Appé - Hoppers

Ingredients
15 g (½ oz) fresh compressed yeast or 1 teaspoon dried yeast
½ cup warm water
1½ teaspoons sugar
1½ cups ground rice
1½ cups rice flour or plain white flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups desiccated coconut
2½ cups hot milk
2 cups hot water






Method
Sprinkle yeast over warm water, stir to dissolve, add sugar and leave for 10 minutes or so. If yeast starts to froth it is active and you can proceed with the recipe. If it has no reaction, start again with a fresh batch of yeast, or the hoppers will not be a success. Put ground rice, rice flour and salt into a large bowl. Make coconut milk, using milk instead of water. When the first milk has been extracted, use the same coconut and repeat the procedure with the water. Keep the two extracts separate. Add yeast mixture to the first extract of coconut milk and stir into the dry ingredients to form a smooth, thick batter. Allow to stand overnight, or put in a warm (turned off) oven for 1 hour until mixture rises and doubles in bulk. The batter should be of a thick pouring consistency, but thin enough to cover the sides of the pan with an almost transparent coating when the batter is swirled. It will be necessary to add some of the second extract of coconut. A little practice will tell you when you have achieved the perfect consistency, and so much depends on the absorbency of the flour that it is not possible to give an accurate measurement. Heat the pan over low heat, rub the inside surface with a piece of folded kitchen paper dipped in oil, and pour in a small ladle of the batter. Immediately pick up the pan by both handles, using pot holders, and swirl it around so that the batter coats the pan for two thirds of the way up. Cover pan (any saucepan cover that fits just inside the top edge will do) and cook on very low heat for about 5 minutes. Lift lid and peep. When upper edges begin to turn pale toasty color, the hopper is ready. Where the batter has run down the sides to the center there will be a little circle of spongy mixture, rather like a crumpet, while the curved edge is very thin, crisp and wafer-like. With a curved slotted utensil or flexible metal spatula slip the hopper from the pan on to a wire rack. Wipe pan again with oiled paper and repeat. Serve the hoppers warm, accompanied by lunu miris sambol or any kind of meat, fish or chicken curry.