The Perfect Hopper

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1. 1Step 1: The day before, soak the two cups of uncooked (raw) rice in enough water for at least 5 hours (or overnight).
2. 2Step 2: Just before you are ready to process the rice, prepare the yeast mixture by stirring together the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water and set aside.
3. 3Step 3: In a food processor, process the cooked rice, grated coconut and yeast mixture until thoroughly blended.
4. 4Step 4: Drain the soaked rice of its soaking water.
5. 5Step 5: Place the drained, soaked rice and salt into the food processor containing the cooked rice and coconut yeast mixture and blend.
6. 6Step 6: Whilst the mixture in the food processor continues to blend, add the lukewarm water a little at a time until the whole cup of water has been added. Keep processing until you get a smooth batter, which may take about up to 10 mins.
7. 7Step 7: Transfer the smooth batter into a large bowl, loosely covering it with a tea towel, and leave in a warm place to ferment for 8 hours. The batter will have bloomed to about 3 times its original size.
8. 8Step 8: When you are ready to cook the hoppers, stir enough coconut milk into the fermented batter to make it the consistency of pancake batter (and not too thin consistency). Finally add the sugar and stir.
9. 9Step 9: If your hopper pan is a conventional metal one (i.e. not a non-stick pan), you will need to season it first so that the hoppers don't stick to it once they are cooked.
10. 10Step 10: Heat the hopper pan on a medium-high heat until you can feel that heat penetrating through the middle of the pan.
11. 11Step 11: Dab a scrunched paper towel with a little sesame oil and wipe around the inside of the pan to place a thin layer of oil on it. You will need to wipe the pan this way and keep it oiled before each addition of the batter.
12. 12Step 12: Hold the hopper pan with your left hand. Using a soup ladle with your right hand, scoop the batter into the ladle and pour it into the near centre of the hopper pan. Lift the hopper pan off the stove and swirl it around so that the batter covers the pan. Once you have done this, place the pan back on the stove and cover the hopper pan with its lid to cook.
13. 13Step 13: Cook the hopper for about 2.5 to 3 mins on medium-high to allow the bowl structure of the hopper to form. Reduce the temperature of the stove to medium and cook for another minute this gives time for the final steaming of the centre without burning the overall hopper.
14. 14Step 14: Once cooked the hopper should slide out of the hopper pan almost without any assistance.
15. 15Step 15: If you're making egg hoppers, simply crack an egg into the centre of the swirled batter (use slightly less than a ladle spoonful) in the pan and season with salt and pepper before placing the lid on. Cook for about 4 mins on medium-high and turn down to medium for another minute (or until the egg has just become white / set on its whole surface).