Take the required quantity of rice you will need. I used 250g of Thai white rice.

Rinse the rice thoroughly in water a couple of times. Put the rice into a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 2 hours. Soaking helps the rice grains to grind well.

Once done, drain the water completely using a metal strainer.

Spread the soaked rice on a clean towel (or a few layers of paper towels) to dry for 30 min or so in the shade. Do not dry in the sun. All the water should be absorbed by the towel and the rice should be just slightly dry but not wet or completely dry.

Grind the rice into a fine powder using a powerful grinder. Do it in batches to avoid overloading.

Repeat this process until all the rice has been finely ground.

Take the rice flour in a sieve and then sift it. After sieving you will see some rice grains in the sieve. Return them back to the grinder jar, grind and sift again. Repeat this process to gain rice flour as much as you can. Or you can use rice grains to make any recipe that calls for rice rava or coarsely ground rice.

Now spread the rice flour on the plate and let it dry for some more time till it’s completely dry. Test for dryness by taking a pinch between your fingers. Properly dried flour will not stick together. Store refrigerated in an airtight container… or get cookin’… because now you have rice flour for making the best hoppers.

Here are the ingredients you will need for making hoppers; rice flour, semolina, sugar, salt, milk, water, and yeast. (water is not in the photo)

Add water a little at a time and mix well until you have a smooth batter without any lumps.

Cover and leave to rise for about 6 to 8 hours in a warm place (if cold environment).

After good fermentation, the batter will be frothy, bubbly, and smell fermented.

Dissolve the baking soda in a tablespoon of water. Add to the batter and mix well. Don’t forget to add salt to taste if needed. Rest the batter for about 30 minutes in a warm place.

You will see a lot of tiny bubbles in the batter after resting time. The bubbly and creamy texture is the key to the best hopper batter. You can use the batter immediately to make hoppers or keep it in the fridge for later use.

Heat the pan over medium-high until it becomes hot. Pour a ladleful of the batter into the center of the pan. You will know the temperature is right when the batter makes the sizzle as it goes in.

Hold both handles of the pan then rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly and thinly. Swirl once (or twice) in a circular motion in the same direction to the top edge of the pan. You will know the temperature of the pan and the consistency of the batter are correct when you swirl it, it sticks a nice layer around the edge of the pan.

The hopper batter around the edge should be thin and dotted with little lazy holes, and there should be a thicker layer in the center.

Cover and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat until the edges of the pancake are starting to brown and the center is no longer runny. Adjust the heat as needed.

Remove the lid. If you want a crisp edge, turn up the heat and cook for a few seconds more. The center of the hopper should be puffed and soft.

Run around the edges with a palette knife or spatula and ease onto a plate.