Garden-Fresh Vegetable Uttapam
Thick, spongy South Indian pancakes crowned with a colorful mosaic of diced onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and fresh cilantro pressed right into the batter as it cooks. Unlike its thin cousin the dosa, uttapam embraces its thickness, creating a soft, pillowy interior with a gently caramelized bottom that carries a tangy fermented flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (or dosa rice)
- 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
+ 8 more ingredients
Instructions
Soak the rice and fenugreek seeds together in water for 4-6 hours. Separately soak the urad dal for 4-6 hours.
Grind the urad dal to a smooth, fluffy batter, adding minimal cold water. Separately grind the rice to a slightly grainy batter. Combine both in a large bowl, add salt, mix well, cover, and ferment for 8-12 hours until doubled and bubbly.
The fermented batter for uttapam should be slightly thicker than dosa batter. If it seems too thin, add a tablespoon of rice flour. Stir gently.
Prepare all the vegetable toppings and keep them ready in separate small bowls.
Heat a non-stick tawa or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease lightly with oil.
Pour a generous ladleful of batter onto the center of the pan. Do not spread it thin like a dosa. Use the back of the ladle to gently spread it into a thick round, about 5-6 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.
Immediately scatter a generous amount of the diced onion, tomato, green chilies, bell pepper, carrot, and cilantro over the surface of the wet batter, pressing them in gently with the back of the spatula.
Drizzle oil around the edges and a little on top of the vegetables. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and the edges begin to set.
Flip carefully using a wide spatula. Cook the vegetable side for 2-3 minutes, pressing gently to ensure even contact with the pan.
Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI