The Ultimate Sri Lankan Street Food: Hoppers (Appa)

I’ve never met a person who doesn’t love these crispy, coconutty Sri Lankan hoppers. Their name is a mystery—perhaps they’re called “hoppers” because they’re so good they make you jump for joy! All I can tell you is that these tangy, crispy goodies are so amazing, you’re sure to fall in love with them just like I have.

A Versatile Delight

Hoppers are incredibly versatile. I can’t categorize them strictly as breakfast, dinner, or a snack. Growing up, hoppers were more of a breakfast food in my household. If we wanted hoppers, my mom had to make them at home. Back then, making hoppers was quite a process because readymade rice flour wasn’t widely available. My mom had to soak rice, grind it, and make wet rice flour before even starting the batter. It was a lot of work, which is why we didn’t have hoppers frequently.

Nowadays, making hoppers is much easier thanks to store-bought rice flour. This convenience has made hoppers more accessible as a dinner and street food option.

Authentic Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers

Over the years, I’ve tried many hopper recipes, including instant ones that don’t require fermentation and can be made in less than 30 minutes. However, these instant hoppers lack the iconic fermented flavor that I love. So, I developed an easy, long-fermented Sri Lankan hoppers recipe that’s just as simple as the instant versions but has that authentic hopper taste. The key is longer fermentation with a tiny bit of yeast.

My Hopper-Making Schedule

For this recipe, you need to prepare the batter about 18–20 hours in advance, so a bit of planning is necessary. Here’s my schedule:

• Mix the flour, water, and yeast the night before around 10 pm.
• The next evening, around 6:30 pm, make the batter.
• Start making hoppers at 7:00 pm.

If you need to extend the fermentation time, reduce the amount of yeast. This recipe yields 10–12 medium-sized hoppers.

Sri Lankan Hoppers Recipe

Author: Lucky Son 
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prep Time: 1,140 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 19 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 200g rice flour
• 1 pinch of yeast
• 3/4 cup water (175ml)
• 200ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Night Before (18–20 Hours Earlier):

1. Make the Starter Paste:
   • Mix rice flour, yeast, and water to form a thick dough-like paste. Use a spoon or fork to mix.
   • Cover and let it ferment for 18–20 hours. Do NOT add sugar or salt yet.

Next Day:

2. Check Fermentation:

   • After 18–20 hours, you should see bubbles on the surface, and the paste should have risen slightly.

3. Make the Batter:

   • Add sugar and coconut milk to the fermented paste and mix to make a somewhat thick batter. Adjust the coconut milk as needed for the right consistency.
   • Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes.

4. Prepare the Pan:

   • Add a generous amount of oil to your hopper pan and heat it. If your pan is sticky, break an egg yolk into the oil, fry it, and rub it around the pan. Remove the oil and egg yolk to a heatproof bowl to reuse for greasing the pan before making each hopper. (Skip this step if using a nonstick pan.)

5. Cook the Hoppers:

   • After 30 minutes, add salt to the batter and mix well.
   • Heat the hopper pan on medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter into the center and swirl to coat the inside of the pan. Cover and cook for about 45 seconds or until done.

6. Egg Hoppers:

   • For egg hoppers, pour slightly less batter, break an egg into the center, add salt and pepper, cover, and cook on low heat until the desired texture is achieved.

Enjoy!

There you have it—an easy, authentic Sri Lankan hoppers recipe with the perfect fermented flavor. Whether you enjoy them plain, with an egg, or sweetened with jaggery, these hoppers are sure to become a favorite. Enjoy your culinary journey and happy cooking!

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If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

Happy cooking!