Uttapum: savory indian pancakes

These little pancakes are one of my favorite go-to's throughout the year...and I thought it might be a fun recipe for the holidays, as the red and green definitely make a plate feel festive and fun!

Savory Indian Pancakes

Uttapum are South Indian pancakes that are pretty versatile since you can change up your toppings, depending on your mood....and what you have in your fridge. What I also like about them is that they're gluten free, vegan and make for a pretty filling meal since the batter is made with a mixture of rice and a special kind of lentil.My family and I equally enjoy them for brunch as well as for dinner---my favorite toppings are the traditional tomatoes, cilantro, and jalepeno....and I love these little guys served with chai :).

Where to buy the batter

If you have an Indian grocery store near by, picking up a container of fresh dosa batter, makes these a quick and easy meal! I don't have an Indian store close by, so when I do make it to one, this batter is generally one of the first things that gets put in my cart :). I like to pick up 2-3 containers as the batter freezes really well and then I'm stocked for a few months.Regarding homemade batter....I can't say that I've ever made fresh dosa batter myself, but my mom occasionally does and when she does we definitely make enough to freeze and enjoy later. In case you want to try your hand at making your own, here's a recipe that looks pretty good : Homemade Dosa Batter. However please keep in mind, it's a process because you need a few days for the batter to ferment. Did I mention that store-bought batter works great :)?I can't wait to hear if any of you try to make these...let me know how it goes below. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask below! And if you already make these at home, what's your favorite toppings?Happy Holidays,xo,Kajal 

Uttapum: savory indian pancakes

Serves: 4-5 pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups dosa batter
• 1/2 cup baby bomatoes, halved or 1 medium tomato chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (or 1/3 tsp asafoetida)
• jalapeno to taste, freshly grated
• salt, to taste
• oil or ghee, as needed

Instructions

1. In a bowl, place 1 cup batter and add a smidge of water if batter feels too thick, then mix well (should feel like pancake batter).
2. Add salt, jalepeno, cilantro and onion (asafetida).
3. Heat non-stick frying pan with 1-2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high heat.
4. Once heated, pour 1 ladle full of batter into pan and spread it a little out if it looks to thick. You have to spread fast, as the batter will not be spreadable for long.
5. Lower heat to medium and add pearl tomatoes on top. Drip a little oil around the edges and swish the pan around so that the oil covers the perimeter of the pancake.
6. When the base looks and feels firm, gently flip it over and cook on the other side until well done.
7. Once done, set aside and make the next one.
8. Serve with a pat of butter, green chutney and/or ketchup.

Notes

VEGAN: if you use oil instead of ghee, it's totally vegan[br][br]GLUTEN - FREE: Yes, completely![br][br]YOGIC COOKING NOTES: The batter is fermented and fermented foods are not great Pitta constitutions. To pacify, eliminate tomatoes and jalapeños, add 1 tsp ginger and cook in ghee.

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