A traditional Suhoor Kerala recipe for Ramadan - Idiyappam

A traditional sweet breakfast dish from Kerala that is made by steaming rice flour

Last updated:
3 MIN READ
Idiyappam or string hoppers
Idiyappam or string hoppers
Supplied/Sobha Varghese

Idiyappam is a traditional and authentic South Indian rice noodle made by steaming the rice flour, which is made by pressing through an Idiyappam maker. It is traditionally served as a breakfast dish and tastes best when paired with with egg roast, vegetable stew or even with coconut milk.

Serves: 2 to 3

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

200 gms roasted raw rice flour

½ cup grated coconut

Salt to taste

250 ml water

1 tsp cooking oil

Equipment required: Idiyappam mould or ‘Sevanazhi’

Method: 

Step: 1

Boil water along with the required amount of salt and one teaspoon of oil in a pan until it comes to a boiling point.

Step: 2

Take roasted raw rice flour in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water little by little. Mix the flour and water using a spatula to make a soft dough.

Step: 3

Once the dough cools down a bit knead the dough using your hand till it is soft. If the dough is still not soft enough, add a little more hot water and knead well. (Make sure the dough is really soft and moist. It may take 4 to 5 minutes to get a nice soft dough).

Step: 4

Grease the idiyappam mould (‘Sevanazhi’ in Malayalam) and its tiny holed disk. Fix the disk first and then fill the dough till ¾ of the cylinder. Then close the mould with its cover.

Step: 5

Place rectangular sized banana leaves on a clean and dry surface. Grease it with oil.

Step: 6

Squeeze the dough onto the banana leaf in a circular motion. After making the first layer. Spread one or two tablespoons of grated coconut on top of the spiral layer and cover it with another layer of dough.

Step:7

Boil water in a steamer and then place the idiyappam in the steamer and steam for 5 to 7 minutes

Finally, enjoy the idiyappam with egg roast or vegetable stew. You can also store them in a casserole if you want to serve or eat later. 

Note: Instead of banana leaves, you can also use an idli stand or idiyappam stand.

Sobha Varghese
Sobha Varghese
Sobha Varghese
A home-maker based in Mumbai, India, Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

Do you have a favourite recipe to share? Write to us at food@gulfnews.com

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