Delicate and light filled with coconut flavour, coconut idiyappam is very easy to make. It needs a little patience and you can serve some really fancy looking food in no time. I generally use good quality store-bought idiyappam flour, organic of course. But you can also use rice flour to make idiyappam, check the notes in the recipe card.
For coconut idiyappam it’s best to grind the coconut into a paste before adding to the flour. I skipped this as I was in a hurry but coconut can get stuck in the plate while pressing out the idiyappam. Ensure to season the idiyappam dough well or your coconut idiyappam will taste bland.
Coconut idiyappam can be served with varieties of side dishes. Here I have served it with kadhi and pickle. Vegetable stew or sweet coconut milk are also good options to serve with coconut idiyappam. More steamed recipes from FOI, steamed akki roti, steamed vegetable momos, akki tari idli, sihi kadubu and khara kadubu. Try more coconut based recipes from FOI.
- 1 Cup idiyappam flour
- 1⅔ Cups boiling water
- ¼ Tsp coconut oil
- ½ Cup grated coconut
- Salt to taste
- Oil to grease
- In a bowl take the idiyappam rice flour
- Sprinkle salt to taste and add grated coconut
- Give it a good mix till the coconut is mixed with the flour
- In a pan, add water and coconut oil and let it come to a boil
- Make a well in the centre of the flour, slowly pour the water
- Carefully gather the flour into a lump and knead into a soft dough
- Apply oil and set aside
- Grease the steamer plates (thatte idli plates)
- In a idiyappam press or chakli press, fit in the small holed plates
- Lightly oil the inside of the chakli maker
- Take a fistful of dough and make a rough log
- Put this into the chakli maker
- Slowly press idiyappam out of the chakli maker and form a nest
- Repeat with all plates
- Steam for 10 minutes in a idli cooker
- Let it rest for 2-3 minutes
- Serve hot with kadhi, pickle or vegetable stew
If you do not have idiyappam flour, slowly roast rice flour in a pan on low flame till warm to the touch, cool and use as idiyappam flour
If you do not have idiyappam press, use regular chakli press with the 'sev' plate
Coconut Idiyappam Stepwise:
In a bowl take the idiyappam rice flour
Sprinkle salt to taste and add grated coconut
Give it a good mix till the coconut is mixed with the flour
In a pan, add water and coconut oil and let it come to a boil
Make a well in the centre of the flour, slowly pour the water
Carefully gather the flour into a lump and knead into a soft dough
Apply oil and set aside
Grease the steamer plates (thatte idli plates)
In a idiyappam press or chakli press, fit in the small holed plates
Lightly oil the inside of the chakli maker
Take a fistful of dough and make a rough log
Put this into the chakli maker
Slowly press idiyappam out of the chakli maker and form a nest
Repeat with all plates
Steam for 10 minutes in a idli cooker
Let it rest for 2-3 minutes
Serve hot with kadhi, pickle or vegetable stew
