Crispy bowl-shaped rice & coconut pancakes with dripping egg yolk. It’s so appetizing.
In Sri Lanka, Hoppers (Appa, ආප්ප, Appam) are a very popular breakfast dish and street food. Egg Hoppers (Biththara Appa, බිත්තර ආප්ප) are simply Hopper with an egg cooked in the middle. Here is an easy recipe for making Egg Hoppers.
Hoppers (Appa) Variations
In Sri Lanka, there are a few other variations of Hoppers that you can make with the same batter such as Biththara Appa (Egg Hoppers), Pani Appa (Sweet Hoppers), Kiri Appa (without crispy edge) and Wandu Appa (Steamed Appa).
What is Egg Hoppers
In this post, I will introduce you to how to make Egg Hoppers. Egg Hopper is simply Hopper with an egg cooked in the middle, so it is called Egg Hoppers (Biththara Appa). (Biththara = Eggs). So, first, you need to make the batter for making Hoppers.
How to Make the batter
There are various ways to make the Batter and it is also varying from person to person or region to region. I have already shared two blog posts on how to make Hoppers. So, please select one of the options below for recipe instructions, tips & videos.
How to Make the batter with ground rice batter
(My GO-TO Hopper Recipe with useful tips & video)
I usually make Hoppers by grinding soaked rice directly into a batter with water. For that, you need a powerful grinder to grind the soaked rice into a batter. So, if you have a powerful grinder, I highly recommend making the batter with ground rice batter as it makes beautifully crisp Hoppers with a nice grainy texture.
Here is the detailed recipe (My GO-TO Hopper Recipe) with useful tips & video
How to Make Perfect Sri Lankan Hoppers (Appa, Appam)
How to make the Batter with store-bought rice flour
(Easy recipe with useful tips & video)
If you want to find a way to quicken the process or if you don’t have a wet grinder, or if you don’t want to take the trouble to soak and grind rice, you can also make the batter an easy way with store-bought rice flour. However, please make sure to buy long-grain white rice flour, not glutinous rice flour.
Here is an easy recipe for making the Batter with store-bought rice flour.
Sri Lankan Hoppers (Appa, Appam)-The Easiest Recipe Ever
Check out the detailed recipe with step-by-step cooking instructions on How to Make Rice Flour at Home
You will need a special pan
Hopper is cooked in a small hemispherical wok-like pan, called Appa Thachchiya (Hopper Pan) with a lid that gives them a unique bowl shape. The pan ensures the batter collects in the center of the pan after tilting it to lace the sides creating a fluffy soft center with crispy lacy edges.
I make Hoppers in non-stick hopper pans that I brought back from Sri Lanka. If you want to buy one, Hopper Pan is available in online stores like Amazon. If you use a non-stick pan, no need to rub the pan with oil, and be sure to keep the pan solely for making Appa.
making egg hoppers-Plan Ahead
You must make the batter the day before you are planning to cook and serve your hoppers, just most of the time there is an idle time where you just need to leave your batter to rise while enjoying the rest of your day.
Sri Lankan hot chili condiment to Try
EASY Sri Lankan Hot Chili Condiment (Lunu Miris); Lunu Miris (ලුණු මිරිස්), also known as Katta Sambol (කට්ට සම්බෝල), is a classic and authentic Sri Lankan hot chili condiment that’s a widely used staple in Sri Lankan cuisine.
How to serve egg hoppers
Egg Hoppers are served most frequently for breakfast or dinner, often accompanied by spicy condiments such as Lunu Miris (mix of red onions, chili, salt, and dried fish) or Pol Sambol (Lunu Miris mixed with fresh coconut) or various gravy, mostly fish meat chicken or dal curry. They are usually served in a batch, many plain Hoppers (three to ten or more if you are hungry) and one or two Egg Hoppers.
Egg hoppers (Biththara Appa ) recipe
How to make Egg Hoppers (Biththara Appa)-Easy Recipe & Video
Ingredients
- 2 Ladles of Appa batter
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Heat the Hopper pan over medium-high heat until it becomes hot. No need to grease the pan if it is an exclusive non-stick Hopper pan.
- Pour a ladleful of the batter into the center of the pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter thinly. A thin layer of batter should stick to the sides, with a thicker layer in the center.
- Quickly break an egg into the center of the pan and then cover and cook for about 2 minutes until the egg is just set and the edges of the Appa are starting to brown. (Lower the heat after adding the egg.)
- Run around the edges with a palette knife and ease it onto a plate.
- Best served hot. Repeat with the remaining batter and eggs.
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