Soaked-Rice Hoppers with Seeni Sambol

Method

1. Wash the rice in 3 or 4 changes of water until it runs clear, then soak it in plenty of water for 4 h. It is ready when a grain crumbles easily under your fingernail.

   Add in this stepRaw white rice (long-grain or regular) 120 g

2. Drain the rice and blend it with the cooked rice, coconut water, yeast and sugar for 3 min until completely smooth; rub a drop between your fingers and it should feel silky, not gritty. Pour into a bowl of at least 1.5 L, cover and leave somewhere warm for 8 h. It should double, be full of bubbles and smell pleasantly sour, like a young rice wine.

   Add in this stepCooked rice, cooled 30 gCoconut water (unsweetened) 160 mlInstant dry yeast ½ tspSugar 1 tsp

3. Make the seeni sambol: slice the onions thinly. Heat the oil in a 24 cm pan over medium heat heat and fry the cinnamon, cardamom and curry leaves for 30 seconds (curry leaves spit, so stand back). Add the onions and salt, turn the heat to medium-low heat and cook for 25 min, stirring often, until deep brown and jammy. Add the chilli flakes, tamarind and brown sugar, cook 2 minutes more until glossy, then take off the heat.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for the sambol) 2 tbspCinnamon stick (3 cm piece) 1Cardamom pods, lightly crushed 2Curry leaves 10Onions 150 gSalt (for the sambol) 2 pinchChilli flakes 1½ tspTamarind paste 1½ tspBrown sugar 2 tsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Gently fold the thick coconut milk and salt into the fermented batter without knocking out the bubbles, until it flows like pouring cream. Let it rest for 20 min.

   Add in this stepThick coconut milk 200 mlSalt (for the batter) ½ tsp

5. Heat the hopper pan over medium heat heat for 3 min and wipe it thinly with an oiled paper towel. A drop of batter should sizzle at once and cling to the side.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for greasing) 1 tbsp

   medium heat

6. Pour in about 50 ml of batter and swirl the pan in a wide circle to coat the sides thinly. Drop a teaspoon of coconut cream into the centre, cover and cook on medium-low heat for 3 min, until the edges are thin, brown and lacy. Lift out and make 6 plain hoppers.

   Add in this stepThick coconut cream from the top of the can 30 ml

   medium-low heat

7. For egg hoppers, swirl the batter, crack an egg into the centre, season with pepper, cover and cook on medium-low heat for 3 min 30 sec, until the white is set and the yolk still wobbles. Make 2.

   Add in this stepEggs 2Black pepper 1 pinch

   medium-low heat

8. Serve each hopper straight from the pan with seeni sambol. Tear the crisp rim together with the creamy, coconut-soaked centre and wrap it around a little sambol.