Kimchi Cheese Egg Hoppers with Gochujang Mayo
Korean meets Sri Lankan brunch: crisp coconut hopper bowls filled with caramelised kimchi, stretchy mozzarella and a soft egg, drizzled with gochujang mayo.
Method
Mix the rice flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl, add the coconut milk and water and whisk until smooth and pourable like single cream. This is a quick yeast-free batter, so it only needs to rest for .
Add in this stepRice flour (fine, dry) 100 gBaking powder ½ tspSugar 1 tspSalt ¼ tspCoconut milk 180 mlWater 80 ml
Squeeze the kimchi firmly to remove its juice and chop it finely. Heat the sesame oil in a 20 cm pan over medium-high heat heat and stir-fry the kimchi for until dry and lightly caramelised at the edges; wet kimchi makes soggy hopper centres.
Add in this stepWell-fermented napa cabbage kimchi 120 gToasted sesame oil 1 tsp
medium-high heatStir the mayonnaise, gochujang and honey together for the gochujang mayo, and slice the spring onions. A piping bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped makes drizzling easy.
Add in this stepMayonnaise 3 tbspGochujang (Korean chilli paste) 2 tspHoney 1 tsp
Heat a hopper pan or small wok over medium heat heat for and wipe it thinly with an oiled paper towel.
Add in this stepVegetable oil (for greasing) 1 tbsp
medium heatPour in about 50 ml of batter and swirl the pan widely to coat the sides. Straight away, put a little kimchi and mozzarella in the centre, crack an egg on top, cover and cook on medium-low heat for , until the white is set, the cheese has melted and the golden edges come away from the pan. Make 4 in total, re-oiling the pan every 2.
Add in this stepEggs 4Grated mozzarella 60 g
medium-low heatAs each one comes out, zigzag over the gochujang mayo and scatter with spring onions and sesame seeds. Tear off the crisp rim and dip it into the yolk and cheesy kimchi.
Add in this stepSpring onions 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp
Cook's tip
Sour, well-aged kimchi balances the sweet coconut batter best. If the batter won't cling to the sides, heat the pan longer. Too much cheese makes the base soggy; a small handful per hopper is right.
Cooking it at camp
Weigh the batter ingredients at home, packing dry and wet separately, then mix at camp and rest 30 minutes. Fry the kimchi ahead to save washing up; one small lidded wok on the stove is all you need.