When you think of pancakes, what comes to mind? Most of us probably imagine thin crêpes, topped with sugar and lemon; or perhaps an American stack, thick and fluffy and groaning with maple syrup.

But all across Britain, a curious new cousin is battering its way into our hearts. Meet the hopper – Sri Lanka’s bowl-shaped answer to the pancake.

Described by the doyenne of Indian food, Madhur Jaffrey, as the love child of a crêpe and a crumpet, it’s golden and crisp at the edges and doughy in the centre. And instead of being topped with boring Nutella, it’s filled with fragrant Sri Lankan curries (karis), spicy relishes (sambals) and – if you’re feeling very decadent – a whole egg, baked into the base.

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“Hoppers are fun and a bit different,” says chef Emily Dobbs, who serves the pancakes at her street food stall, Weligama, at London’s Druid Street market, every weekend. “You can eat them with your hands, wrapping the whole thing up. They’re like a healthy burger – for those who don’t mind a bit of dribble!”