Enjoy a taste of the traditional Sri Lankan Hopper with Hop & Roll at Venn Street Market…

Rock up to Venn Street Market, Clapham on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll catch Hop & Roll rustling up Sri Lankan hoppers while you wait. They’re served with an array of sizzling hot accompaniments: fish or meat curry, pol sambol (coconut), seeni sambol (caramelised onion) and potato curry. Hoppers, for anyone who may have missed them, are Sri Lankan bowl-shaped pancakes with crispy edges and a soft centre – sometimes served with an egg cooked into the middle, sunny-side-up. Made of rice flour and coconut milk they are an immensely popular street food on the island.

Rosh Olivelle set up Hop & Roll in 2019 to share her love of cooking fresh, Sri Lankan dishes. Visit her at Venn Street Market and you’ll experience exactly how they are made in make-shift road-side stalls in Sri Lanka. Rosh has recently gone one better. She’s released her very own Hop & Roll hopper kits so that anyone can make this lovable street food at home.

Although widely eaten hoppers are tricky to perfect due to the long preparation time they require. Hop & Roll has taken care of it all. The kit comes complete with pre-measured rice flour, coconut milk powder and yeast. It also contains a thachi with lid, which is a traditional pan used for making hoppers, and a spatula. An easy to follow set of instructions takes you through the steps. Once the batter is mixed, the hard work is done. Let it ferment overnight and prepare to dazzle with your hopper breakfast. Remember that you might make mistakes; the first few may not look great. With enough batter to make just over 20 hoppers there will be plenty left to perfect you skills. 20 will serve between five to six people.

I used my hopper kit and enjoyed an entire stack of hoppers at home, having never made them before. When you’ve used up the first batch you can order top-up kits for making more. Go further and add sambol kits for the full Sri Lankan experience. Hop & Roll hopper kits also become available to buy on Not on the High Street, from October, in time for gifting season. The foodie in your life will love you for it.

For more information and to order your Hop & Roll kits visit: hopandroll.co.uk

Venn Street Market happens every Saturday between 10am and 4pm. Nearest tube: Clapham Common. For more information visit: https://www.vennstreetmarket.co.uk/