Recipe Cuisine: Others
Theme: One Bowl Wonder
Egg Hopper Bowl with Sweet-Spicy Onion Relish
By: Gishara Dias
Ingredients
- For the hopper batter: Rice flour – 200 g
- Valcom Coconut Milk – 100 ml (plus few tablespoons of water, as needed)
- Instant yeast – 1 tsp
- Sugar – 1 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
- For the Sweet & Spicy Onion Relish:Red or brown onions, finely sliced – 2 medium
- Tamarind paste – 2 tsp (plus few teaspoons of water)
- Pandan leaf – 1
- Bonito flakes – 1 tbsp (plus extra to garnish)
- Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
- Chilli flakes – 1 tsp (or to taste)
- Coconut or palm sugar (jaggery), crushed – 1 tbsp
- Garlic, finely chopped – 1 tsp
- Ginger, finely chopped – ½ tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 2–3 tbsp
- Other:Eggs, Hopper pan
Product used in recipe
- VALCOM - COCONUT MILK
Method
- Prepare the Hopper Batter: In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, yeast, sugar and salt. Gradually add the rice flour, whisking until smooth and lump-free. Add a few tablespoons of water to achieve a moderately thick, pourable batter. Cover and rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until bubbles appear and the batter is lightly fermented.
- Cook the Egg Hopper Bowl: Lightly grease the hopper pan and heat over medium-low heat with the lid on. Once hot, wipe away excess oil with a paper towel. Pour batter along the edge of the pan and swirl once to coat the sides, allowing excess batter to settle in the centre. Crack an egg into the centre, cover with the lid and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden and the yolk remains runny. Gently remove the hopper bowl and set aside. Repeat as needed.
- Prepare the Onion Relish: Toss the sliced onions with the tamarind paste and set aside. Lightly grind the bonito flakes into smaller pieces using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, keeping some texture rather than a fine powder. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add half the bonito flakes, pandan leaf and ginger, stirring until fragrant. Add the garlic and tamarind-coated onions. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes until softened but still slightly textured. Stir in the soy sauce and salt, allowing the onions to release their juices. Allow the onions to cook until soft and lightly caramelised. Add the chilli flakes and crushed jaggery, stirring until the mixture becomes glossy and well balanced between sweet, sour and heat. Adjust seasoning and finish with the remaining bonito flakes.
- To Serve: Spoon the sweet and spicy onion relish into the centre of the egg hopper bowl. Break into the crisp edges, dunk into the runny yolk, and enjoy straight from the hopper!
