John Torode's Sri Lankan hoppers
Take a trip with us to sunnier climes as we join John Torode on the beautiful Sri Lankan coast to cook up a locally-inspired dish.
Hoppers
Ingredients
For the hoppers
50g plain flour
500g rice flour
About 425ml water
1 tsp baking powder
Half an egg
425ml coconut milk
50g plain flour
Salt
For the Seeni Sambol
5 tbsp vegetable oil
3 red onions, sliced finely
2- 3 tbsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)
Sprig of curry leaves
2 pandan leaves, chopped into 3cm pieces
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
5 cardamom pods
1-2 tbsp tamarind pulp
2 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
For the Pol Sambol
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
1 tsp sugar
Large pinch of salt
3 shallots, chopped
Squeeze of lime juice
Flesh of half a fresh coconut, grated (about 225g)
Method
To make the hoppers, place 50g plain flour and the rice flour in a large bowl. Gradually mix in enough water to make a thick paste. Cover the bowl and leave out of the fridge overnight to ferment.
To make the Seeni Sambol, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the onions, chilli powder, curry leaves, pandan leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and cook until the onions are softened and beginning to caramelise.
Add the tamarind pulp and sugar then cook for another couple of minutes before seasoning with salt
To make the Pol Sambol, grind together the chilli, sugar and salt then add the shallots and carry on grinding to a paste
Add the lime juice then stir into the coconut
Add the baking powder, egg and 50g plain flour to the fermented hopper mix, then gradually stir in enough coconut milk to make a batter, similar to the consistency of pancake batter
7- Heat a hopper pan, or small wok (about 15cm diameter at the top). Once very hot, ladle in some of the hopper mixture, swirling the pan to coat the sides first and then over the base of the pan. Cook for a minute or so, then cover with a lid and cook for another couple of minutes. If you want to add an egg, crack the egg into the pan before putting the lid on top, and cook until the egg is firm.
With thanks to
The Mount Lavinia Hotel
So Sri Lanka Tourism Bureau