Vegetable uttappam
My favorite form of savory pancakes. The crispy edges, soft center, tangy flavor and the crunch from the vegetables makes this a satisfying, filling breakfast. I make them with leftover dosa batter. The batter is easy to make - just requires a bit of time & planning but once the batter is ready, you can use it to make “idli”, “dosa”, “utappam” and can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
For the batter
3 cups of short grain rice (ideally idli rice)
1 cup of urad dal (AKA split husked black gram lentils)
Salt, (about 2 tsp)
Steps for the batter
1. Rinse uncooked rice and lentils separately, under water. Soak uncooked rice & uncooked lentils in water in two separate bowls for about 5 hours
2. Transfer the lentils to a high speed blender & grind to make a smooth batter, using just enough water that the lentils were soaked in, to get a fluffy batter
3. Transfer this to a large bowl
4. Now add the soaked rice to the blender & process until smooth, using enough soaking water to make a reasonably smooth batter
5. Add the blended rice to the large bowl with the blended lentil and mix the batter well.. It should be like a smooth pancake batter & should coat the back of a spoon.
6. Keep it covered in a warm place to ferment for about 5-6 hours or until you notice the batter has doubled in quantity.
7. Once the batter has doubled in size, & appears bubbly on the surface, stir in salt. Use the batter to make dosa, idli, utappam
For the vegetable utappam
Ingredients
Dosa/utappam batter (recipe above)
Some chopped veggies (onions, tomatoes, bell peppers)
Chopped cilantro (if you like)
Any neutral oil (as needed)
1. Heat a non-stick/cast iron skillet over medium, brush oil over it. Sprinkle some water over the skillet, if it sizzles & evaporates right away, it is ready for the batter.
2. Pour 3/4 cup of batter on to it
3. Sprinkle a mixture of finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, bell pepper on top
4. Pour a tiny amount of oil around it, if needed. As it cooks, you will see bubbles start to form in the batter. After about a minute, carefully flip it over using a spatula & continue cooking another 3 minutes, or until they don’t stick to the pan, golden brown and appear cooked through
5. Remove from the skillet, repeat with remaining batter
Tips/notes
*If you're not using the batter straight away, chill for later. It will keep for up to five days.
*Mixing the batter with your hand before fermentation helps in the process
*Utappam is best when made the a day or two after the batter is made
*A good place to ferment the batter is inside your oven (oven turned off)
