Hoppers (Appa, Sri Lankan Bowl-Shaped Rice Pancakes)
Local name: ආප්ප
In short: Fermented rice flour and coconut milk batter swirled in a small curved pan into lacy bowls with crisp edges and a soft, spongy center. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Resting
- 3 h 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Hoppers, called appa in Sinhala, are thin pancakes cooked in a small round-bottomed pan so they come out shaped like a bowl, with crisp lacy edges and a soft center. The batter is fermented rice flour loosened with coconut milk. People eat them for breakfast or dinner, often with an egg cooked in the middle, a spoonful of pol sambol or lunu miris, and a curry on the side.
Instructions
- Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water and leave for 5 minutes until foamy. Whisk in the rice flour until smooth, cover and leave in a warm place for 3 hours until bubbly.
- Stir in the coconut milk, salt and baking soda. The batter should be as thin as heavy cream. Add a splash of water if needed and rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat a small nonstick wok or hopper pan (about 18 to 20 cm / 7 to 8 in across) over medium heat. Brush lightly with oil and wipe away the excess.
- Ladle in about 60 ml (1/4 cup) of batter and swirl the pan so the batter coats the sides in a thin layer, leaving a thicker pool in the center. Cover with a lid.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without flipping, until the edges are golden and crisp and the center is soft and spongy. For an egg hopper, crack an egg into the center right after swirling and cook until the white sets.
- Loosen the hopper with a spatula and slide it out. Stack the hoppers on a plate and keep going with the rest of the batter. Serve hot with sambol or curry.
Tips
- A small round-bottomed nonstick wok with a lid works if you do not have a hopper pan. Expect the first hopper to stick or tear, as the pan needs to get fully hot.
- If the batter smells very sour after fermenting, it has gone too far. In hot weather use only 1/2 teaspoon of yeast and ferment for 2 hours.
Questions and answers
Can I make hopper batter ahead of time?
Yes. After fermenting, the batter keeps 1 day in the fridge. Stir it well and thin it with a splash of water before cooking.
Why do my hoppers stick to the pan?
The pan was not hot enough or not oiled. Heat it well, brush on a very thin film of oil and use a nonstick or well-seasoned pan.
What do you serve with hoppers?
In Sri Lanka they come with egg, pol sambol, lunu miris, seeni sambol or a chicken or fish curry. Plain hoppers with sweet coconut milk and jaggery are also popular.
How long does it take to make Hoppers (Appa, Sri Lankan Bowl-Shaped Rice Pancakes)?
About 50 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Hoppers (Appa, Sri Lankan Bowl-Shaped Rice Pancakes)?
About 340 kcal per serving, with 5 g of protein, 52 g of carbohydrates and 13 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 340 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 620 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
