String hoppers
- Side
- 12 pieces
- 60 minutes
This recipe for string hoppers - distinct from crispy egg hoppers - is made by making a soft dough with rice flour which is then extruded out of a string hopper press and steamed on string hopper mats called thattu. It doesn't require many ingredients, but does require some specialised kit. String hoppers can be savoury or sweet, either served with various curries or some sugar and coconut milk.
This recipe is taken from Hoppers: The Cookbook by Karan Gokani (Quadrille, £30) Photography: Ryan Wijayaratne
Karan says: 'String hoppers are regularly eaten alongside curries and sambols and are best described as pillowy soft discs or flattened balls of steaming hot rice flour ‘noodles’. They are usually made with string hopper flour, which is effectively a finely milled roasted rice flour, sold in packets at specialist Asian stores specifically for this purpose. You can find red or white rice flour, which results in string hoppers of the corresponding colour. I find the white version to be smoother than the red but prefer the latter when eating them in place of rice, soaked in curry.'
'If you can’t find string hopper flour, you can use plain rice flour, as long as it is very finely milled. Roast it over a medium heat until fragrant and slightly nutty, but don’t let the colour change. Then allow it to cool to room temperature before passing it through a fine-mesh strainer. It’s worth noting that brands and varieties of rice flour can vary significantly, and one might not perform as well as the other, and particularly as well as the specialist flours. If using cane mats, you won’t need to oil them as they are naturally non-stick. I have recently seen brands of string hopper flour that call for cold water instead of boiling water; follow the packet instructions. The rest of the recipe remains identical.'
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 250g of string hopper flour
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp oil
- 200ml of boiling water, or up to 250ml
Equipment
- string hopper mats (thattu)
- idli moulds or perforated tray
- string hopper press
Method
Combine the string hopper flour, salt and ½ tsp oil in a large bowl. Slowly trickle in the boiling water while mixing constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stopping when the mix is just starting to come together. Depending on the variety of rice flour you use, you may not need the full 200ml, so proceed with caution as it will go from too dry to too wet very suddenly
- 250g of string hopper flour
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp oil
- 200ml of boiling water, or up to 250ml
Wearing rubber gloves, start kneading the dough. (Don’t try this with bare hands, as the dough will be extremely hot.) Knead quickly and gently, adding more water very slowly until everything comes together as a firm yet soft ball
Divide the dough into balls and place one in the string hopper press. Oil your plastic string hopper mats or perforated tray (see note). Press out the string hoppers using the finest mesh ring. Cover the entire mat moving in circles and repeat until you have a double-layered string hopper on each mat. Use a sharp knife to cut away the strings of dough before moving onto the next string hopper
- 1/2 tsp oil
If you don’t have a steamer, boil some water in a large, lidded pan and place a
wooden or metal rack within it so the string hopper mats can sit on top of them
and steam. Alternatively, you can place the string hopper mats inside a bamboo
or metal steaming basket. Steam for 10–12 minutes, then remove onto a plate and serve immediately or store in an airtight box while you prepare the rest. You can prepare these ahead and keep them chilled. To reheat, steam for 3–4 minutes, or until soft and piping hot before serving
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