Hoppers, also known as appam, are a versatile and popular “pancake” in Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia. The distinctive taste of the hopper comes from the coconut and a slight acid fermentation process. These foods can be paired with other foods to make a great breakfast, dinner, or dessert. You can also cook eggs, cheese, or other food directly in the hopper in the pan.
Ingredients
“‘Easy Hoppers”’ (for ~16 thin hoppers)
- 3 cups (700 mL) rice flour
- 2.5 cups (640 mL) coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) warm water
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
- Vegetable oil (2 – 3 drops per hopper)
- Eggs (optional, 0 -2 per person as desired)
‘”Hopper with Spiced Liquor or Baking Soda’” (for ~18 thin hoppers)
- 1.5 cups (350 mL) rice
- Rice (about 2 teaspoons or 30 mL)
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) grated coconut
- Water or coconut milk (to be added if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) sugar
- '”Between'” 1/4 teaspoon (1.2 mL) baking soda
- '” or'” 2 teaspoons (10 mL) spiced liquor (tuak)
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making Easy Hoppers
Step 1. Follow this recipe to make a hopper in 3 hours
This recipe replaces the yeast fermentation method which only takes 2 hours to give the dough the correct consistency and flavor to cook. Hoppers made this way will have a different taste to hoppers made using palm wine or baking soda. However, these hoppers will still taste great and you'll save a lot of time preparing them.
It's also a great recipe for you to follow if you don't have a food processor or a powerful blender, as these ingredients are easy to mix by hand
Step 2. Mix the yeast, sugar and warm water together
Use 1/4 cup (60 mL) warm water (43 – 46 degrees Celsius). Add and stir in 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of sugar and 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast. Let stand for 5 – 15 minutes until the mixture is foamy. The temperature of the water and sugar will activate the dry yeast, giving the sugar a flavor and air that makes for a good batter hopper.
- If you don't have a thermometer you can use with water, use warm water instead. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast and water that is too cold will make your job last longer.
- If your yeast mixture doesn't foam, you may be using aged or damaged yeast. Try using new yeast.
Step 3. Add this yeast mixture with rice flour and salt
When the yeast mixture starts to foam, place it in a large bowl containing 3 cups (700 mL) of rice flour and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt. Mix well.
Use a bowl that can hold 3 liters as the dough will rise
Step 4. Add coconut milk to this mixture
Add 2.5 cups (640 mL) of coconut milk and mix thoroughly until you have a soft, consistent dough with no lumps or discoloration. You can thicken it if you have a blender or food processor, but in this recipe, you can easily mix it yourself with your own hands.
Step 5. Cover the bowl and let it rise
Now that the yeast is active, it will continue to ferment the sugar in the dough. This will make the dough rise into a more airy mixture and add flavor to it as well. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 2 hours. The dough will be about 2 times its previous size when it's ready.
The yeast will work faster if it's warm or if it's young. Check after an hour to see if your dough has grown enough
Step 6. Heat the skillet to medium heat
Use a hopper pan, also known as an appam skillet, if you have one. This hopper pan has a side that slopes outward and can produce a hopper that is thin on the edges but thick on the inside. Alternatively, you can use a small wok or a non-stick frying pan. Heat for about two minutes.
Step 7. Add a little oil to the pan
Two or three drops of oil will be enough for one hopper. Rotate the pan to make sure the oil is also on the sides of the pan or use a cloth to spread the oil in the pan. Some people prefer not to use any oil at all, but the oil will prevent the hopper from sticking to your pan.
Step 8. Add a spoonful of batter and roll in the pan
Add about 1/3 cup (80 mL) of batter to the pan. Immediately tilt your pan and move it in a circular motion so that the batter covers the sides and surface of the pan. The layer of dough on the sides of the pan should be thin, while the layer of dough in the center of the pan should be thicker.
If your batter is too thick and continues to sit in the center of the pan when you turn your pan, stir 1/2 cup (120 mL) of coconut milk or water into the batter before you make your next hopper
Step 9. Crack the egg in the center of the hopper (optional)
If you like it, crack the egg directly in the center of the hopper. You may want to sample your plain hopper first before deciding if you want to try it with eggs. If each person eats multiple hoppers, then one egg per hopper may be too much. Consider giving 0 – 2 eggs per person depending on their preference.
Step 10. Cover and cook until the edges are brown
Cover your pan with a lid and let the hopper cook for 1 – 4 minutes, depending on the temperature and consistency of the batter. The hopper is done when the edges are brown and the thickness is no longer wet. But you can let it sit longer to get crispier until the center is brown, if you'd like.
Step 11. Gently remove from the pan
You can use a butter knife or a thin, flat utensil to lift the flimsy edges of the hopper without damaging them. When the edges are no longer sticking together, use a spatula to move the hopper from the pan to the plate. You can stack the hopper on the plate as you cook it. If you make a large batch of hoppers (double or triple recipe) and want to keep them warm, place them in the oven on the lowest setting or just turn on the light in the oven and place them inside.
