This uttapam recipe makes thick, soft South Indian pancakes from fermented idli or dosa batter, topped with onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander that are pressed in and lightly caramelised on a hot tawa. Uttapam (also spelt uthappam or oothappam, so an uthappam recipe is the same thing) is what you make when the batter is a day or two old and a little sour, which is exactly when it tastes best this way.
Unlike a dosa, you do not spread uttapam thin, and you cook it covered so the centre steams through while the base turns golden. For mornings when there is no batter in the fridge, there is an instant rava uttapam further down that needs only a 20 minute rest instead of a night of fermenting.
40 minServes 3Vegan390 kcal
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Recipe card
Onion Tomato Uttapam
Thick, soft uttapam from fermented batter, topped with onion, tomato, chilli and coriander and cooked golden on a tawa.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
Makes 6 uttapam, 6 inch each
Batter
- 3 cups fermented idli or dosa batterat room temperature, salted (3 cups is roughly what 180 g idli rice and 60 g urad dal give once ground)
- urad dal share of the batteralready ground into the batter above; nothing extra to add
- wateronly if the batter is very stiff
Topping
- 1 large onionfinely chopped
- 1 medium tomatodeseeded, finely chopped
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 inch gingerfinely chopped, optional
- ¼ cup carrotgrated, optional
- 3 tbsp coriander leaveschopped
- 1 sprig curry leavesfinely chopped
- salta pinch for the topping
For cooking
- 2 tbsp oil or gingelly oil1 tsp per uttapam
You will need
- Heavy iron or non-stick tawa
- Lid that covers the tawa (a plate works)
- Ladle and wide spatula
Method
Bring the batter to room temperature
Take the batter out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and stir it gently without beating out the air. Uttapam batter should be thicker than dosa batter: it falls off the ladle slowly in a thick stream. Add a spoon of water only if it is stiff.
Mix the topping
In a bowl, combine onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger, carrot, coriander and curry leaves with a small pinch of salt. Keep it separate from the batter so the vegetables stay crunchy and the batter stays thick.
Heat the tawa
Heat the tawa on medium high, then rub it with a few drops of oil. Sprinkle a little water; when it sizzles off at once, turn the heat down to medium.
Pour, do not spread thin
Pour one ladle (about 1/2 cup) of batter in the centre. Spread it in one or two gentle circles to a 6 inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Do not press hard.
Add the topping
While the top is still wet, scatter a sixth of the topping (about 1/3 cup) evenly over it and press it gently into the batter with the back of the ladle or your fingers. This keeps the vegetables from falling off when you flip.
Cook covered
Drizzle 1/2 tsp oil around the edge and over the top. Cover with a lid and cook on medium for 2 to 3 minutes, until the base is golden, the edges lift and the top looks set and no longer shiny.
Flip and brown the topping
Flip the uttapam carefully with a wide spatula and drizzle another 1/2 tsp oil around it. Cook uncovered for 1.5 to 2 minutes until the onions turn light brown and soft.
Serve hot
Flip it back so the topping is on top and serve straight away with coconut chutney and sambar. Wipe the tawa with a damp cloth before the next one if it has become too hot.
Tips that make the difference
- Two or three day old batter makes the best uttapam. Very fresh batter works too, but the taste is milder.
- Remove tomato seeds; the wet pulp makes the topping soggy and stops it from browning.
- If the tawa is too hot, the batter sets before you can spread it. Cool it with a sprinkle of water.
- Gingelly (sesame) oil gives the most traditional flavour; any neutral oil is fine.
- For children, add a little grated cheese or paneer on top after flipping back.
Storing: Cooked uttapam are best hot. They keep in the fridge for a day; reheat on a tawa, covered, for a minute a side. Fermented batter keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and gets more sour each day, which suits uttapam.
Why this uttapam recipe stays soft inside
An uttapam is thick, so it has two jobs to do at once: brown the base and cook the centre. Covering the tawa for the first side traps steam, which cooks the middle the way an idli steamer would, while the direct heat underneath gives the golden, crisp base. Then the uncovered second side softens and lightly browns the onions without drying the pancake.
Thick batter matters too. If you use runny dosa batter, the uttapam spreads, thins out and turns into a heavy, chewy dosa. If your batter is thin, stir in a tablespoon or two of rice flour or fine rava and rest it for 10 minutes.
Uttapam batter: what to use
Any fermented idli or dosa batter works. A typical home batter uses 3 parts idli rice or parboiled rice to 1 part urad dal, with a few methi seeds, ground and left to ferment 8 to 12 hours until it has risen and smells pleasantly sour. In cold weather it can take 14 hours or more, so judge by the rise and smell rather than the clock.
