Idiyappam

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Idiyappam,
Idiyappam with Egg Masala Curry.jpg
Idiyappam served with curry
Alternative namesSevai, Santhagai, Putu mayam, putu mayang, "chomai", string hoppers
TypeBreakfast
Region or stateSouth India. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lanka
Associated national cuisineKerala cuisine, Tamil cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine
Main ingredientsRice flour

Idiyappam (Tamil: இடியாப்பம், Malayalam: ഇടിയപ്പം), also known as string hopper / indiappa (Sinhala: ඉඳිආප්ප)nool puttu (Tamil: நூல்புட்டு, Malayalam: നൂൽപ്പുട്ട്), or noolappam ( Tamil: நூல் அப்பம் or நூல் ஆப்பம், Malayalam: നൂലപ്പം), chomai (Kannada: ಚೋಮಾಯಿ), is a rice noodle dish originating from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It consists of rice flour pressed into noodles, woven into a flat disc-like shape and steamed. The dish also spread to Southeast Asia, where it is called putu mayam in Malaysia and Singapore, putu mayang in Indonesia.

History[edit]

According to food historian K. T. Achaya, Idiyappam, Appam, Idli, Dosai and vadai were already known in ancient Tamil country around 1st century AD, as per references in the Sangam literature.[1]

Distribution[edit]

Idiyappam is a culinary speciality throughout the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka and in Sri Lanka. The name idiyappam derives from the Tamil. The Tamil word idi (meaning beat) and appam, (meaning pancake) together forms a new name for the version of Appam dish. The dish is also, frequently, called noolappam or noolputtu, originating from the Tamil and Malayalam word nool, meaning string or thread. In coastal areas of Karnataka, such as Mangalore and Udupi, it is also termed semige or semé da addae in Tulu. In the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, Idiyappam is named as Santhavai where the steamed rice flour ball is pressed, a reverse process[citation needed]. It is eaten with Tuluva chicken or fish curry, and a coconut milk dish called rasayana.[2] It is also a common breakfast item in Malaysia & Singapore, where it is called Puttu Mayam, typically served with brown sugar and grated coconut.

Preparation[edit]

Forming noodle-like pattern with rice flour paste before steam boiling Idiyappam

It is made of rice flour or ragi flour (Finger millet flour), salt and water. It is generally served as the main course at breakfast or dinner together with a curry (potato, egg, fish or meat curry) and coconut chutney. It is served with coconut milk and sugar in the Malabar region of Kerala. It is not usually served at lunch. In other parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka, it is mostly eaten with spicy curries. Using wheat flour in its preparation gives it a brownish hue.

Mix rice flour with hot water, optionally add ghee, season with salt. Knead into a smooth dough. Fill an 'idiyappam' press or a sieve with the dough and press the noodles onto banana leaves or directly into an idli steamer. Add a little grated coconut if desired. Steam for 5–10 minutes. The idiyappam is served with coconut gratings (Pol sambola) and coconut milk (Kiri hodi).[3][4][5]

The process for making putu mayam consists of mixing rice flour or idiyappam flour with water or coconut milk, and pressing the dough through a sieve to make vermicelli-like noodles. These are steamed, usually with the addition of juice from the aromatic pandan leaf (screwpine) as flavouring. The noodles are served with grated coconut and jaggery, or, preferably, gur (date palm sugar). In some areas, gula melaka (coconut palm sugar) is the favourite sweetener. Putu piring is a version of putu mayam in which the rice flour dough is used to form a small cake around a filling of coconut and gur or jaggery.[6][unreliable source?]

Serving[edit]

Putu mayam

In Malaysia and Singapore, putu mayam and its relatives are commonly sold as street food from market stalls or carts, as well as being made at home, and are usually served cold. In Indonesia, putu mayam is called Putu mayang and is served with palm sugar mixed with coconut milk.

This dish may be eaten for breakfast with a vegetable stew or aviyal, or a fish curry, etc. The same liking for serving the slightly sweet putu mayam, putu piring, or cendol with savoury dishes also occurs in Malaysia and Singapore. Idiyappam is typical of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other southern Indian states, as well as Sri Lanka. A very finely ground, commercial iddiyapam flour is sold as a sort of "instant" way to make all of these dishes.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. K. T. Achaya (November 2003). The Story of Our Food. Universities Press. p. 80. ISBN 81-7371-293-X.
  2. "Idiyappam". Marias Menu. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  3. Wickramasinghe and Rajah (2005). Food of India. Murdoch books. ISBN 978-1-74045-472-8.
  4. 50 of the Best: 30-minute Meals. Murdoch books. 1 January 2012. ISBN 978-1-74336-265-5.
  5. Vairavan (2010). Chettinad kitchen. Westland. p. 64. ISBN 9789380283883.
  6. "AROMA RASA: Heavenly putu piring". Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2019.

External links[edit]

Template:Sri Lankan cuisine

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