String Hopper Kiribath with Kiri Hodi

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

A clever Sri Lankan crossover: soft steamed string hoppers crumbled and pressed with thick, salted coconut milk into creamy kiribath-style squares, served with a fragrant turmeric-yellow kiri hodi. Comforting, milky and gently spiced — the sort of plate that makes a New Year table or a lazy Sunday breakfast feel special.

Per serving: 595 kcal · 9.5g protein · 68.0g carbs · 31.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g roasted red rice flour (or plain roasted rice flour)
• 400ml boiling water, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp coconut oil, for the string hopper mats
• 400ml tinned coconut milk (thick, first extract)
• 1 tsp salt, for the kiribath
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, for the kiri hodi
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 5cm pandan (rampe) leaf, optional
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 250ml water
• 200ml tinned coconut milk
• 1 tsp Maldive fish flakes, optional
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Tip the rice flour and 1 tsp salt into a bowl, pour over the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon until cool enough to handle, then knead to a soft, smooth, non-sticky dough — add splashes of hot water if it cracks.
2. Lightly oil 8–10 string hopper mats. Load the dough into a string hopper press and squeeze fine spirals onto each mat, building two layers per mat.
3. Steam in a covered steamer for 8–10 minutes until the strands look glossy and set. Steam in batches if needed.
4. While still hot, crumble the string hoppers into a wide bowl, breaking up any dense clumps.
5. Warm the 400ml thick coconut milk with 1 tsp salt until steaming but not boiling, then pour over the crumbled hoppers and fold gently until fully absorbed and creamy.
6. Tip into a lightly oiled tray or plate, press flat to about 3cm thick with a banana leaf or oiled spatula, smooth the top and leave 15 minutes to set. Cut into diamonds or squares.
7. For the kiri hodi, heat the coconut oil in a pan and soften the onion, garlic, curry leaves, pandan, cinnamon, green chillies and fenugreek for 4–5 minutes without colouring.
8. Stir in the turmeric and pepper, then add the water and Maldive fish flakes. Simmer 8 minutes until the fenugreek has softened and the onion is silky.
9. Pour in the 200ml coconut milk and warm gently, stirring, for 3–4 minutes — do not let it boil hard or it will split. Season with salt and finish with lime juice off the heat.
10. Serve the kiribath diamonds with a generous ladle of hot kiri hodi over and around, with lunu miris or seeni sambol alongside if you like.