Make Hoppers

Hoppers, also known as appam, are a popular and versatile "pancake" popular in Sri Lanka, southern India, and Malaysia. While they gain their own unique flavor from coconut and the slightly sour fermenting process, they can be paired with many other foods to create a delicious breakfast, dinner, or dessert. You can even cook eggs, cheese, or other foods directly on top of the hopper in the pan.

Ingredients

Easy Hoppers (makes ~16 thin hoppers)

• 3 cups (700 mL) rice flour
• 2.5 cups (640 mL) coconut milk
• 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dry active yeast
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) warm water
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• Vegetable oil (2-3 drops per hopper)
• Eggs (optional, 0–2 per person by preference)

Hoppers with Toddy or Baking Soda (makes ~18 thin hoppers)

• 1.5 cups (350 mL) uncooked rice
• A handful cooked rice (about 2 Tbsp or 30 mL)
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) grated coconut
• Water or coconut milk (to add as necessary)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 2 tsp (10 mL) sugar
• either 1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) baking soda
• or' about 2 tsp (!0 mL) toddy (palm wine)

Steps

Making Easy Hoppers

1. Follow this recipe to make hoppers within 3 hours. This recipe replaces slower methods of fermentation with yeast, which only takes about 2 hours to give the batter the right consistency and flavor for cooking. Hoppers made this way do taste different than hoppers made with toddy or baking soda, but they are still tasty and you'll save a lot of preparation time.
   • This is also the best recipe to follow if you don't have a food processor or strong blender, since all the ingredients are easy to stir together by hand.
2. Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water together. Use 1/4 cup (60 mL) water heated to 110–115ºF (43–46ºC). Briefly stir in 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar and 1 tsp dry active yeast. Let sit for 5–15 minutes, until the mixture is foamy. The temperature and sugar causes the dry yeast to activate, turning the sugar into the flavors and airiness that make good hopper dough.
   • If you do not have a thermometer you can use for the water, use lukewarm or slightly warm water. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, while water that is too cool will simply take longer to work.
   • If your yeast mixture won't foam, you may be using old or damaged yeast. Try a new packet.
3. Add the yeast mixture to rice flour and salt. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, transfer it to a large bowl containing 3 cups (700 mL) rice flour and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt. Stir this together.
   • Use a bowl that can hold about 3 quarts (3 liters), since the batter will expand.
4. Add coconut milk to the mixture. Pour in 2.5 cups (640 mL) coconut milk and stir together until you have a smooth, consistent batter, with no lumps or color changes. You may puree this if you have a blender or food processor, but with this recipe it should be fairly easy to stir the batter by hand.
5. Cover the bowl and let rise. Now that the yeast is active, it will continue to ferment the sugars in the batter. This will make the batter expand into an airier mixture, and add additional flavor as well. Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for about 2 hours. The dough will expand to about twice its size by the time it's ready.
   • Yeast works more quickly at warmer temperature, or if it is still relatively new. Check on it after an hour to see if the batter has already expanded enough.
6. Heat a pan over medium heat. If you have one, use a hopper pan, also called an appam pan, which has outward sloping sides that create hopper with a thin outer rim and a thicker center. Otherwise, a small wok or nonstick skillet will work. Heat it for about two minutes.
7. Add a small amount of oil to the pan. Two or three drops of oil should be enough for a single hopper. Twirl the pan to make sure the oil covers the sides, or use a cloth to apply it evenly. Some people prefer not to use any oil at all, but it helps prevent your hopper from sticking to the pan.
8. Add a ladle-full of batter and swirl it around the pan. Add roughly 1/3 cup (80 mL) of batter to the pan. Immediately tilt the pan and move it in a circular motion so the batter covers the sides and base of the pan. A thin, lacy layer of batter should stick to the sides, with a thicker layer in the center.
   • If the batter is too thick and won't leave the center of the pan when you twirl, stir 1/2 cup (120 mL) coconut milk or water into the batter before making your next hopper.
9. Crack an egg over the center of the hopper (optional). If you like, crack an egg directly over the center of the hopper. You might want to taste your first hopper plain first before you decide whether you'd like to try it with eggs. If each person is eating several hoppers, an egg for every hopper is probably too much. Consider 0-2 per person depending on their preference.
10. Cover and cook until the edges brown. Cover the pan with a lid and let the hopper cook for 1–4 minutes, depending on temperature and batter consistency. The hopper is ready when the edges are brown and the center is no longer runny, although you can leave them in longer for a crisper, golden-brown center if you prefer.
11. Remove from the pan carefully. A butter knife or other thin, flat utensil is good for removing the thin, crispy edge from the pan without breaking it. Once it's unstuck, use a spatula to transfer the hopper onto a plate. You can stack hoppers on top of each other as you cook them. If you are making a large number of hoppers (double or triple recipe) and want to keep them warm, place them in the oven at minimum temperature settings or with just the pilot light on.
12. Cook remaining batter the same way. Grease the pan lightly between each hopper and cook each hopper in the covered pan until brown. Adjust the amount of batter you use if the hoppers are too thick to cook properly or too small to create the lacy edge around the pan sides.
13. Serve hot for breakfast or dinner. They are excellent for balancing out spicy Make-Indian-Curry or Make-a-Coconut-Sambol. Because of the coconut flavor, they pair especially well with dinner dishes containing coconut.

