String Hoppers

Photo: Amy B.

Ingredients

cup flour (625 mL)

cup toasted rice flour* (125 mL)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (5 mL)

2 cups hot water (500 mL)

Preparation

Line a steamer with several layers of cheesecloth and fill with the flour.

Steam for 45 minutes.

Spread the steamed flour on a baking sheet to cool.

Combine the steamed flour, rice flour and salt in a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the hot water.

Mix with a spoon until you can gather the dough together into a ball On a clean surface, knead the dough lightly for 2 to 3 minutes

Press the dough through the hopper press onto the thatu.

Place 6 filled thatu in the steamer and steam for 5 to 8 minutes.

While they are steaming fill the remaining thatu with dough, then steam.

*Can be found in some supermarkets and health food stores.

Special equipment: a steamer or steamer basket, cheesecloth or paper towel, string hopper press, 12 thatu mats, see Cook's Note*

*Cook's

Note: A string hopper press is a tool used for extruding dough, similar to the way a pasta machine extrudes noodles. It is usually made of wood or metal and can be found in specialty Sri Lankan stores. Thatu mats - perforated discs made of plastic or woven bamboo - are the forms the string hoppers are steamed on. Thatu are also available at Sri Lankan stores.