Clem's Shortcut Putu Mayam
 
  I was introduced to this Tamil breakfast item during my early school days when it would be offered by Tamil vendor(s) at the markets. Nowadays, it is hard to find any Tamil selling this food in Kuching. I have not had putu mayam for decades and making it today for brekkie brings back memories.

Putu mayam (also known as idiyappam) is fine rice flour strands (string hoppers) steam cooked and then dosed with oil and salt. It is then mixed with some form of sugar and freshly grated coconut and consumed like that.

As I do not have the equipment for making the rice strands, my shortcut was to use rice vermicelli (bee hoon). I soaked the latter for some 30 minutes in water and then steamed it after tossing it with oil and some salt to taste. For the add-ins, I used grated (in a dry spice grinder) desiccated coconut, and coconut sugar. A simple breakfast to make!

 

  


Clem's Putu Mayam

 
 

 

 

All my cooking (some without recipes) can be found here (click on each photo to go to that dish's page):

 

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo696.html

 

Video presentations can be found here:

Clem cooks

 

 

www.clemkuek.com

 

24 February 2026
 

 



Created by Clem Kuek