Making Hoppers with Baking Soda or Toddy

1. Start this method the previous day. This hopper recipe uses either toddy, an alcoholic palm wine, or baking soda. While toddy is more traditional and adds a special flavor, both methods involve fermenting the batter overnight, producing a noticeably different flavor than the faster yeast method.
2. Cook a handful of rice. You can use any variety of rice for this recipe. Since you need to start making these hoppers the day before, you could make a pot of rice for dinner that day and save a handful (or two large spoonfuls) in a closed container in the fridge.
3. Soak the uncooked rice in water for at least 4 hours. Use 1.5 cups of rice (350 mL).While you may be used to rice that doesn't require soaking, this recipe calls for blending the rice with other ingredients, so you'll need to soak it until it is soft enough to grind or put in a food processor.
4. Drain out the water from the soaked rice. Strain the soaked rice through a mesh or cloth to drain the water, leaving softened but uncooked rice.
5. Grind the strained rice, cooked rice, and 3/4 cup (180 mL) grated coconut together. This will take a lot of work by hand, so use a blender or food processor if you have one. Blend the uncooked rice along with the grated coconut and cooked rice to a smooth or nearly smooth batter. A slightly coarse or grainy texture is fine.
   • Add water little by little to the batter if it looks dry or you're having trouble grinding it.
6. Mix 1/4 cup (60 mL) batter with 3/4 (180 mL) water. Stir the batter together to get a wetter, thinner mixture. Use a cooking pot or other cooking container. You'll cook this mixture and use it to start the batter fermenting, which adds air and flavor to the hoppers.
7. Heat the new mixture until thick, then let cool. Stir the batter water mixture vigorously as you heat it at a low temperature. It should continue to thicken until it is gelatinous and transparent. Remove the mixture from heat and let it sit until it reaches room temperature.
8. Mix the cooked and raw batters together. Stir together thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add a little bit of water as you go if the mixture is too dry to stir. Use a large bowl with plenty of space for the batter to expand.
9. Cover and let sit for 8 hours. Cover the batter mixture with a cloth or lid and let it sit at room temperature. Often, people will leave it overnight and make hoppers for breakfast in the morning.
   • The batter should nearly double in size, and appear bubbly.
10. Add remaining ingredients to the batter. Once the batter is ready, add 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and 2 tsp (10 mL) sugar, or according to taste. Add either 1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) baking soda or a splash of toddy, also known as palm wine. Toddy has a strong flavor, so you may want to start with as little as 1 tsp (5 mL) and increase the amount if the first hopper doesn't have a distinct sour flavor.
    • Toddy is alcoholic, but the small amount used in this recipe should not affect sobriety.
11. Dilute the batter until it is easily poured. The batter should be thinner than American pancake batter. Add water or coconut milk until it is thin enough to easily swirl round the pan, but thick enough to stay together and not become entirely liquid. Stir or blend until there are no lumps.
12. Grease and heat a pan over medium heat. Use a cloth or paper towel to rub a small amount of oil across a hopper pan, wok, or skillet to lightly grease it. Heat for a couple minutes over medium heat; the pan doesn't need to get too hot.
    • Small pans with wide, sloping sides work best.
13. Use a ladle to add enough batter to coat your pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you'll need about 1/4–1/2 cups of batter (60–120 mL). Tilt the pan and run the batter along the edges in a circle once or twice. A thin layer should be left along the sides, with a thicker center at the base of the pan.
14. Cover with a lid and cook 2–4 minutes. Keep an eye on the hopper. It is ready when the edges are brown and the center is soft but not runny. It may be cooked a minute or two longer if you want the center to be crisp, but many prefer to eat it with a white center. Use a spatula to transfer it to a plate once it's done.
15. Cook remaining hoppers the same way. Grease the pan between hoppers and check on the hopper frequently during cooking times. Because the pan will heat up as you keep cooking, later hoppers may cook in shorter times. Turn off the heat for a minute or two if the hoppers burn or stick to the pan.

Tips

• If grated coconut is not available, add 1 additional cup of coconut milk instead.
• You might not get your hopper right the first time. Practice makes perfect.
• Try adding a small amount of honey to the batter to make dessert hoppers. Eat with bananas and/or sweetened coconut milk.
• Red rice flour can be found in Sri Lankan specialty stores, but plain rice flour is more readily available and works just as well.

Warnings

• The batter might turn sour if left to ferment for more than the required time.
• Grease the pan before cooking the hopper or it will stick to the pan.

Things You'll Need

• Large bowl
• Pan (hopper/appam pan, small wok, or small skillet)
• Butter knife
• Spatula
• Ladle
• Food processor or blender (optional)

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Paneer (Indian Cheese)
• Make an Emergency Curry
• Stock up Your Kitchen for Making Indian Food
• Make Shingaras
• Make Palak Paneer
• Make Poppadoms
• Make Indian Style Basmati Rice
• Make Indian Curry
• Make a Basic Indian Gravy
• Cook Rice in an Indian Style Pressure Cooker

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