Uttapam
My authentic recipe for classic south Indian uttapam, a fluffy and savory pancake made with a fermented batter of rice and lentils. Serve it with sambar or coconut chutney.
Servings: 8 uttapam
Calories: 160kcal
Equipment
- Blender (a high powered blender works even better)
- Cast iron griddle or non-stick skillet
Ingredients
For uttapam batter
- 1 cup rice (see ingredient notes above for varieties of rice you can use)
- ½ cup urad dal (black gram dal)
- 2 tablespoon toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
- 2 tablespoon chana dal (Bengal gram dal)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana/venthayam)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, I like to add it to feed the probiotic bacteria)
- Salt to taste
For topping the uttapam
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 1 medium bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 1-2 green chillies (like jalapeno or serrano peppers. Chop the chili peppers fine. Be sure to deseed them first if you're sensitive to heat.)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
Instructions
Make uttapam batter
- Mix the rice, urad dal, chana dal, toor dal and fenugreek seeds in a bowl. Add four cups water and set the bowl aside for 8-12 hours.
- Drain the soaked dals and rice and place. Place them in a blender along ¾ths cup water and blend into a batter. The batter should look smooth but when you rub a bit between your thumb and forefinger you should feel a slight grittiness. The consistency should be slightly thinner than a pancake batter.
Ferment uttapam batter
- Pour the batter into a bowl, mix in the sugar and salt, cover and set it aside in a warm spot to ferment, overnight or for 8-12 hours. In winter, you can ferment the batter in the Instant Pot on the yogurt setting for 10 hours, or set the covered bowl in a cold oven with the light on.
Make uttapam
- Deflate the puffy, fermented batter by stirring it with a ladle, If the batter looks too thick to be pourable you can add a little more water at this time.
- Heat a cast-iron griddle or nonstick skillet over medium high heat until drops of water sprinkled on the surface sizzle and evaporate within a few seconds. Rub the surface of the griddle with some oil (use a kitchen towel or an onion cut in half to do this). You don't want visible drops of oil on the skillet - you just want a thin coat of oil on the surface.
- Pour ½ cup of the uthappam batter in the center. You don't need to spread this as you would a dosa, it should widen out a little on its own into a pancake about five to six inches in diameter.
- Sprinkle on a couple of tablespoons of vegetables and herbs - onions, bell peppers and cilantro.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil along the edges of the uthappam to help it crisp up and become golden-brown. This also makes it easier to flip the uthappam.
- Let the uthappam cook until the edges begin to dry out and the bottom is golden-brown. You can optionally cover the pan with a lid or poke a few holes with a fork in the center of the uttapam to ensure it cooks through and no raw batter is left on the inside.
- Gently ease the uttapam from the griddle with a thin spatula and flip it. Cook for another minute, then remove to a plate.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 uttapam | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 474IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg