Sri Lankan egg hoppers (Biththara appa)

1. In a bowl, mix the rice flour, yeast and sugar, then stir in the lukewarm coconut water to make a thick batter. Leave covered in a warm place for 6-8 hours (overnight) to ferment until bubbly and doubled.

2. Stir the salt into the risen batter and gradually add enough coconut milk to give a thin pancake batter consistency.

3. Heat a small, deep, round-bottomed pan (a hopper pan or small wok) over medium heat and wipe with oiled kitchen paper. Pour in a ladleful of batter and swirl the pan so it runs up the sides to form a thin bowl with lacy edges.

4. Crack an egg into the centre, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden, the centre soft, the white set and the yolk still runny.

5. Lift out carefully with a spatula and make the rest the same way.

6. Serve at once with pol sambol and spicy lunu miris onion-chilli paste: break off the crisp edge and dip it into the yolk.

Tip: A favourite Sri Lankan breakfast and evening street food. The natural sugar in coconut water feeds the yeast; if you don't have any, lukewarm water and an extra pinch of sugar will do. Without a round-bottomed pan, a small wok works best.