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Mixed Vegetable Uttapam
Introduction from The Tamil Prince
The uttapam is a thicker pancake compared to the other dosa in this chapter (of Tamila). It still uses the same batter, but you don’t need to spread it as thinly in the pan. I’ve used onions, tomatoes and carrots in this recipe, but you can really use what’s left in your fridge. Remember to chop the vegetables finely so they’re easier to arrange and the uttapam holds its shape.
Ingredients
Method
First, make the dosa batter:
Wash the idly rice in a sieve 3–5 times until the water runs clear, then place it into a bowl and cover with 5cm of cold water. Set aside and let the rice soak for 3 hours. Repeat the process for the channa dal and the urid dal, leaving them to soak for 3 hours in 2 separate bowls.
Drain the channa dal and put it into a stand blender with 2 tablespoons of water and blitz for 30 seconds. Add the drained urid dal to the channa dal in the blender and blitz together until you have a smooth, even texture. You may need to pause occasionally and scrape the sides of the blender. If the mixture is looking too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time to achieve a smooth texture. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Drain the rice and put it into a stand blender along with 1 tablespoon of water and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in 2–3 batches, depending on the size of your blender. Once all the rice has been blended to a smooth consistency, add it to the bowl with the dal mix.
Add the salt and mix the batters together with a whisk until combined. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside overnight at room temperature to ferment. After 12 hours, the batter is ready to be used.
To make the mixed vegetable uttapam:
Combine the diced chilli and onion in a small bowl and set aside.
Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once the pan is warm, pour 1 full ladle of batter into the centre of the pan. Using the back of the ladle, gently spread the batter slightly, keeping it thick. The thickness should be similar to an American-style pancake and noticeably thicker than a regular dosa.
Once the uttapam is cooking, sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of each prepared vegetable: red onion and green chilli mix, tomato and carrot, followed by the sesame oil or ghee. Press the vegetables with the spatula to help them stick to the batter. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables start to dry out, then flip and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Flip back over so the vegetables are facing upwards, then remove from the heat.
Before serving, sprinkle over some roughly chopped coriander and a pinch of salt and pepper, or more if you prefer.
Serve immediately. I like mine with Vegetable Sambar (page 95) Coconut Chutney (page 172) or Peanut Chutney (page 176, all in Tamila).
Reviews
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