Batter that has turned too sour for soft idli is perfect here, because the onion and tomato balance the tang. If the batter smells sharply alcoholic or has a pink or grey film, throw it away. For a ragi uttapam, mix 1/2 cup ragi flour into 2 cups of batter with a little water and rest for 30 minutes before cooking.
Instant rava uttapam recipe
Rava uttapam, also called suji uttapam or sooji uttapam, needs no fermentation and is a good fallback on busy mornings. For 5 to 6 uttapam:
- 1 cup fine rava (170 g)
- 1/2 cup thick curd (120 g)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda or 1/2 tsp fruit salt, optional
- The same onion and tomato topping as above
Whisk rava, curd, salt and 1/2 cup water and rest it for 20 minutes. The rava will soak up the liquid, so add water a spoon at a time until the batter is thick but pourable. Stir in the soda just before cooking. Cook the same way, covered for the first side, but give it an extra 30 seconds because rava takes longer to set. A suji uttapam recipe in Hindi is the same: suji, dahi, pyaaz and tamatar.
Toppings and variations
- Onion uttapam: skip the tomato and use 1.5 onions with plenty of coriander. This is the classic restaurant version.
- Vegetable uttapam. For a vegetable uttapam recipe, or the veg uttapam recipe served in Udupi style restaurants, add finely chopped capsicum, grated carrot, cabbage and a few green peas to the topping. Keep the total to about 1/3 cup per uttapam, chopped fine, so it cooks through.
- Masala uttapam: sprinkle a pinch of podi (gunpowder) or a little red chilli powder and chaat masala over the topping before flipping.
- Mini uttapam: pour small rounds, three or four on the tawa at a time, each with a different topping. Children like these.
- Paneer uttapam: crumble paneer over the topping for extra protein.
For round dumplings from the same batter, see appe and kuzhi paniyaram.
Problems and fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Raw and gummy in the middle | Too thick or not covered | Spread a little thinner, always cover the first side |
| Sticks to the tawa | Tawa not seasoned or too cool | Heat well, rub with oil and onion, then lower the heat |
| Topping falls off | Not pressed in, or added after the top set | Add while the batter is wet and press gently |
| Hard and flat | Under fermented or over stirred batter | Let batter rise fully, stir gently before using |
| Base burns, top stays wet | Heat too high | Medium heat, lid on, a minute longer |
What to serve with uttapam
Coconut chutney and sambar are the classic pair. A tomato onion chutney or a spoon of podi mixed with oil also works well. To make breakfast more filling, serve two uttapam with a bowl of sambar, which adds dal and vegetables, rather than eating three or four uttapam on their own. For a lighter South Indian breakfast on another day, try upma, or browse the breakfast ideas page. If you want a pancake that needs no fermented batter at all, besan chilla is whisked straight from gram flour.
Uttapam recipe in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati
The uttapam recipe in Hindi is उत्तपम, and uttapam banane ki recipe follows the steps above: idli ka ghol (batter), pyaaz, tamatar, hari mirch and dhaniya. In Marathi it is written उत्तप्पा, and an uttapam recipe in Gujarati homes is the same dish, often made with leftover idli batter on a Sunday morning. Whatever the name, the key steps do not change: thick batter, gentle spreading, topping pressed in, and a lid on the first side.
Questions cooks ask
What is the difference between dosa and uttapam?
Both use the same batter. Dosa is spread very thin and cooked on one side until crisp, while uttapam is poured thick, topped with vegetables and cooked on both sides, so it is soft and spongy inside.
Can I make uttapam with fresh batter?
Yes, as long as it has fermented and risen. Batter that is a day or two old gives a tangier, softer uttapam, which many people prefer.
How do I make instant uttapam without fermented batter?
Use the rava uttapam method above: rava soaked in curd and water for 20 minutes, with a pinch of soda just before cooking. Oats can replace half the rava if you like; see masala oats for other ways to use them.
Why does my uttapam stick to the tawa?
Most often the tawa has not been seasoned or heated enough. Heat it, rub with oil or half an onion, sprinkle water to test, then lower the heat before pouring. Non-stick tawas need less fuss but should not be heated empty on high.
Is uttapam healthy for breakfast?
It is a fermented breakfast of rice and urad dal with vegetables on top, and needs only about a teaspoon of oil per piece. Two uttapam from this recipe come to roughly 390 kcal and 11 g protein by our estimate, so they are filling but not light. Serve it with sambar for dal and extra vegetables, and keep portions to two uttapam.
Which oil is best for uttapam?
Gingelly (sesame) oil is traditional and gives a nutty taste. Groundnut oil or any neutral oil works. Use about a teaspoon per uttapam.