String Hoppers

String Hoppers (Idiyappam)

A Sri Lankan breakfast staple of steamed rice-flour nests, pressed into fine coils and served with coconut sambol, dhal or a spicy curry. The dough is deliberately soft and slightly warm so it passes cleanly through the hopper press.

Prep

30 min

Cook

20 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (2 cups) roasted rice flour (idiyappam flour), roasted or raw white rice flour works; roast raw flour in a dry pan for 5 minutes if unavailable
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) water, hot, about 90°C / 195°F
• •fine salt, ½
• •1 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil, for greasing the press and steamer mats
• •50 g (½ cup) grated fresh coconut, optional, for serving; desiccated coconut soaked 10 minutes in warm water is a substitute

Steps

1. 1 Grease a hopper press (string hopper press / idiyappam maker) with oil and fit it with the fine disc. If using a wooden press, soak it in water for 10 minutes first.
2. 2 Place the rice flour and salt in a wide bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in about two-thirds of the hot water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour starts to clump.
3. 3 Add the remaining hot water a spoonful at a time, mixing until a soft, smooth, non-sticky dough forms. It should be pliable like soft playdough - if it cracks, add a little more hot water; if it sticks, dust with a little dry flour.
4. 4 Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 5 minutes so the flour fully hydrates.
5. 5 Pinch off a portion of dough and load it into the hopper press. Press the dough out in tight, even coils onto greased steamer mats, idiyappam plates, or squares of greased baking paper, forming nests about 10 cm (4 inches) across.
6. 6 Bring water to a rolling boil in a steamer or a wide pot with a steamer insert. Place the mats in the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes. The hoppers are done when they turn slightly translucent, spring back when touched, and pull away from the mat cleanly - no raw, chalky centre.
7. 7 Lift the mats out and let the string hoppers rest for 1 minute before peeling them off with a thin spatula or your fingertips. Serve warm with coconut sambol, dhal curry, or a meat or vegetable curry.
8. 8 Leftover string hoppers keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days; re-steam for 2–3 minutes to soften before serving.