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Uttapam is a South Indian flatbread made with fermented rice and lentil dough, often with added chopped vegetables. It is cooked like pancakes and served with sambhar or coconut chutney.
Sometimes spelled as uttappa, uttapam is a type of flatbread native to South India. Similar in creation to dosa crepe, the dough is made with rice and lentils, then left to ferment. Uttapam is thicker than dosa, however, and is often made with chopped vegetables.
The dough for making Uttapam consists of about two portions of rice, often basmati, and one gram portion of black or white, a type of lentil. Both are ground, either by hand or using a food processor, then salt, sugar and baking soda can be added before the mixture is allowed to sit for 4 to 15 hours. Fermentation is evident by a change in texture and an increase in the level of batter in the bowl. Properly made batter will be thick but flowy.
Once the batter is prepared, it is poured onto a griddle or skillet like pancakes. Generally each uttapam is about 4 inches (10 cm) wide. A spoon can be used to distribute and even out the batter once it is on the griddle. Uttapam should be relatively thick, so spreading the batter too thin will result in poorly made bread.
An alternative to grinding rice and lentils is to use rice flour and uridi flour. Often referred to as instant batter, using the flour doesn’t change the taste and eliminates the need for a lot of grinding. A ratio of two parts rice flour to one part urine flour is recommended.
While the uttapam is cooking, chopped vegetables are placed on each piece. Onions and tomatoes are the most common vegetables used, but sometimes chilies, corn, or carrots are also included. Spices, such as coriander, can also be added.
While baking, olive oil is drizzled on the edges of the bread and vegetables. The uttapam is allowed to cook until the surface is bubbling, and then each piece is flipped to allow cooking on the other side. Alternatively, the bread can be broiled for a minute or two after it starts to bubble. If desired, salt can be added to the finished dish for taste.
Uttapam is often served with sambhar, a lentil curry native to South India. In addition to lentils, sambhar contains onions, coconut and eggplant, as well as some spices common to Indian food, such as curry, turmeric and tamarind pulp. A plain coconut chutney can also be paired with uttapam.
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