Great UM Noodletown: Idiyappam

Here's something I dragged out of my photo archives. It's from my trip to Kerala, India back in 2007. We spent two days and one night in the backwaters on a houseboat -- probably one of the most glorious experiences of my life!

One thing I clearly remember was our breakfast on the boat. The plastic tablecloth was vibrant, with mismatching patterns and dizzying colors. They served us the common Keralan noodle, idiayappam, which is also called "sting hoppers". It is made out of rice flour (sometimes wheat, says Wiki), and here they are sprinkled with dried coconut bits, and paired with a simple curry of hard-boiled eggs.

Like I said, GLORIOUS! The noodles are sticky and starchy, sort of like bun rice noodles (or rice vermicelli).

I have heard great things about an Indian joint called Komala Vilas in Sunnyvale, with a very special Keralan breakfast. I will investigate soon!