Egg hoppers

This dish is eaten throughout Sri Lanka. The sought-after result is one where the sides are crisp and the centre is aerated and soft – and the best breakfast hopper is made by cracking an egg into the centre just before steaming. Hoppers are traditionally made in a special pan which is essentially a small bowl-bottomed wok with handles. Alternatively, use a small, non-stick frying pan.

30 MINUTES + RISING | MAKES 15 | EASY | V GF

coconut cream 400ml fresh yeast 20g, or fast-action dried yeast 7g

caster sugar 1 tbsp

rice flour 500g

egg whites 3

vegetable oil for the pan

eggs to serve (optional)

1 Stir the coconut cream, yeast and sugar in a bowl and leave in a warm spot for 45 minutes or until risen and frothy.

2 Sift the rice flour into the mixture and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 3-4 hours or until the batter has doubled in size – the rising time will vary considerably depending on the room temperature (the warmer, the better). Just before cooking, lightly beat the egg whites with a fork until they are foamy, then stir into the hopper mixture with 1 tsp of salt.

3 Heat a hopper pan or a small non-stick frying pan over a high heat, wipe the pan lightly with oil, then pour in a 60ml ladleful of the mixture. Swirl to coat the sides of the pan, leaving a small pool of mixture in the centre. Crack in an egg (if using), then cover the pan with a lid and steam the hopper for 2-3 minutes or until the centre is firm and the sides are golden and crisp. Keep the cooked hoppers warm and repeat the process until all the batter has been used.

PER SERVING 220 kcals | fat 9.7G saturates 8G | carbs 28.3G | sugars 2.8G fibre 0.9G | protein 4.4G | salt 0.4G