String Hopper Press

String Hoppers/Idiyappam/Nool Puttu/Seviyan is a staple breakfast or Dinner menu in most South Indian families. These fluffy Rice Noodle discs are steamed and are paired with sweetened Coconut Milk or a mild coconut-based curry. The Idiyappams are very light and are loved by the Children and the Old.

As there was a need to squeeze the Rice dough into thin noodles, the String Hopper press was invented. The device comprises a hollow cylinder to hold the rice dough and a cylindrical press to push out the thin noodles. They are squeezed out in the form of thin discs and then steamed in an idli pot.

Multiple industrial presses are being used now, but the original handy presses are still seen in every South Indian household.

Photography @ana_arch_