Idiyappam is the South Indian rice-noodle dish made by pressing rice-flour dough into strands and steaming them.
The dough is generally prepared from rice flour, water, and salt. A press or mould forces it through small holes, producing fine noodles that are arranged in discs or nests before steaming. The finished strands are delicate and mild, making them well suited to absorb a richly seasoned curry or coconut-based sauce.
Idiyappam is especially associated with Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka, where it is often eaten for breakfast or dinner. It may be served with vegetable stew, fish or meat curry, coconut milk, or coconut chutney. In parts of Kerala and Sri Lanka, the savory noodles accompany spicy curries; in Malabar, sweeter coconut-milk preparations are also common.
The dish has several regional relatives and names, including noolappam, noolputtu, and ottu shavige. Putu mayam in Malaysia and Singapore follows a related pressing-and-steaming technique, but often includes pandan flavoring and is served with grated coconut and palm sugar. Dosa, appam, and puttu are different preparations, despite also being South Indian staples.