Cheese Uttapam Recipe
Shredded cheese, onion, green chili, ginger, & curry leaf. Served with sambar & coconut chutney. (vegetarian, gluten-friendly)
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Ingredients
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Uttapam batter & base ingredients
Topping
To serve
Method
Uttapam batter & base ingredients
- 1
Adjust batter
If your idli/dosa batter is thick, thin it with up to 1/4 cup water to a pourable but slightly thick consistency (like pancake batter). Stir in 1 tsp salt and let rest 5 minutes.
- 2
- 3
Cook uttapam
Pour about 1/3 cup batter for each small uttapam (chhota size) onto the hot pan and gently spread it into a 4–5 inch round using the back of a ladle; do not make it too thin. Drizzle about 1/4 tsp oil around the edges and a few drops on top.
Topping
- 4
Prepare topping mix
Thinly slice or finely dice onion to make 1 cup. Finely chop green chilies (remove seeds for less heat) to make about 2 tbsp. Peel and grate or finely mince ginger to 1 tsp. Stack curry leaves and chop fine, or finely shred them, to make about 8 leaves worth. Finely chop cilantro and set aside.
- 5
Top the batter
Immediately after pouring and slightly spreading the batter, evenly scatter about 2 tbsp sliced onion, 1 tsp green chili, a pinch of ginger, and 2–3 chopped curry leaves onto each batter round. Sprinkle a light pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of black pepper on top.
- 6
Add cheese
Generously sprinkle about 2–3 tablespoons (approx. 1/6 to 1/5 cup) of shredded cheese over each uttapam so it melts and forms a cheesy layer.
- 7
Cook through
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat 3–4 minutes until the bottom is golden and the cheese begins to melt. Remove lid and check — if the top is still quite wet, cover and cook another 30–60 seconds or flip carefully with a spatula and cook the cheese side down 30–45 seconds to finish melting and get light browning. Use additional 1/4 tsp oil per uttapam as needed to prevent sticking.
- 8
Finish
Once cooked and cheese is melted, transfer uttapams to a plate and sprinkle chopped cilantro and the remaining chopped curry leaves on top for freshness.
To serve
- 9
Serve warm: place 3 cheese uttapams per serving on a plate with about 1/3 cup sambar per person (heat sambar if needed) and 2–3 tablespoons coconut chutney. Offer lime wedges on the side. Recommend eating immediately while cheese is gooey.