Idiyappam Recipe, How To Make Soft Idiyappam, Nool Puttu

Idiyappam is an all time favorite recipe at home. Serve it with sweet coconut milk and stew and it makes for a fantastic breakfast or dinner. You can also serve with Chicken Stew. Idiyappam is also called as Nool Puttu in Karnataka and String Hoppers in Srilanka.

A Note on the rice flour used: I use plain rice flour for this recipe. Generally, Idiyappam and kozhukattai is made with puttu flour / Idiyappam rice flour that’s available in the market. Many a time, I find the store bought puttu flour / Idiyappam rice flour to be rancid. So I adapted this method where I roast the plain rice flour and make Idiyappam or kozhukattai. Also, rice flour is easily available everywhere.

Many people use puttu flour for making Idiyappam. I prefer using just plain old regular rice flour. The trick is in the roasting of the flour. We will be making idiyappam today with just plain rice flour. The key to a good idiyappam is to roast the flour until very hot so it absorbs more water while kneading and that results in a very soft and fluffy idiyappam. Here is how to do idiyappam at home the most easy way. You will need an idiyappam press or an idiyappam maker for this recipe. You can buy it here. Note: If you have access to good quality puttu flour / idiyappam flour, do use that. It makes the best idiyappam.

Take a pan and add in a cup of flour to the pan. Roast the flour on medium flame until the flour is very hot to the touch. It will also start to slightly change colour at the bottom. If its kind of becoming yellow here and there, the flour is roasted. Remove and set aside.

Take a pressure cooker and add in 1.5 cups of water, a teaspoon of oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook for one whistle. Remove the pressure manually. Hot water is ready!

NOTE: I use a pressure cooker for this recipe as its fast and also retains the heat for a longer period of time. If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can try in a kettle or a pan etc…

Immediately add in the roasted rice flour and mix well to combine. Cover the cooker, put the whistle on and let it rest for 15 minutes. Remember the stove is off. We are just resting the dough covered. Rest for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, open the cooker and mix the dough. Prepare small oblong balls and load it in the idiyappam press. Press the idiyappam strings onto idli plates.

Once the dough is pressed, transfer the plates to a steamer and steam the idiyappam for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes of steaming, rest the idli plates for 5 minutes before removing the idiyappam.

Serve it with sweet coconut milk and stew and it makes for a fantastic breakfast or dinner.

Here is the video of the recipe. Hope you like it.

• 1 Cup Plain Rice Flour
• 1.5 Cups Water
• 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1. Take a pan and add in a cup of flour to the pan. Roast the flour on medium flame until the flour is very hot to the touch. Remove and set aside.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add in 1.5 cups of water, a teaspoon of oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook for one whistle. Remove the pressure manually.
3. Immediately add in the roasted rice flour and mix well to combine. Cover the cooker, put the whistle on and let it rest for 15 minutes. Remember the stove is off. We are just resting the dough covered. Rest for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, open the cooker and mix the dough. Prepare small oblong balls and load it in the idiyappam press. Press the idiyappam strings onto idli plates.
5. Once the dough is pressed, transfer the plates to a steamer and steam the idiyappam for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes of steaming, rest the idli plates for 5 minutes before removing the idiyappam.

Notes

Press the dough into idiyappam press when the dough is still hot. It becomes hard to press when the dough cools down.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Breakfast
• Cuisine: South Indian

• 1 Cup Plain Rice Flour
• 1.5 Cups Water
• 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1. Take a pan and add in a cup of flour to the pan. Roast the flour on medium flame until the flour is very hot to the touch. Remove and set aside.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add in 1.5 cups of water, a teaspoon of oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook for one whistle. Remove the pressure manually.
3. Immediately add in the roasted rice flour and mix well to combine. Cover the cooker, put the whistle on and let it rest for 15 minutes. Remember the stove is off. We are just resting the dough covered. Rest for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, open the cooker and mix the dough. Prepare small oblong balls and load it in the idiyappam press. Press the idiyappam strings onto idli plates.
5. Once the dough is pressed, transfer the plates to a steamer and steam the idiyappam for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes of steaming, rest the idli plates for 5 minutes before removing the idiyappam.

Notes

Press the dough into idiyappam press when the dough is still hot. It becomes hard to press when the dough cools down.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Breakfast
• Cuisine: South Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/idiyappam-recipe-soft-idiyappam/

Chicken Stew – The perfect partner for idiyappam and appam . Its called as Ishtu, the local word for stew. This is a very mild gravy / curry flavored with a lot of ginger and coconut milk. Here is how to do simple chicken stew. Here is the veg version of the recipe.

Its an extremely simple recipe. Get all the veggies ready. Cut the chicken into cubes. Make 3-4 incisions with the help of a knife into the drumsticks so the meat cooks well. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and fennel seeds. Very little of everything. The flavors of the spices are very mild in this recipe. Saute for a few seconds until the spices are aromatic. Add in all the veggies. Onion, ginger, curry leaves, potatoes and peas. Add lots of ginger. I kept some of the ginger pieces a little big so all the juices gets into the gravy but does not come to the mouth as a harsh bite. You can discard the ginger later if you wish.

Add in the chicken, green chillies and the salt. Add in half a cup of water to the pan. Cover the cooker and cook for 3 whitles on medium flame. It will take anywhere between 7-10 minutes. Switch off the stove and wait for the pressure from the cooker release naturally.

Open the cooker and add in a cup of thin coconut milk (second milk). Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then add half a cup of thick coconut milk and switch off the flame. Here is the recipe for extracting coconut milk at home. Note: If using canned coconut milk, add 1.5 cups of canned milk and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve Chicken Stew, Chicken Ishtu with idiyappam or appam .

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 stick / 2 inches cinnamon
• 1 cloves
• 2 cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 inch piece ginger, sliced
• 2 medium sized onions, sliced
• 1 cup fresh peas
• 2 medium sized potatoes, diced
• 500 grams chicken with bone
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup thin coconut milk (second milk)
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk (first milk)
• Note: If using canned coconut milk instead of fresh milk, 1.5 cups of canned milk

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and fennel seeds. Saute for a few seconds until the spices are aromatic. Add in all the veggies. Onion, ginger, curry leaves, potatoes and peas.
2. Add in the chicken, green chillies and the salt. Add in half a cup of water to the pan. Cook for 3 whistles. It will take anywhere between 7-10 minutes. Switch off the stove and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.
3. Open the cooker and add in a cup of thin coconut milk (second milk). Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then add half a cup of thick coconut milk and switch off the flame.
4. Serve Chicken Stew, Chicken Ishtu with idiyappam or appam.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: South Indian