Uttapam Recipe

Rinse the white rice, parboiled rice and chana dal separately under running water until the water runs clear. Place the two rice types together in a bowl and the urad dal with fenugreek seeds in another bowl. Cover with cold water and soak separately for 4–6 hours (or up to overnight) at room temperature.

Drain urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Reserve the soaking water. Grind the urad dal in a wet grinder or high-power blender with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the reserved water until a smooth, fluffy paste forms (about 8–12 minutes in a wet grinder; longer in a blender). Scrape down sides as needed.

Drain the soaked rice and chana dal. Grind the rice mixture with about 3/4 to 1 cup of reserved water to a slightly coarse to smooth batter (idli/uttapam batter has some body; not ultra-fine). Combine the rice and urad dal pastes in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a spoon to form a uniform batter. The batter should be pourable but thick—like pancake batter that falls in a ribbon.

Stir in 1 tsp salt now or after fermentation. Cover the bowl with a lid or cloth and leave in a warm place to ferment until doubled in volume and slightly airy — typically 8–12 hours depending on room temperature. In warm climates this may take 6–8 hours; in cool kitchens, 12–18 hours. Once fermented, gently stir the batter; if too thick, add up to 1/4 cup water to reach a spreadable consistency for uttapams.

While the batter is fermenting (or shortly before cooking), finely chop the red onion and tomato, mince the green chili, grate the carrot, and roughly chop the cilantro. Combine these in a small bowl and season with a pinch of salt. This mix will be sprinkled on the uttapam while cooking.

Optional tempering

If using, heat 1/2 tsp oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add curry leaves and remove from heat. Set aside to add to the batter or drizzle on cooked uttapams later.

Heat a non-stick or cast-iron tava/griddle over medium heat. When hot, wipe with a lightly oiled paper towel or brush to coat the surface thinly with oil.

Stir the fermented batter gently. For each uttapam, ladle about 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter onto the center of the griddle. Unlike dosa, do not spread thin — simply gently press and spread the batter with the back of the ladle in a small circular motion to approximately 4–5 inch diameter and about 1/4 inch thick.

Immediately sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the prepared topping mixture evenly over the batter on the pan. If using tempering, drizzle a little of the tempered oil or place a few tempering pieces on top. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil or ghee around the edges of the uttapam and on top.

Cook on medium heat for 2–4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and edges lift slightly. Cover the pan with a lid for 30–60 seconds if you prefer the toppings to steam and cooks faster through the batter.

Flip carefully using a spatula and cook the other side for 1–2 minutes, pressing gently to ensure even contact. Cook until the vegetables are slightly softened and the uttapam is cooked through and golden in spots. Repeat with remaining batter, re-oiling the pan as needed. Adjust heat so uttapams cook through without burning.

Serve uttapams hot, stacked or individually, with coconut chutney and sambar on the side. Optionally garnish with extra chopped cilantro and a drizzle of ghee.