String hoppers
Idiyappam / indiappa: steamed nests of rice-flour noodles with kiri hodi coconut gravy
String hoppers are lacy nests of steamed rice-flour noodles, pressed through a hand mould onto small woven mats, and they're the classic Sri Lankan breakfast or dinner in Tamil homes in Jaffna and in Sinhala homes everywhere, bought by the dozen from neighbourhood shops when there's no time to make them. They're soft and light and made to soak up kiri hodi, a thin, turmeric-yellow coconut milk gravy with fenugreek and curry leaves, plus pol sambol and a potato or dhal curry. Kiri hodi is sometimes made with Maldive fish; we keep it vegetarian. Roasted red rice flour gives a nuttier, pinker nest. The common mistake is using cold or warm water for the dough: it must be boiling, or the strings crack and fall apart. Chef's tip: steam the nests for only 6–8 minutes; longer and they turn rubbery.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the string hoppers
For the kiri hodi
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz roasted rice flour (white or red) and ½ tsp salt in a heatproof bowl. Pour in 1 ¼ cups boiling water a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it comes together as a soft, smooth dough that doesn't stick to your fingers once cool enough to touch. You may not need it all.
5 minStep 2: Knead briefly while still warm, about 1 minute, then keep covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out.
1 minStep 3: Rub string hopper mats (or a steamer basket lined with oiled baking paper rounds) with 1 tsp coconut oil. Fill a string hopper press (idiyappam maker) with dough and press it out in a circular motion onto each mat to make a thin, lacy nest about 10 cm across.
10 minStep 4: Steam the nests over boiling water, covered, for 6–8 minutes, until they look opaque and feel springy rather than sticky. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
16 minStep 5: Meanwhile, make the kiri hodi: heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add ½ tsp fenugreek seeds and 1 cinnamon stick for 20 seconds, then 4 shallots, 2 green chillies, 1 garlic clove and 10 fresh curry leaves and fry for 3 minutes until soft.
3 minStep 6: Add ½ tsp ground turmeric, ¾ cup water, 1 ¾ cups coconut milk and ¾ tsp salt. Bring just to a simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring often, and cook for 6–8 minutes, until it is a thin, bright yellow gravy. Don't let it boil hard.
8 minStep 7: Take off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp lime juice. Pile the string hoppers on plates and spoon the warm kiri hodi over or alongside, with pol sambol.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does string hoppers take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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