Step 12. Cook the rest of the dough in the same way
Pour a little oil in the pan each time you cook the hoppers and cook each hopper in the covered pan until they are brown. Adjust the amount of batter you use if the hopper you're cooking in is too thick to cook properly or too little so that the edges are too limp in the pan.
Step 13. Serve while still hot for breakfast or dinner
Hoppers are best suited for balancing the spiciness of curries or sambals. Since the hopper has a coconut flavor, you can pair it with a coconut-containing meal for dinner.
Method 2 of 2: Making Hoppers with Baking Soda or Tuak
Step 1. Use this method the day before you want to serve the hopper
In this recipe, you will use palm wine or baking soda. Although palm wine is a more traditional ingredient and adds a special flavor, in both methods you will need to ferment your dough overnight to give it a different taste compared to the quick method using yeast.
Step 2. Cook the rice
You can use any type of rice for this recipe. Since you need to make this hopper one day before you serve it, you can cook one plate of rice for dinner, but set aside two spoonfuls of rice in a covered container and place it in the refrigerator.
Step 3. Soak the rice in water for at least 4 hours
Use 1.5 cups (350 mL) of rice. You might use rice that doesn't need to be soaked, but in this recipe, you'll need to mix the rice with the other ingredients, so you'll need to soak it until it's smooth enough to grind or put in a food processor.
Step 4. Drain the water from the rice
Strain the wet rice using a sieve or cloth to drain the water, until the rice becomes mushy.
Step 5. Mash the rice, rice, and 3/4 cup (180 mL) grated coconut together
You'll need to work hard if you're using your hands, so use a blender or food processor if you have one. Mix the rice with grated coconut and rice using a blender until it becomes a soft or slightly soft dough. It's okay if your dough is a little rough.
Step 6. Add water little by little to the dough if it looks dry or you are having trouble grinding it
Step 7. Mix 1/4 cup (60 mL) with 3/4 (180 mL) water
Stir until your dough mixture becomes wetter and thinner. Use a cooking pot or other cooking container. You will cook this mixture and use it to make a fermented dough that adds air and flavor to the hopper.
Step 8. Heat this new mixture until thick, then cool
Stir the dough and water mixture vigorously as you cook it on low heat. As you stir it, the mixture will thicken until it is transparent and gelatinous. Remove the mixture from the stove and cool to room temperature.
Step 9. Mix the cooked dough with the raw one together
Stir until smooth until there are no lumps. Add a little water if your mixture is too dry to stir. Use a large bowl with plenty of room for the dough to rise.
Step 10. Cover and let sit for 8 hours
Cover the dough mixture with a cloth or cover and let it rest at room temperature. Usually, many people let the mixture sit overnight and cook the hopper for breakfast in the morning.
The dough should have doubled in size and should look bubbly
Step 11. Add other ingredients to the dough
When the dough is ready, add 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt and 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of sugar, or add as much as you like. Add "between" 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda "or" 1 teaspoon of palm wine. Tuak has a strong flavor, so you may want to add 1 teaspoon to your mixture first. Increase the amount of palm wine if your first hopper does not have a sour taste.
Tuak is a drink that contains alcohol. But the small amount you use in this recipe won't get you drunk
Step 12. Melt the dough until it is easy to pour
Your dough should be thinner than United States pancake batter. Add water or coconut milk until your batter is thin enough to be easy to turn in the pan, but thick enough so it doesn't break and doesn't become completely runny. Stir or put in a blender until there are no lumps.
Step 13. Grease a frying pan with oil and heat it on medium heat
Use a cloth or paper towel to apply a small amount of oil to a hopper, wok, or regular skillet. Heat for a few minutes on medium heat; the pan doesn't need to be too hot.
A small skillet with wide sides is the best to use
Step 14. Use a large spoon to pour enough batter into the pan
Depending on the size of your pan, you may need about 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 – 120 mL) of batter. Tilt your pan once or twice to cover the entire surface of the pan with the batter until it reaches the sides. The layer of dough on the sides of the pan should be thin, while the layer of dough in the middle of the pan should be thicker
Step 15. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 to 4 minutes
Watch your hopper. Your hopper is done when the edges are brown and the center is soft but not soggy. If you want the center to be crispy, then you will need to cook it 1 to 2 minutes longer, but many people prefer the white center of the hopper. Use a spatula to move the hopper from the pan to the plate when it's done.
Step 16. Cook the remaining dough in the same way
Pour oil into the pan every time you cook the hopper and keep your hopper checked as you cook it. This is because the pan you are using will heat up and the longer your hopper will just need to cook faster. Turn off the stove for a minute or two if the hopper is scorching or sticking to the pan.
Tips
- If grated coconut is not available, you will need to add 1 cup of coconut milk.
- Your hopper may not be good on your first try. Keep practicing and you will get better.
- Add a little honey to the dough to make the hopper into a dessert. Eat with bananas and/or sweetened coconut milk.
- Brown rice flour can be found in specialty stores in Sri Lanka. You can also use plain rice flour which is available anywhere.
Warning
- Dough can become sour if allowed to ferment longer than it should take.
- Grease your pan with oil before cooking the hopper or your hopper will stick to the pan.
