Coconut, red onion and green chilli hoppers with two sambals.

Coconut, red onion and green chilli hoppers with two sambals .

Coconut pancakes fried with an egg, called hoppers, are a Sri Lankan breakfast staple. Served with two sambals – one paste is fine and fresh; one feathery with coconut – this is a breakfast or brunch to master, and make again and again. Work quickly to shape the pancake, using a high-sided frying pan or a wok for a traditional lipped hopper. Rice flour is best, but you can get away with using plain (all-purpose) flour. 

150g (5oz) rice flour or 100g (3½​oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 
200ml (7oz) warm water
1 teaspoon fast-action dried yeast 
11⁄2 teaspoons caster (super fine) sugar 
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus extra to season 
100g (3½​oz) desiccated (shredded) coconut 
200ml (7oz) boiling water 
1 red onion, peeled and very finely diced 
4 teaspoons chilli flakes
Juice of 1 lime 
2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional but pretty good) 
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you want less heat) 
4 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (cilantro) or mint 
4 eggs
Vegetable oil 

First, make the batter. Mix the flour with the warm water, yeast, half a teaspoon of the sugar and the salt. Leave to one side for about 30 minutes to start to bubble. 

Meanwhile, put the desiccated (shredded) coconut into a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water. 

To make the second sambal, mix half the soaked coconut with one teaspoon of sugar, one teaspoon of chilli flakes, another big pinch of salt, two tablespoons of the remaining diced red onion and the remaining lime juice. Put into a bowl and set aside. To make the first sambal, put half the red onion with three teaspoons of the chilli flakes in a pestle and mortar and pound (or give them a quick pulse in a food processor, if you prefer) to a coarse paste. Put the mixture in a bowl and mix with half the lime juice and the fish sauce (if using), and a big pinch of salt to season. Put into a serving dish and set aside. 

When the batter is bubbly, mix in the remaining diced red onion, the green chilli, the remaining soaked coconut and the herbs. Break one egg into a cup and have it ready to add to the pancake. 

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat and rub with a thin film of oil. Pour a ladleful of the batter into the pan, tilting it so the batter begins to cook up the edges of the pan in a thin layer. Quickly add the egg into the centre of the pancake and cover with a lid. Leave to cook for about two to three minutes until the egg is just cooked and the edges of the pancake are starting to colour. 

Run a flexible spatula or palette knife around the edges of the pan and slide the hopper onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and eggs. Serve immediately with generous helpings of the two sambals.