Appa (Hoppers) is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic yeasted coconut cream and rice flour pancake that's typically served as an accompaniment for curries. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sri Lankan version of: Hoppers (Appa).
In a bowl, mix the yeast with 1 tsp sugar and the salt in 120ml warm water. Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is frothy.
In the meantime, mix 160ml of the coconut cream with 250ml water. Place the rice flour into a large bowl, then work in the yeast mixture. Now mix in the diluted coconut cream, a little at a time, until you have a smooth batter rather like a pancake batter.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside to ferment in a warm place over night, or until the batter has doubled in volume.
Just before you cook, stir in the remaining coconut cream and the remaining sugar. Mix well to combine and add a little more water if the batter looks to be too thick.
Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan over medium heat. Moisten kitchen paper in oil and brush this over the surface of the pan. Add 3 tbsp of the batter to the pan and then tilt the pan so that the batter covers the pan's surface.
Cover and cook for 60 seconds over medium-low heat. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges of the hopper and serve immediately.
If desired, you can beat an egg into the batter mix. This makes the pancakes easier to remove from the pan and makes them easier. For best results the pan needs to be clean and fairly new and the pan should be reserved just for making hoppers.
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