Uthappam Batter

How to make the Uthappam Batter

          Not many of us are aware that the Uthappam batter is different from the Dosa batter. We tend to make Uthappam's with our ordinary Idli/Dosa batter. And that's not bad either, until you try the real Uthappam. A few years ago, I was blissfully ignorant of the same! Then I gave this recipe a try from a Mallika Badrinath's cookbook. My better half - the connoisseur of my kitchen, gave it a double thumbs up saying that it tasted just like it would, in a good south indian restaurant. It has since become a regular for our weeknight dinners. There are no limits to how many varieties of Uthappam can be made, just by switching the toppings. The picture below doesn't do justice to the Uthappam, You should try it for yourself to really know how good it is. Try Thakkali kai thuvayal, Tomato Coconut Sambhar & Thengai-Pottukadalai Chutney to accompany your uthappams. Sharing this spongy recipe with my friends at CCChallenge.

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings:

Raw rice - 2 Cups

Par boiled rice/Idli rice - 2 Cups

Black gram dal/Urad dal - 1/2 Cup

Red gram dal/Toor Dal - 1/4 Cup

Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam/Methi seeds - 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as needed

2 to 3 Onions - finely chopped

4 to 6 Green chillies - finely sliced

Coriander leaves - finely chopped (Optional)

Stove top method:

1. Clean & soak together the first five ingredients mentioned above, in enough water for three hours.

2. Grind to a smooth paste, using water only as needed to get a thick batter.

3. Add Salt at the end of grinding; transfer to a container & allow it to ferment overnight or as needed.

4. When the batter is fermented, add water if required to achieve a pouring consistency.

5. Heat a griddle/tava on medium heat, spread a laddle full of the batter into a thick circle.

6. Sprinkle chopped Onion, Green chillies on top of the batter.

7. Drizzle oil around the edges & top; cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Do not overcook/burn it.

8. Remove cover and flip the Uthappam, drizzle some oil to the edges and cook open for a few seconds.

9. Serve immediately with your choice of  Chutney, Sambhar or Podi varieties.

Notes:

• If you are an onion lover, you can double the amount of onions on top & enjoy your Uthappam.
• If your batter has been ground smoothly & fermented well, you will see lots of tiny craters on the Uthappam. 
• If you do not cover & cook the Uthappam; the outer edge of the Uthappam might not cook to perfection (depending on it's thickness).
• If you have a dollar pancake pan or a mini Uthappam pan; pour the batter in it to make a healthy finger food for kids.