Uttapam or uthappam is a healthy savory pancake all the way from South India. Learn how to make fluffy and crispy uttapams for your next meal with this easy uttapam recipe. Add toppings like vegetables, masala or paneer for a hearty meal under 15 minutes. Serve them with a side of coconut chutney, green chutney, sambar or ketchup. This easy recipe is Vegan and Gluten-Free.
Plain uttapams are boring so don’t forget to top it with the ingredients of your choice.You can make vegetable uttapam, potato masala uttapam, cheese or paneer uttapam.Use one veggie like onion or tomato or more than one like I did.When you go to a restaurant you will find a variety of uttapams listed.
Ingredients
3 cups Idli rice see notes
1 cup Whole Urad Dal
1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds methi, see notes
2 tablespoons Poha see notes
Salt to taste
Chopped vegetables of your choice
Cheese or paneer optional
Oil/ghee as needed
Method
* Soak 3 cups idli rice and 1 cup Ural dal in separate containers with few fenugreek/methi seeds for about 6-7 hours or overnight.
* Now drain the water from both containers.
* Soaked poha for 10 minutes prior to grinding the batter until soft.
* Grind soaked poha with urad dal to smooth paste using around 1- 1.5 cups fresh water
* Keep aside.
* Now grind rice in the same pot using 1-1¼ cups water until smooth.
* You may grind it in batches if it doesn’t fit the pot at once.
* Add water little by little, ½ cup at a time to ensure grinding in a smooth thick paste.
* Do not use a lot of water as it will make the batter runny.
* You can always use more water later depending on what recipe you are making.
* Now fold in rice batter with urad dal batter for 2-3 minutes by hand or by a whisk to ensure they have combined well.
* Cover and let it ferment in a warm place like a warm corner in your kitchen.
* In cold weather place the batter in the oven that is switched off but has oven light on or use an Instant Pot to ferment the batter.
* I kept the batter in an Instant Pot on yogurt mode for 12 -14 hours.
* Once the batter is fermented it will fluff up, have a fermented smell and is ready to use.
* Add salt and water to the batter as needed to adjust the taste and consistency.