Sri Lankan Hoppers are crispy, bowl-shaped pancakes made with rice flour that suits breakfast, lunch or dinner.
These crispy hoppers usually are sold in the roadside shops and even in the famous restaurants across Sri Lanka. If you take a drive around the island you will happen to see small shops selling these hoppers in different varieties. It can be sweet or savoury and can be eaten with curry.
I have included a recipe for Sri Lankan Hopper below:
Sri Lankan Hoppers
The leftover batter can be used to make egg-free pancakes for vegan guests.
Makes 6-8
100ml coconut water
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
300ml coconut milk
200g brown rice flour
100ml soda water
A large pinch of salt
6-8 eggs
Rapeseed oil
1 Heat the coconut water until tepid. Whisk in the yeast and sugar, then leave to stand for 15 minutes. Mix with the coconut milk, then pour it into the rice flour in a large bowl. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. Cover with clingfilm and leave overnight.
2 Add the soda water to the bowl and whisk well. Season with salt. Leave to stand for an hour before using. It should be thinner than a traditional pancake batter.
3 Traditionally, the hoppers are cooked in a small, high-sided wok, but you can use a nonstick frying pan instead. Heat your pan, then, as it heats, dip into the oil with a piece of kitchen roll or cloth and use it to briskly rub around the pan. Slowly pour a ladleful of the batter into the pan, tilting it so the batter cooks up the edges of the pan and is distributed in a thin layer.
4 Quickly crack an egg into the base of the pan and cover. Leave to cook for about 2 minutes, or until the egg is just cooked and the edges of the pancake are starting to brown. Run around the edges with a palette knife and ease on to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and eggs. Any extra can be saved or cooked plain, without eggs.