Red Rice Idiyappams/String Hoppers

Although this dish looks complicated, it's not! But as I was in a mad rush to go to my Yoga class, was unable to make a nice side dish to go with this, so I settled for the humble chutney that was the easiest to make...



This is a typical Sri Lankan delicacy or a South Indian delicacy (Kerala) and my twist today was that I stuck firmly to my Red Rice Powder instead of the white version. I used the same powder that I used in a previous blog on the Red Rice Funnel Cake/Puttu. I used my Idli steamer for steaming these stringy mamas! :) So take your red rice flour, add boiling water to it along with adequate salt. Do not handle the dough then with your fingers, wait for the dough to cool a bit, then scoop it into the equipment shown below to make the string hoppers. (Amma leaves the idiyappams like this)



Fill the cavity with the dough, then with the help of the screwing/unscrewing movement or clockwise/anticlockwise movement you will be able to fill the oiled cavities of the steamer with the dough in a stringy manner. My mom used to place banana leaves to fit and would neatly press the shapes into the leaves. I would have done so, but for being the damn punctual person that I am and was running late for my class, had to do without it, couldn't go out to get some fresh leaves.

My Amma (MIL) used to make the idiyappams as shown in the pic above this, with the coconut garnish on the outside. But I learnt from my late mom to kind of sandwich the sugar-coated coconut gratings with more Idiyappam dough. The choice is yours...you can crush one or two cardamons in your sugar-coated grated coconut.



The lid goes on top of this and left to steam for a while, as you have already used hot water to the dough, it is partially cooked already, so steam for a while only!



Amma presented me this string hopper equipment with my name etched on it. I just laid out one of the discs that come along used for pressing out some savoury in hot oil. I have used the circular disc which has much smaller holes to get very thin strings ideal for Idiyappams!



This should give you a clearer picture on the thinness...



That's your idiyappams with chutney. Please prepare a spicier dish to go with this. Do use less coconut gratings for health purpose and you can avoid the sugar as well espclly if you are diabetic or watching your diet. As for me my diet alwys is thrown out of the window when I enter my haven to cook :) just kidding guys...health is everything and our life is in our own hands!