Uttapam

Preparation

Uttapam batter is made of a 1:3 ratio of vigna mungo and rice; Rice can be a combination of parboiled rice and a regular variety such as basmati. The lentils and rice are soaked overnight, ground and fermented until it rises. The batter is spread on a hot pan, generally circular, toppings spread on it and patted gently. Oil is dripped around it, flipped when it is golden-brown, oil dripped again, another flip to make sure the second surface is baked too. The Uttapam is then ready to be served and eaten.

Uttapam is traditionally made with toppings such as tomatoes, onion, chillies, capsicum and coriander; other common choices are coconut, grated carrots and beets. It is often eaten with sambar or chutney. It is one of the popular dishes of South India.

Apart from toppings, the uttapam itself can be prepared differently by adding Kodo Millet. The batter for this is prepared by adding 2 cups of Vargarisi for 2 cups of Idli rice and 1 cup of black gram lentils.

Other details

Uttappam instant mixes are available in the market. A small portion of this is mixed with water to form a fermented batter. This is then spread evenly on a cooking pan. It takes about five minutes to cook.