Idiyappam, also known as Nool Puttu or Shavige, is a traditional South Indian dish made by pressing rice flour dough into thin noodle-like strands and steaming them. These soft rice noodles are light and mild in taste and are commonly served with coconut milk, vegetable stew or curry.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 · 12 Idiyappam
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks
- Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup (130 grams) Rice Flour
- 1.25 to 1.3 cups hot water (- for kneading)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or add as required)
- ¼ cup coconut (- freshly grated, optional)
- 2 cups water (- for steaming)
Method
Preparation
- Before you begin making the dough, grease oil on an idli moulds or idli plates or a steamer pan and keep ready.
- If you have banana leaves then cut them in squares and place them on the idli moulds. Grease the banana leaves with some oil.
Roasting Rice Flour
- Heat a kadai or pan. Keep the heat to a low and add the rice flour.
- On a low heat stirring often roast the rice flour for 4 to 5 minutes. You don't need to brown the flour. It is just lightly roasted and this helps in making soft idiyappams.
- Continue to stir and roast till you see steam coming from the rice flour.
- When you see steam appearing from the rice flour, then turn off the heat. Remove the rice flour in a mixing bowl or pan.
Kneading Dough
- In the same kadai or pan in which rice flour was roasted, add water and salt.
- Let the water come to a boil. The water has to be hot but should not be very hot. Do not allow it to come to a rolling boil. When you see tiny bubbles appearing in the water and it begins to start boiling, that is the time you switch off the heat.
- Add the hot water to the rice flour.
- Begin to mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula.
- Keep on mixing and when the heat is tolerable then you can begin to knead. If you cannot knead then wait for 1 to 2 minutes and when the heat can be tolerated then start kneading. Do note that the dough has to be hot when you knead.
- Knead to a smooth and soft dough. If the dough looks dry then you can sprinkle some warm water on it and continue to knead. If the dough become sticky then add a few tablespoons rice flour and knead.
Making Idiyappam
- Take the disc meant for making the idiyappam and spread some water or oil on it.
- Also before you start making idiyappam, heat 2 cups water in a pan or pressure cooker and let it come to a boil. Keep water on a medium-low to medium heat.
- Grease the idiyappam maker with some oil or water before you place the dough in it. Cover the rest of the dough with a kitchen napkin so that they don't dry out.
- Divide the dough into 2 to 3 portions. Prepare a log from one portion and place it in the idiyappam press/murukku maker.
- Now begin to press the idiyappam/murukku maker directly on the idli moulds in a concentric round circle.
- Form one roundel of the idiyappam. Note that while making idiyappams, the dough has to be hot or warm.
- Continue to make idiyappams on all the idli moulds.
- Sprinkle some grated coconut on top of each idiappam.
- Now place the idli stand in the pan.
- Cover pan with a lid. If using pressure cooker, then remove the whistle (vent weight) and cover and seal the cooker with its lid.
- On medium to high heat steam idiyappams for 9 to 10 minutes. After they are cooked well, turn off the heat and let the idiyappams be inside the steamer pan for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Then remove the idli stand from the pan. Remove the idiyappams with a spatula and serve the idiyappam.
- If you have used banana leaves then you just need to pick up the banana leaves and serve. If not serving immediately then place the idiyappam in a casserole so that they stay warm.
- Serve idiyappam or nool puttu with veg korma, potato korma, mushroom korma, veg stew or potato stew or jaggery sweetened coconut milk.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.