Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Soak the ingredients: Rinse rice, urad dal, chana dal (if using), and fenugreek seeds. Soak them in enough water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Grind the batter: Drain the soaked ingredients and grind them into a smooth paste using a blender or wet grinder, adding water as needed to form a thick, pourable consistency. Ferment the batter: Mix salt into the batter and leave it in a warm place for 8-12 hours to ferment. The batter should rise and become bubbly.
Mix toppings: In a bowl, combine chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies, grated carrot, coriander leaves, and cumin seeds. Sprinkle a little salt and mix well.
Heat the pan: Heat a non-stick or cast-iron tawa (griddle) over medium heat. Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee and spread it around. Pour batter: Pour a ladle of fermented batter onto the hot tawa and spread it gently into a thick circle (about 1/4-inch thickness). Uttapam is thicker than dosa, so don’t spread it too thin. Add toppings: Sprinkle the prepared vegetable topping mixture evenly over the batter. Cook the uttapam: Drizzle oil or ghee around the edges and over the toppings. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the base becomes golden and crisp. Flip and cook: Flip the uttapam carefully and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and slightly browned.
Serve hot uttapam with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or sambar.
