Uttapam step-by-step recipe with photos.
About this recipe
An uttapam is a gluten-free savory pancake made using fermented rice and lentils batter, called dosa batter. It is quite different when compared to dosa, which is more like a crepe. Uttapams are thick and fluffy, and they are topped with vegetables.
The batter used to make uttapam is regular dosa batter. They are pretty simple to make and are a great alternative to regular dosa. The toppings can be varied as per your liking.
When you make the dosa batter, make dosa with it for the first couple of days and make uttapam after that. Uttapam tastes better with slightly over-fermented batter.
Utthapam is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. These savory pancakes are great for lunchboxes too, unlike the regular dosa as they stay soft and fresh for longer. It can be served with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or just ketchup. Pair it with a cup of strong South Indian coffee for the perfect breakfast.
These gluten-free savory pancakes are ready in no time if you have the batter ready. Read on for ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and useful tips to make healthy and delicious uttapams using dosa batter.
Related: Adai dosa.
Ingredients
Dosa batter: You can use store-bought or homemade dosa batter.
Toppings: I use onion, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, and green chili.
Poppy seeds: This is an optional ingredient and can be skipped.
Step-by-step instructions
Pour a ladle full of dosa batter. Cook on medium heat until the dosa turns brown and pores are formed on the dosa (step 1).
Add the toppings – onion, carrot, bell pepper, chili, cilantro, and poppy seeds (step 2). Pour a teaspoon of ghee onto the dosa (step 3).
Carefully flip and cook on the other sides until completely done and the toppings are slightly charred (step 4).
Uttapam is ready to be served.
Related: Quinoa dosa.
Useful tips
Making dosa batter at home is very easy, with most of the time involved in the process being fermentation/resting time. Click here to get all the tips and tricks to make dosa batter at home. Alternatively, you can also use store-bought dosa batter, which is easily available in Indian grocery stores.
Cut the vegetables for toppings finely or grate them where possible as big chunks will not cook through.
I have used onions, carrots, and bell peppers here. Other vegetables that work well are tomatoes, mushrooms, beets, and cabbage.
Adding green chili is purely optional and can be skipped, especially if you are making them for kids.
Do not swirl the batter after pouring on the tawa. These pancakes are made thick as opposed to thin dosas.
Use a generous amount of ghee for best-tasting uttapams. However, for a vegan version, you can replace it with regular cooking oil.
FAQs
While the batter used to make them are the same, dosa and uttapams differ in texture and taste. Dosas are thin and are made similar to crepes. Uttapams are more like pancakes and are thick and fluffy. Utthapams are also topped with vegetables while dosa can be plain or have a potato filling.
Dosa batter can be used for this recipe. It is very easy to make dosa batter at home and it can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator. However, you can also use the dosa batter that is readily available in Indian grocery stores.
Bonus
These savory pancakes are:
- healthy and nourishing,
- gluten-free,
- very easy to make and ready in less than 15 minutes.
Recipe card
Uttapam
Ingredients
- 6 cups dosa batter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 small carrot grated
- ½ small bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 green chili finely chopped (or serrano pepper)
- 1-2 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped (coriander leaves)
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds optional
- 4-5 teaspoon ghee for frying the uttapam
Instructions
- Lightly dry roast the poppy seeds and set them aside. (This is optional and can be skipped).
- Add salt to dosa batter and mix well.
- Heat a griddle or non-stick tava.
- Pour a ladle full of dosa batter. Don’t spread the batter too thin.
- Cook on medium heat until the dosa turns brown and pores are formed on the dosa.
- Add the toppings – onion, carrot, bell pepper, chili, cilantro, and poppy seeds.
- Pour a teaspoon of ghee onto the dosa.
- Carefully flip and cook on the other side until completely done and the toppings are slightly charred. Add ghee as needed.
- Transfer to a plate and serve hot with chutney.
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