String Hoppers (Idiyappam)

Sift 350 g of rice flour into a bowl, add 6 g of salt and mix well.

Heat 400 ml of water until just lukewarm, so you can comfortably touch it with a finger. Pour the water into the flour in a thin stream, stirring, until the dough forms clumps.

Once the mixture has cooled slightly, knead it by hand into a soft, pliable dough: it should hold its shape without crumbling or sticking to your fingers.

Brush the steamer baskets or mats with a thin layer of 1 tsp oil so the finished nests release easily.

Fill the idiyappam press about 80% full with dough and press thin rice noodles onto the basket in spiral circles, shaping them into flat nests.

Arrange the nests in the steamer without overcrowding and steam, covered, for 5–6 minutes, until they turn springy and no longer stick. Serve hot with coconut sambol, dhal curry, or another Sri Lankan curry.