dough is still hot pinch out some of it and push it into the idiyappam maker

• Squeeze out noodles into a greased idli plate. I just run it round and round to make it into one big idiyappam

• Place water in a cooker and let it come to a boil

• Arrange the idli plates into the cooker. Remove the whistle from cooker

• Let this steam for around 8-9 minutes

• Turn off the flame and let cool for a couple of minutes

• Serving style 1 : Place some idiyappams onto a plate. Sprinkle sugar and grated coconut on top 

• Serving style 2 : 

1. Break idiyappam into small pieces and keep aside

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, broken urad dal, broken red chillies and curry leaves to it

1. After a few seconds add thinly sliced shallots / pearl onions to the pan. Add some salt and saute till onion gets fried a little

1. Add the idiyappam pieces to it and toss well till everything is evenly distributed

• Serve hot and enjoy

Note:

• Use boiling water to make the dough
• Stir continuously when adding water to avoid lumps
• The dough need not a perfect shiny dough. It should just pull in all the flour in the bowl