Start the day before. The fermenting alone is 8 hr, against 45 min of actual work.
Allergens in Uttapam: sesame.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 2 cups idli, soaked 5 hours Riceparboiled idli rice, not raw table rice
- 1/2 cup, soaked 4 hours Urad Dal
- 1 tsp, soaked with the dal Fenugreek Seedshelps the ferment and browns the surface
- 1 medium, finely chopped Onion
- 1, deseeded and finely chopped Tomatodeseeding stops the topping going soggy
- 2, finely minced Green Chilli
- 3 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1 sprig, finely chopped Curry Leavesoptional
- 4 tbsp, for the griddle Sesame Oil
- 1.5 cups, for grinding Water
- to taste Salt
Cookware
tawa, blender, stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the rice and the dal separately. They grind to different textures and must be ground apart.
- Ferment the batter 8 to 12 hours in a warm place; in a cold kitchen use a switched-off oven with the light on.
- Do not stir the risen batter vigorously before use. Fold gently once so it keeps its air.
- Chop the toppings fine and keep them dry in a bowl, ready to scatter.
Method
- Grind the urad dal and fenugreek with about 3/4 cup cold water to a light, fluffy paste.
- Grind the rice separately with 3/4 cup water to a batter with a fine sandy grain still in it.That slight grain is what gives uttapam its body. A silk-smooth batter spreads too thin.
- Mix the two by hand with the salt, in wide circular strokes, for 2 minutes.
- Cover and leave to ferment 8 to 12 hours until risen by half and smelling pleasantly sour.A batter that has risen and fallen back is over-fermented. Use it, but expect a sharper taste.
- Heat a tawa on medium until a flick of water dances and evaporates in about 2 seconds.
- Pour a ladle of batter and spread it only slightly, to a thick round about 12cm across.Uttapam is meant to be thick. Resist the urge to spread it like a dosa.
- Scatter a handful of onion, tomato, chilli, coriander and curry leaves over the wet surface and press them in with the back of the ladle.
- Drizzle a teaspoon of sesame oil around the edge and cook 3 minutes until the base is golden and the top has set matte.
- Flip and cook 90 seconds on the topping side to caramelise the onion, then serve straight from the pan.
Storage
The batter keeps 4 days refrigerated and grows sourer each day. Cooked uttapam is best immediately; reheat on a dry tawa, never in a microwave.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Uttapam (300 g) is about 590 calories, or 197 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 13 g a serving, 9% of the calories
| Per serving300 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 590 kcal | 197 kcal |
| Protein | 12.8 g | 4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 97.4 g | 32 g |
| of which sugars | 2.7 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 5.2 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 16.1 g | 5 g |
| of which saturated | 2.4 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 12.8 g | 4 g |
Nearest database match used for curry leaves, urad dal. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Tamil Nadu recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.