Idiyappam

1. Before making the dough, grease oil on an idli pan.
2. Cut banana leaves into two squares. Grease the leaves with a little bit of oil. And place them on the idli pan.
3. Heat a kadai on low flame. Add one cup of rice flour and stir for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Continue stirring until steam comes from the rice flour. Switch off the flame.
5. Transfer the rice flour in a mixing bowl.
6. In the same kadai, add water and salt.
7. Allow the water to come to a boil. When tiny bubbles appear in the water switch off the flame.
8. Add hot water in rice flour. Mix well with a spoon.
9. When the heat is tolerable, knead the mixture into soft dough. If the dough is dry then add some more water. If the dough is too sticky then add a few tablespoons rice flour.
10. Now heat 2 cups of water on low flame and let it come to a boil.
11. In the meanwhile, spread some water or oil on the disc that is used to make idiyappam.
12. Divide the dough into 2 to 3 portions. And place it in the idiyappam maker one by one.
13. Press the idiyappam maker to give the dough a round shape.
14. Now sprinkle some coconut on each idiyappam.
15. Add the idiyappam in the boiling water. Turn the flame to medium heat. Cover it with a lid. Cook idiyappams for 9 to 10 minutes.
16. Take them out using a spatula and place them on banana leaves.
17. Serve idiyappams with vegetable korma, potato korma, vegetable stew, potato stew or sweetened coconut milk.

Trivia

• There is an English dish, string hoppers, which is very similar to the South Indian idiyappams
• The name “idiyappam” is derived from the Tamil word “idi” meaning broken down and “appam” meaning pancakes.
• An imminent food scientist and food historian K.T Achaya stated that idiyappam is known to exist in India since 1^st century A.D.