Appa (Sri Lankan Hoppers)

In a bowl, mix the rice flour, active dry yeast and water into a thick paste with no dry lumps. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 18–20 hours to ferment slowly.

Check the batter: bubbles should have formed on the surface, and the mixture should have risen slightly and developed a faint tang.

Add the sugar and gradually pour in the coconut milk, stirring until you get a thick, pourable pancake batter. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Stir in the salt just before frying. If the batter has become too thick, thin it with a little of the reserved water.

Heat an appachatti or a small deep non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly grease it with oil; for the next hoppers, re-grease only as needed.

Pour one small ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and quickly swirl the pan so the batter rises thinly up the sides, leaving a slightly thicker layer in the middle.

Cover with a lid and cook for 45–60 seconds, until the edges turn golden and crisp and the centre has set. Gently loosen the edge with a blunt knife and serve the hoppers hot.