Utthapam, A Rice And Lentil Pancake From South India
Uthappam
Reeta Kumar
Uthappam is like a thick Dosa pancake. It usually contains other ingredients like onions, green chillie, tomatoes, curry leaves and other vegetables of choice. Vegetables should be chopped small enough to be able to cook quickly along with the batter.
It can be made from left over Dosa or idli batter or with semolina too. Almost all Indian stores sell ready to cook Uttapam mixes, which only require addition of water. They give reasonable results, though not as tasty as when made from scratch. Serve it with Coconut Chutney and lime pickle. Makes 8-10
Ingredients
For batter
1 cup parboiled or Idli-Dosa rice
1/3 cup skinless urad/urid dal (split, skinless black gram dal)
(You can use leftover dosa or idli batter instead of this)
Other ingredients:
1/2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste (batter should be lightly salted)
1 medium sized red onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves (optional)
*1 tsp. baking powder
Oil for pan frying
For tarka or tempering:
1 tsp. oil
1 level tsp. black mustard seeds or rai
10-12 curry leaves
*Some friends of mine add baking powder to make utthapam lighter, but I have never needed to do this with a well risen batter.
Instructions
Wash and soak the rice and urad dal for 5-6 hours. Grind together into a finely grainy batter. It should not be runny and be of thick enough consistency to hold the vegetables together.
Allow it to ferment in a warm place overnight in hot countries or keep for 1-2 days in cooler countries, until it is slightly frothy. It can be left in the fridge for 3-4 days at this stage. So, it is better to make it in advance rather than worrying about whether it will rise in time.
Add all other batter ingredients and mix.
Tarka or tempering:
Heat oil in a ladle. Add mustard seed. As soon as they start popping, add curry leaves. Stir with a little spoon and pour over the batter. Stir into the batter.
Making Utthapam:
Heat a tava or any thick bottomed frying pan or a skillet. Add 2 tsp. oil and spread it around, to cover the entire surface.
Pour 1 medium sized ladle full of batter over the tava/pan and spread it gently by tilting the pan around, to about 1 to 1 1/2 cm. or 1/2 inch thick and approximately 15 cm. or 6 inches in diameter.
Spoon a little more oil from the sides of the utthapam and cover with a lid. Steam cooks it through better.
After 3-4 minutes, gently turn it over, using a flat spatula. Press it gently all over, to make it crisper and cook fully. You may need to pour a little more oil from the sides from time to time. The amount of oil is a personal choice. More will make it crisper, as made in restaurants. Non-stick pans will need less oil. When it is crisp and brownish, remove from the pan and serve immediately with coconut chutney and a pickle of choice.
