Uttapam
A savory breakfast dish made from lentil and rice fermented batter with vegetables that are called Uttapam. These fluffy and soft, slightly sour and very quick to make for busy mornings or brunch.
Servings: 6 Uttapam
Ingredients
Batter
- 1.5 cups small grain rice
- ½ cup split dehusked Urad dal
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp salt
Toppings
- Oil/Ghee
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 to mato finely chopped
- 1 small bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 green chili finely chopped optional
- Handful chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- Wash and rinse the urad dal under running water. Soak the dal in enough water for around 4-6 hours. Same way wash and rinse the rice under running water. Then soak the rice in enough water in a separate bowl with Fenugreek/methi seeds for the same time 4-6 hours. The dal and rice should be completely submerged into water and there should be extra water too as it soaks and takes in the water. Both should be soak in separate bowl as we will grind it separately.
- Once it has soaked for 4-6 hours, drain the water from both bowls. Still keep it separate. Transfer the dal to the blender and blend it to a smoother consistency. Use just few tbsp of water if its not blending well. Oftentimes, the water that has been soaked by the lentils is enough to blend. Remove the dal batter in the same bowl it was soaked in.
- Repeat the same process for grinding the rice in the same blender along with some water about 1/4 cup. Grind rice to a smooth paste. Don’t use too much water. The amount of water will depend on the type rice. Start with lesser amount, adding more water as needed. The consistency of the batter should not be runny but something easily spreadable.
- Now, transfer the rice batter to the same bowl as the dal. Mix both the mixture well for couple of minutes until combined. You might have to use bigger bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a lid. Put it on tray which has edges to it in dry, warm place like the oven. The reason why I suggested a tray with edges because if the batter overflows after fermenting, you do not waste it. The tray can catch all the batter.
- Let it ferment for 12-14 hours or until you see bubbles and the batter has increased in volume, is frothy looking. You can even smell it and know it has fermented. It’s like sourdough batter. It will have that slight funky smell.
- Instant Pot method for fermentation - If using instant pot for fermenting the batter, then transfer the blended batter into it and cover the pot with a glass lid or with any other lid. The reason for using glass lid is because the batter may overflow and that can lock the lid if we used the actual instant pot lid. Do not use the actual lid of the instant pot. Any other lid is fine, that does not lock it.
- Set instant pot to yogurt button. Increase the time to 11-12 hours. By this time, the batter should have fermented with bubbles.
- Take some batter in a bowl, add salt to it and mix well. Pre heat a griddle, brush some oil/ghee. Pour half a cup of batter, gently spread just a little bit. Uttapam are thick and it depends how thick you would prefer. Don’t spread them too much. If it does not spread on its own only then spread it gently.
- Sprinkle the vegetables all over the batter. Gently, press the vegetables with the back of your spatula so that they stick on the batter.
- Cook it for 1-2 minutes until its golden brown in color. Flip and cook on the other side for another minute. Remove it on cooling rack. Finish making all of them or leave the rest of the batter in refrigerator for future use.
- Batter can easily stay up to a week or two in the refrigerator or frozen for longer time. Just thaw it at room temperature for use.
- Serve them warm with coconut chutney or just as it. They even taste great with some tempered yogurt, podi masala.
Notes
Notes- The batter should have increased in volume. There will be bubbles, frothiness. It will also smell different. Don’t get bothered by the smell. The moment its well fermented it needs to be stored in the refrigerator to stop over fermentation. If it is taking longer to ferment don’t worry, leave it for few more hours and it will ferment to desired level.
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