Uttapam Recipe

Instructions:

1. Soaking:

• Rinse the rice and urad dalseparately under cold water until the water runs clear.
• Place them in separatebowls and add enough water to cover them generously.
• Let them soak for at least4-6 hours. If using poha, rinse it and soak it with the rice during the last 30minutes of soaking.

2. Grinding:

• Drain the water from boththe rice and urad dal.
• In a blender or wetgrinder, grind the urad dal with a little water until it becomes a smooth andfluffy batter. It should have a light and airy consistency.
• Transfer the urad dalbatter into a large bowl.
• Now, grind the rice (and soaked poha, if using) with enough water to make a smooth batter. The batter should be slightly grainy, like pancake batter.
• Combine the rice batter with the urad dal batter. Add salt to taste and mix well using your hands(traditionally) or a spoon. The batter should be thick but pourable. Adjust the consistency with water if necessary.

3. Fermentation:

• Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free place to ferment. This process usually takes about 8 hours or overnight. During fermentation, the batter will rise and become slightly airy.

4. Making Uttapam:

• Once fermented, the batterwill be bubbly and ready to use.
• Heat a non-stick or castiron griddle (tawa) over medium heat.
• Grease the surface lightly with oil or ghee.
• Pour a ladleful of batteronto the hot tawa and spread it gently into a thick circle using the back ofthe ladle. It should be about 7-8 inches in diameter.
• Sprinkle your choice of toppings (onions, tomatoes, cilantro, etc.) evenly over the Uttapam.
• Drizzle a little oil or ghee around the edges and on top of the Uttapam.
• Cook on medium heat untilthe bottom turns golden brown and the edges start to lift slightly. Use aspatula to lift and check.
• Flip carefully and cook the other side until its golden brown and cooked through.

5. Serving:

• Serve hot Uttapams with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or sambar.