When I first had onion uttapam I referred to it at “Indian pizza”, only to find out later that it is more traditionally a breakfast food, and I was certainly embarrassed. Personally, I think this is a deliciously savory dish that can be enjoyed at any time of day. It is a popular South Indian recipe, that is easy-to-make and quick, taking only about 15 minutes from the moment you start chopping the veggies til you are sitting and enjoying. You can add ingredients as per your taste preference. It also tastes delicious when served with coconut chutney, or, you can serve it with your choice of sauces and condiments.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup (80g) urad dal (split black lentils)
- 1 ¼ cup (250g) idli rice
- 1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon refined oil
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 2 cups onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 small tomato, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tbs oil, butter or ghee
Directions:
- Soak the dal and rice in water, separately, for around 2-3 hours. Once done, drain the excess water. Now add the dal and rice in separate blenders and grind them to a smooth batter. Transfer both dal and rice batter in a large bowl and add enough salt. Mix well and keep aside. While preparing the batter, make sure that its consistency is not too thin, otherwise the uttapam might stick to the pan. [Alternately, use a prepared idli flour]
- Heat oil/butter/ghee in a pan over medium flame. Saute onions, then add ginger, green chillies and tomato (or other selected veggies—you can get creative here with your cominations). Saute for another minute then add this mixture to the batter and mix well. Batter should be neither too thick nor too thin.
- Grease medium cast iron pan and pre-heat well
- Spread batter on the hot pan forming 5-6” rounds in the pan.
- Sprinkle oil around the edges of the uttapam. Lower the heat to medium and sprinkle the toppings. Sprinkle oil along edges and over onion/veggie mix as desired.
- When base is firm, flip and cook until cooked well.
- Serve alone or with chutney or sambar.
Tips:
- Use the batter without over-stirring to ensure soft and spongy uttapam with crisp edge—the consistency of the batter plays a key role in the taste and texture of the uttapam. If the batter is too thick or over-stirred the uttapam also will be dense/hard and will not turn golden and crisp.
- Sprinkling onion/veggies over the uttapam is recommended rather than mixing veggies into the batter, so onions can get nicely caramelized
- Using a cast iron thick pan gives a nice even browning compared to a non-stick pan.
- Cooking on low/medium heat after flipping is important to get a nicely brown color.
- Before making each uttapam, before pouring the batter, let the pan get heated to high again.