Lacy Egg Hoppers with Fiery Coconut Pol Sambol

⏱ 60 min · Serves 4

Bowl-shaped, crisp-edged coconut pancakes with a softly set egg cradled in the middle — the Sri Lankan breakfast worth setting an alarm for. The batter ferments overnight, then each hopper cooks in minutes, ready to be torn and dipped into a bright, chilli-hot pol sambol.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 20.0g protein · 63.0g carbs · 32.0g fat

Ingredients

• 250g rice flour
• 60g fine semolina or extra rice flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 400ml tinned coconut milk, well shaken
• 200-250ml warm water
• Neutral oil, for the pan
• 8 medium eggs
• 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground, for finishing
• 100g freshly grated coconut (or 80g desiccated coconut soaked in 60ml warm water)
• 2 dried red chillies, plus 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Maldive fish flakes or dried shrimp, crushed (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 small green chilli, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. Make the batter: whisk the rice flour, semolina, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the coconut milk and 200ml warm water, whisking to a smooth, thin batter the consistency of single cream. Cover and leave at room temperature 8 hours or overnight until bubbly and faintly sour.
2. Stir the salt into the risen batter and loosen with a splash more warm water if it has thickened — it should coat a spoon very thinly.
3. Make the sambol: pound the dried chillies, chilli powder, onion, Maldive fish (if using) and salt in a mortar to a coarse paste. Add the coconut and pound/rub together until evenly red and fragrant. Stir through the lime juice and green chilli. Taste and adjust salt and lime; set aside.
4. Heat a small deep non-stick pan or hopper pan (about 18cm) over medium-high heat and wipe with a little oil.
5. Pour in a small ladle of batter (about 60ml), immediately lift the pan and swirl so the batter climbs the sides, leaving a thin lacy skirt and a pool in the base.
6. Crack an egg into the centre, season with salt and black pepper, cover with a lid and cook 3-4 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden and the white is just set with a runny yolk.
7. Slide out with a thin spatula and repeat with the remaining batter and eggs, oiling the pan lightly between hoppers. Keep them uncovered so the edges stay crisp.
8. Serve two hoppers per person, hot, with a generous spoonful of pol sambol on the side for tearing and dipping.