Samba pacharisi idiyappam / Red rice string hoppers is a healthy steamed dish made using Samba pacharisi / Red raw rice. This particular rice consists of so many health benefits. It is a traditional rice variety found in Tamil Nadu. It is unpolished. It is healthier than the white rice. It aids in good digestion, increases immunity and strengthens muscles.

It is commonly used at my husband’s place, Tuticorin. This rice is used to make Venpongal during Pongal festival. My mother-in-law used to make this idiyappam using homemade idiyappam flour in Thoothukudi. We liked it a lot. She once brought some idiyappam flour to Hyderabad and I started making this at home. From then on, she will prepare the idiyappam flour and send it to us or brings it whenever she visits us. Whenever we visit India, I bring a big batch of idiyappam flour to the US. We all love idiyappam as it is a common dish at my mother’s place and mother-in-law’s place.

She makes the idiyappam flour by following a specific process. This yields in perfectly soft and tasty idiyappam. It requires quite some effort but totally worth it. I have never got a chance to make idiyappam flour because no flour mills are there here. But wanted to try it out sometime when I visit India. Store bought flour is not even a match for the homemade flour. My mother-in-law brings in small healthy twists in many dishes so that we get many health benefits. She tries to make almost everything homemade. I like the traditional recipes she usually makes. I will be sharing more recipes from her cooking.

The idiyappam flour recipe pictures was shot by my mother-in-law in Tuticorin. The idiyappam making procedure picture was shot by me in the US.

Lets begin!!

Ingredients

Samba Pacharisi Idiyappam Flour

• Samba pacharisi / Red raw rice- 1 kg

Procedure

• Wash and soak the samba pacharisi for 2 hours with enough water.
• Strain it in a colander and let it dry for sometime. About 2 hours.
• It should still be slightly wet. Do not dry it completely. Give the rice in a flour mill available in your place and grind it to a very fine powder.

• Roast the flour in batches in a wide kadai in very low flame.
• Keep sauteing till the flour comes to a silky sand like consistency.
• Use a sieve and strain the roasted flour.
• .After finishing straining the flour, there will be some bigger granules left on the sieve. Take this in a mixie jar and grind it. Then strain this too and add it to the idiyappam flour.

• Store it in an airtight container after it cools down completely.
• Stays good for 6 months. Shelf life is more when we store it in freezer.

Samba pacharisi Idiyappam

• Samba pacharisi Idiyappam Flour – 2 cups
• Warm water – 1 cup + few more spoons of water if necessary
• Salt – 1 tsp

Procedure

• In a wide bowl, add in the idiyappam flour + salt and mix it well.
• Add in very warm water in small portions. Keep mixing it using the backside of the spoon till you feel the dough is ready to be kneaded with hand. Be cautious while adding water. The heat should be bearable by now.

• Knead it to a smooth dough.
• Keep your idiyappam press ready.

• In a idli steamer, add in water and heat it.
• Add idiyappam dough in the mould. I use a small holed mould for idiyappam. This yields in thin idiyappam. Press it in circular motion in the tray used for steaming. I prepare the idli plates and cover it with a wet cloth.

• Steam for 8-10 mins in medium flame.
• Remove from the cloth gently.

• Serve with some coconut milk + palm sugar/jaggery/naatu sarkarai/sugar + grated coconut (or) any veg/non-veg kuruma of your choice.
• Tastes great!

• Healthy and delicious meal is ready to eat!

Notes

• If you are using mixie to grind the rice, add it in small quantities and make sure to sieve it twice. The flour should be very fine. Only then it will pass through the idiyappam mould holes and result in a perfect idiyappam.
• While roasting the flour, make sure to do it very low flame.
• Add water cautiously to the flour while preparing idiyappam, else the dough will become runny.
• Add very warm water to achieve a soft idiyappam.
• Mine is a easy to use idiyappam press which also has multipe moulds used to prepare snacks as well. You can use any press of your choice.