Heat water in a non stick pot. Do not bring it to rolling boil. As soon as small bubbles start appearing, add black seeds and take it off the heat.
Now add in salt and rice flour. Mix well. Keep mixing until it becomes a smooth dough.
Allow it to cool down a bit until you can handle the heat. Knead it with your hands and if it feels sticky, add in little more flour and if it appears dry, add in a bit of hot water.
Cover it with a lid and set aside. Boil water for steaming idiyappams in a big vessel or an idli cooker. Grease both the idli plates and the string hopper mould. Fill it up with the dough upto a little less than the brim of it. Start pressing it in clockwise manner making small roundels in each depression of the idli plates.
Follow the same for all and cover the vessel or the idli cooker with a lid. Steam on high heat for 10 minutes for each batch. Grated coconut can be added on top before steaming as per one's wish.
Serve them right away with spicy chicken curry. I did mine with Idli Podi. It can also be served with jaggery sweetened coconut milk. My kids enjoyed them with sugar and ghee. Enjoy!
