Uttapam – South Indian rice pancake with spiced potatoes

In celebration of Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday this month, how about trying uttapam? A firm favourite of mine, that can be enjoyed anytime of the day but are excellent for breakfast. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

For rice pancake

• 50g split white urad dal
• 150g basmati or dosa rice (parboiled rice is available in most speciality ingredient stores)
• 1 tsp salt

For the topping

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

For spiced potatoes

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp roasted chana dal
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 potatoes, boiled and grated
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Soak the rice and the dal for at least for 6 hours. Blend it in a food processor to a fine paste, adding water, and leave overnight for fermentation in a warm place roughly 40°C.

2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add the chana dal and curry leaves and when it splutters, add the onion and sauté till soft. Now add the turmeric, chillies and the ginger and sauté for a minute. Add salt and the grated potatoes and mix well.

3. To make the pancakes, add salt to the batter and mix well. Keep a well seasoned pan or a nonstick pan on medium heat, smear a little oil and pour a small ladleful of batter and spread it with the ladle into a thick circular pancake about 4” in diameter. This may take some practice to do as it can be tricky for novices but gets easier with practice. Sprinkle all the chopped vegetables on top. When bubbles start appearing on the surface of the pancake and the edges start settling in, turn it over with a flat ladle and press it lightly to flatten it evenly. Cook for a minute and remove. Both the sides should be crisp and light brown in colour. Serve with a green coconut chutney and sambhar.