String hoppers (indiappa in Sinhala, idiyappam in Tamil) are little woven nests of steamed rice noodles, pressed from a dough through a special mould and steamed until soft. They're a classic Sri Lankan breakfast or dinner, eaten with a thin curry (kiri hodi), pol sambol and sometimes a dhal or fish curry. Light, mild and naturally gluten-free, they're the perfect vehicle for something spicy.
You'll need a string hopper press (idiyappam press) and small round steaming mats or trays that fit your steamer. The dough is nothing more than rice flour and hot water — the trick is getting it warm, soft and pliable so it extrudes into fine, even strands.
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted rice flour (string hopper flour, red or white)
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water, plus more as needed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Oil, for greasing the mats
Method
- Put the rice flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water gradually, mixing with a spoon (it's too hot for hands at first).
- When cool enough to handle, knead into a soft, smooth, pliable dough — softer than bread dough. Add a little more boiling water if it feels stiff or crumbly; it should not crack when pressed.
- Lightly grease your steaming mats. Fill the string hopper press with a ball of dough, hold it over a mat, and squeeze in a circular motion to pipe a flat spiral nest of noodles. Repeat to fill all the mats.
- Arrange the mats in a steamer. Steam over boiling water for 6–8 minutes, until the noodles look set and cooked through (no raw-flour patches).
- Lift out and gently slide the string hoppers off the mats. Keep them covered and warm while you steam the rest.
- Serve warm with kiri hodi (coconut gravy), pol sambol, dhal or any curry.
Cook's notes
- Use roasted rice flour made for string hoppers — plain rice flour won't give the same texture.
- Keep the dough soft and warm; a stiff or cool dough is hard to press and gives thick, uneven strands.
- Work in batches and keep finished string hoppers covered so they don't dry out.
Good to know