Hoppers Recipes

HOW TO MAKE HOPPERS - MY FAVOURITE SRI LANKAN BREAKFAST

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl.
• Heat about 124ml ( 1/2 cup) of the light coconut milk until hand hot and pour the yeast into it.
• Mix this all up until the yeast dissolves and then pour it into the flour.
• Add just enough of the light coconut milk to form a soft dough along with the sugar. Cover for about four hours to rise.
• After the dough has risen, pour in the rest of the light and thick coconut milk until you have a batter that is like single cream. Be sure to whisk out any lumps. You may need to use slightly more or less coconut milk in order to achieve the creamy consistency.
• Cover and let this sit overnight. 24 - 32 hours will do the job.
• When ready to cook, heat your wok over medium high heat and add just a drop of oil. You only need it to coat the wok.
• Pour in a ladle full of the batter and then swirl it around in the wok until the sides are nicely coated with a thin layer of the batter.
• If you like, you can break an egg into the batter at the bottom and then cover the wok.
• Allow to cook for about four minutes, covered. If you are not using a non stick wok, you may need to tap the sides a few times to help release the hopper. Carefully carve around the sides until it is free from the wok.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favourite chutney or raita.

SRI LANKAN FRIED CHICKEN & HOPPERS

Steps:

• To prepare the chicken, tip the coconut milk into a jug and stir in the garlic, spices and 1 tsp salt. Put the chicken in a plastic container or roasting tin and pour over the brine mix to cover. Cover with cling film and chill for 24 hrs.
• For the hoppers, put the rice flour in a large bowl. In a jug, combine 125ml water with the yeast and sugar, and leave for about 8 mins until you see some foaming. Pour in the coconut milk and whisk the wet ingredients into the rice flour to make a smooth batter, slightly thinner than pancake batter. Season, cover and allow to ferment overnight in the fridge.
• To make the kiri hodi, put all the ingredients (except the coconut milk, lime juice and spinach) in a heavy-based saucepan. Add 1 tbsp water and simmer over a low heat for 5 mins or until the onion softens. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for a further 1-2 mins (do not boil). Tip in the spinach, stir until wilted, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and add the lime juice.
• To make the sambol, use a pestle and mortar or mini processor to grind the onions with the chillies, a big pinch of salt and smoked paprika, to form a coarse paste. Season with lime juice and more salt, if needed.
• To cook, remove the chicken and hoppers mix from the fridge for about 1 hr so they come to room temperature. To cook the chicken, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or saucepan until it reaches 180C on a cooking thermometer. To make the fried chicken coating, combine all the ingredients with 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Piece by piece, remove the chicken from its brine, allow the excess to drip off, then dredge it in the coating. Shake off the excess and fry in the oil for 6-8 mins until cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper, then rest in a low oven while you make the hoppers.
• Make the hoppers. Whisk your hoppers base to remove any lumps. Add a splash more water to thin it if needed. Heat a non-stick frying pan, a hopper pan or small high-sided wok and brush on some rapeseed oil with kitchen paper. Add a ladle of mix to the pan and immediately swirl it around and up the edges to create a bowl-shaped pancake. Cook for 1 min, then add an egg and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the egg is cooked and the edges are starting to brown. Repeat with the remaining batter and eggs. Serve the hoppers with the chicken, sambol and kiri hodi.

HOPPERS

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and salt. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and then sprinkle on the sugar and stir to mix well. When the yeast is dissolved, add the mixture to the flour, along with the coconut milk. Stir to mix thoroughly. A batter will form. Cover and leave to rise for 2 to 3 hours.
• Grease a small wok or hopper pan and put out a lid for it. We use a small non-stick wok, which works very well. Heat it over a moderate to low heat. Stir the batter. If it has thickened and is too thick to pour, add 1 or 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 millilitres) water and stir in.
• Pour 1/4 cup (50 millilitres) of batter into the bottom of the hot wok and then lift and tilt the pan immediately to get the batter to flow outward and form a wider circle around the bottom of the pan. Place the pan back on the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom of the bread is lightly browned (the top will be smooth and steam-cooked), and then ease it out of the pan with a flat wooden spoon. Lightly oil the pan with an oiled paper towel between each hopper.
• Serve the hoppers hot, as they come off the pan.

HOPPERS

Steps:

• In a jug or bowl, dissolve the yeast in 50ml warm water and leave to bubble for 15 mins.
• Put the flour and sugar in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the coconut water and milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps, then add the yeast mixture and mix until you have a smooth batter. Cover with cling film and leave to ferment for 2 hrs.
• When it's time to cook the hoppers, whisk the base mixture to remove any lumps. It should be the consistency of double cream, so add a splash more coconut water to thin it if needed. Heat a lidded, non-stick frying pan or small, lidded, high-sided wok until very hot and brush on a little sesame oil with kitchen paper. Add a ladleful of mixture to the pan and immediately swirl it around and up the edges to create a bowl-shaped pancake. Cook, uncovered, for 1 min, then cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the edges are starting to crisp and the base is cooked through. Remove and set aside, then repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with the cauliflower curry, leek seeni sambol and chutney (see goes well with).

STRING HOPPERS

Steps:

• warm the flour in an oven or in a sauce pan on low heat.
• Add salt
• Water should be luke warm, then add slowly to flour and work into a soft dough.
• Place the dough into a vermicelli press (or string hopper press) and squeeze onto hopper mats.
• Place the mats into a steamer or a large pot with a trivet at the bottom with water the reaches up the the rungs.
• Steam until strings are fully cooked and springy, about 10 minutes.
• Serve hot with pol sambol (coconut sambol) and coconut milk gravy.

CLODHOPPERS

Steps:

• Put the wafers in butter to melt wafers in microwave 1 minute or until melted.
• Mix the nuts and cereal into melted wafers.
• Spread on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
• Let cool in the refrigerator.
• Lift waxed paper and break the mixture into pieces.
• I often use peanuts instead of cashews.