Kanchana's Sri Lankan Idiappam

Idiapam served with steamed rice noodles in a bowl

To make enough idiappam for 5 people


In Sri Lanka some people eat Idiappam every morning. But I don’t because it is hard to make it. I really like to have it once a week. Idiappam makes you feel warm inside and strong. You can’t eat too much because it’s too heavy. It’s rice and curry. After you have eaten Idiappam you won’t feel hungry for at least 5 hours. The whole of Sri Lanka eats Idiappam. It doesn’t matter if you are Tamil or Sinhalese, rich or poor. The rich people are lazy. They tell poor people to make Idiappam for them. Let’s say you were a rich Sri Lankan, you would place an order with a poor Sri Lankan family to send you Idiappam in the morning.

Ingredients

For the curried egg

• 5 peeled boiled eggs
• 2 chopped onions
• 3 long sliced green chillies
• Chopped tomato
• Two heaped tablespoons of hot chili powder
• 1 heaped tablespoon of asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 level tablespoons of whole coriander seed
• Half a glass of water
• One glass of coconut milk
• Two tablespoons of sunflower oil

Instructions

1. First heat the saucepan with the oil.
2. Then add the onions and the chillies.
3. When the onions are light brown add the powdered chili and asafoetida.
4. After about three minutes add the tomato and the water.
5. After five minutes add the boiled eggs.
6. Add the coconut milk. It won’t take long to reduce and thicken.
7. Finally, add the coriander seeds and mix them through.

This is the noodle machine

For the rice noodles

Ingredients

1. A medium sized pan of water

2. A pinch of salt

3. 500 grams Rice flour

Instructions

1. First heat the water to a boil.

2. The add salt to water.

3. Put the rice flour in a bowel and then add the water.

4. Next mix the hot water and the rice till it is soft.

5. Then put the rice into the rice noodle machine.

6. Mill out the noodles.

7. Put the noodles in a colander and steam them in a pot of boiling water with the lid on for 5 minutes.

Serving instructions

You put the noodles in the middle of each plate and then you add the curry on top of the noodles. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Recipe by Kanchana  Hapuhinna