Sri Lankan egg hoppers are the new bacon 'n' egg rolls

Sydneysiders can get an egg hopper fix at Lankan Filling Station at Carriageworks Farmer's Markets but only until Saturday 16 September.

Top with curry and sambol. Source: Lankan Filling Station

We know that you are hopping mad for the Sri Lankan bowl-shaped pancake, known as the hopper.

The Saturday-morning queue at Lankan Filling Station’s market stall at Sydney’s Carriageworks Farmer's Markets is testament to how much we’ve taken to this coconutty crepe-meets-crumpet.

And, no doubt, the queue will only snake longer now as Lankan Filling Station has just announced to SBS that their final market day will be 16 September.

That’s only 4 more times Sydney eaters can get their hop on at the Carriageworks markets to sample owner and chef O Tama Carey’s hoppers and curries like these:

Egg hopper

This sunny-side-up number kicks bacon ‘n’ egg rolls to the curb. Carey plops a biodynamic egg in the base and cooks the hopper until the yolk is lava-runny. It comes with your choice of condiments: addictive pol sambol (freshly grated coconut, lime juice, chilli powder and Maldive fish - like dried anchovies) or seeni sambol (onion cooked down with jaggery and sweet spices until caramelised, pictured), plus her curry of the day. (Our tip is to do the trifecta: both sambols and a curry - and pickled green chillis, for the brave.)

Lamb curry with roasted black pepper and fennel seeds

Beef shin and roasted curry powder

Dutch cream potato, roasted garlic and green chilli curry

This will be on tomorrow’s menu - plant eaters, this one’s for you!

Sweet hoppers

Filled with grated jaggery (a dark Sri Lankan palm sugar) and coconut cream (also on tomorrow’s menu).

Did we mention that hoppers are gluten free?

Hoppers are traditionally made from rice, coconut milk and water. That’s it. Carey uses organic white rice, stone-ground to her specifications, which is made into a batter that is fermented overnight, giving her hoppers a distinctive savoury tang and lace-like texture.

But where is Lankan Filling Station going?

Hopper addicts, fear not. Carriageworks markets have been Lankan Filling Station’s temporary home since April but Carey is looking for a permanent commercial site in Sydney, where she (and we) can live out our hopper dreams not only on Saturdays but everyday of the week. 

Lankan Filling Station, Saturday 8am–1pm, Carriageworks Farmer's Markets, until 16 September (except 2 September), then popping up somewhere in Sydney.