Kongunadu Sandhagai Idiyappam Recipe

Idiyappam aka Sandhagai string hopper is a very authentic kongunadu recipe. Just a short note on how special this recipe is in our region…The newly married couples, before the bride and groom stepping to groom’s house, the married girl parents send their daughter by making a special vegetarian virunthu/feast and sandhagai is in the top of the menu on that day along with Panchamirtham and coconut milk. They never miss this recipe in their menu and nowadays savory version

of this sev is also common in that function. I already have Lemon Kambu and Ragi Sev recipes but waited to prepare and record this version at Mom’s place :-). The pictures shown below are the traditional santhavai manai my grandma is preserving still but bit unconditional, so we prepared it with my mom’s tall stainless steel Idiyappam Presser.

They don’t use instant flour instead soak n grind the Idli rice (without urad dhal and fenugreek) and make idlis’. Also this batter doesn’t need to ferment. Just blend and make idli’s immediately. Press it when the idlis are hot and you will get thin white string hoppers in few minutes 🙂

Ingredients for Idiyappam Recipe

Idli Rice – 2 Cups
Thick Coconut Milk – 1/2 Cup (to enhance the taste and flavor) 
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp (use only if making sweet version)
Salt – 1/4 tsp 

Yields – 12 idlis

How to make Idiyappam

• Soak the rice at least 5 hours(Pic 1) and grind with coconut milk to smooth batter.
• You can use mixie/blender too.
• Add salt and necessary water, check the consistency in pic 2, it should be watery like dosa batter.
• Heat the idli pan with water and pour the prepared batter.
• They won’t puff up like usual idlis and will cook in 5-6 mins of time when water in the pan is already boiled.
• Remove the hot idlis when stick inserted at center comes out clean(pic 3) and immediately press it in already oil greased sandhagai press (pic 4 & 5).
• Its already cooked so no need to steam again.
• Store the soft idiyappam’s in hot pack or cover it with wet cloth till you use (Pic 6).
• Best to go with Cardamom flavored coconut milk and panchamirtham.

How to make Coconut Milk

Blend the shredded coconut, water in a food processor/mixie and extract the juice twice.

If you have juice extractor attachment then use it.

Add sugar and cardamom powder as needed to the extracted coconut milk.

Make sure the milk is thick.

Panchamirtham

Add well ripen bananas,sugar/jaggery and cardamom powder, mix all together, optional to add kalkandu,chopped dates or pomegranate with it.

I know many of you are away from home country and using handy murukku press to make instant sev like me, so I have shared the instant idiyappam using store bought rice flour…Regarding the press use the very tiny hole, you can check the pictures here.

Ingredients For Sandhagai using Instant Rice Flour

Rice Flour or Idiyappam Flour – 2 Cups (If using Rice Flour you can add some coconut powder 2-3 tbsp or coconut milk 1/4 cup )

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Water – 3/4th Cup (you may not need the whole)

How to make Sandhagai Using Instant Flour

• Mix the flour and salt (Pic 1).
• Boil the water, when boils vigorously, add the water in batches to flour and mix well (Pic 2).
• Keep kneading till they hold it shapes, the dough should not stick and also it should not break/leave crack (Pic 3).
• Put it in the sev press and rotate in circular motion over the idli/steamer plate in small rounds.
• If using idli pan, grease the idli plate or cook sev over wet idli cloth, it takes 5-7 minutes to cook.
• I used electric steamer, add water in the pan and keep the steamer plate over it_Pic 5) .
• Select Steam option, by default it takes 10 minutes after water starts boiling(Pic 4).
• But i removed it after 7 minutes of cooking (Pic 6), anyways it depends on the dense of the idiyappam you pressed.
• Store the soft idiyappams in hot pack or cover it with wet cloth till you use.

Best to go with Cardamom flavored coconut milk and panchamirtham.

Video Tutorial

Recipe Card

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Classic Idiyappam Sandhagai

Author: Sangeetha Priya

Ingredients

• Idli Rice – 2 Cups
• Shredded Coconut – 2 -3 Tbsp to enhance the taste and flavor or 1/4 cup thick coconut milk
• Cardamom Powder with sugar
• Salt – 1/4 tsp

Instructions

How to make Classic Idiyappam Sandhagai

1. Soak the rice at least 5 hours(Pic 1) and grind with coconut to smooth batter.
2. You can use mixie/blender too.
3. Add salt and necessary water, check the consistency in pic 2, it shoud be watery like dosa batter.
4. Heat the idli pan with water and pour the prepared batter.
5. They won’t puff up like usual idlis and will cook in 5-6 mins of time when water in the pan is already boiled.
6. Remove the hot idlis when stick inserted at center comes out clean(pic 3) and immediately press it in already oil greased sandhagai press (pic 4 & 5).
7. Its already cooked so no need to steam again.Store the soft idiyappam’s in hot pack or cover it with wet cloth till you use (Pic 6).
8. Best to go with Cardamom flavored coconut milk and panchamirtham.

How to make Coconut Milk

1. Blend the shredded coconut, water in a food processor/mixie and extract the juice twice.
2. If you have juice extractor attachment then use it. Add sugar and cardamom powder as needed to the extracted coconut milk.
3. Make sure the milk is thick.

Panchamirtham

1. Add well ripen bananas,sugar/jaggery and cardamom powder, mix all together, optional to add kalkandu,chopped dates or pomegranate with it.

• Idiyappam / Sandhagai with Sweetened Coconut Milk
• Mashed and Sweetened Bananas
• Sabudana Khicdi Recipe HERE
• Lauki Kurma Recipe HERE
• Oil Free Chapati Recipe HERE

Do check my Other Idiyappam Recipes HERE