Uttapam

Method

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1. Soak the rice in cold water, and the urad dal with the fenugreek in a separate bowl, for 5 hours.

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2. Grind the dal to a light fluffy paste, then the rice to a slightly grainy one, and mix them with the salt.

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3. Cover and leave in a warm place for 10 hours, until risen and smelling sour.

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4. Stir the batter down and loosen with the water to the thickness of double cream.

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5. Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat and brush with sesame oil.

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6. Pour a ladle of batter into a thick round about 15 cm across. Do not spread it thin.

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7. Scatter onion, tomato, chilli and coriander over the wet surface and press them in with the back of a spoon.

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8. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil round the edge and cook 4 minutes, until the underside is golden and the top has set.

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9. Flip and cook 30 seconds only.

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10. Repeat with the rest of the batter, serving each one as it comes off the pan.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Day-old batter is better than fresh here.
• Press the toppings in or they fall off.
• Thirty seconds on the second side, no more.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.

Pairing Suggestions

• Coconut chutney
• Sambar
• Tomato chutney

Storage & Reheating

The batter keeps 4 days refrigerated and improves. Cooked uttapam does not keep.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.