Hoppers
A hopper is a Sri Lankan breakfast pancake that’s becoming increasingly popular in the US, the UK and beyond. They’re a bit fiddly to make at first but get easier with practice. Hopper pans are widely available from specialty food stores. – Sue Quinn
Ingredients
Method- 1⁄2 t fast-action dried yeast
- 1⁄2 cup lukewarm water
- 259 g rice flour
- 1⁄4 t baking powder
- a pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 1⁄4 t caster sugar
- a pinch salt
- 1 1⁄4 cups coconut milk, plus extra if needed
- eggs, to serve (optional)
Method
Ingredients1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and salt, and mix well.
2. Pour in the yeast mixture and the coconut milk, and stir to make a smooth batter. Cover and set aside to rest for 1–2 hours. Whisk well before cooking; the batter should be slightly watery and thinner than standard pancake batter, so add more coconut milk if needed.
3. Heat a non-stick hopper pan over a medium heat until smoking. Pour a ladleful of the batter into the centre of the pan and then swirl to coat the base and sides. If making an egg hopper, crack the egg into the centre now.
4. Cover and cook for 3–5 minutes until the hopper is golden and the egg is cooked (if using). Loosen the edges using a palette knife and gently ease out onto a plate.
5. Serve immediately and repeat with the remaining batter.
Extract reproduced with permission from Seriously Good Pancakes by Sue Quinn. Published by Hardie Grant. Photography by Faith Mason. Price: R315
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