Uttapam (savory South Indian pancakes) is like the comforting cousin of dosa – it’s thick, soft, and loaded with heaps of veggies. Crispy edges, fluffy center, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner.
Uttapam is up there on my list of favorite breakfasts to make – and for good reason! I can’t get enough of its fluffy texture when dunked into some piping hot sambar. And you can’t forget about that perfect crunch from the onions, tomatoes and chillies. Truly comfort food.
I told you guys that my Idli Dosa Batter recipe is my ultimate go-to and this is one of the reasons why! Beyond the classic idli and dosa – there’s so much more you can do with the batter and I’ll be sharing it all with you in my new series, starting with this uttapam recipe.
Jump to section: Uttapam Recipe
Ingredients for Uttapam
Idli dosa batter: I have used my easy homemade batter, but store-bought works in a pinch
Salt: for seasoning
Sugar: for balance and to make uttapams extra crispy
Onion: cut into half horizontally and dipped in oil to season the pan
Veggies: I have used finely chopped onions, tomatoes, green capsicum, green chillies, and ginger along with grated carrots but you can use any veggies you like
Idli podi: for an extra boost of flavor
Cooking oil or ghee
Butter
How to make Uttapam
- Once your batter is ready, season it with salt and sugar and mix well.
- Heat a non-stick pan or seasoned cast iron dosa tawa over medium heat. Once hot (you can sprinkle some water on the pan to check this, it should sizzle), pierce an onion with your fork, dip it in oil and rub this over the tawa. This will prevent the uttapam from sticking to the tawa.
- Reduce the heat to low and pour a ladle of dosa batter in the center of the tawa and make a thick dosa without spreading it too much.
- Add a tablespoon each of the toppings – onions, tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, ¼ teaspoon green chilli & ginger and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of idli podi.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon of ghee around the edges and ½-1 teaspoon of butter on top of the uttapam. Let this roast for 1-2 minutes on low heat till the base gets roasted well & turns golden brown.
- Flip it over and roast for 1-2 minutes on low while gently pressing on the uttapam so that the veggies get roasted well. Roast the uttapam well on both sides and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can mix and match any veggies of your liking! Onion, tomato, capsicum, grated carrot, grated beetroot, and corn are some of my favorites to add.
This usually happens if:
– The pan isn’t hot enough when you start – make sure to sprinkle some water on the pan to check if it is hot enough, the water should sizzle and evaporate quickly
– You’re using a new/unseasoned cast iron pan
-The batter is too thin or too thick
Troubleshooting Tip: Always rub the pan with an onion dipped in oil before making each uttapam to prevent sticking.
Yes, you can! (Although I totally recommend making my homemade idli dosa batter) Just be sure to let the batter come to room temperature, and adjust salt if needed. For crispier uttapams, you can add a pinch of sugar and a few tablespoons of rava (sooji) to the batter.
Dosa is thin and crisp, and made by spreading the batter in concentric circles to form a large circle that is then folded or stuffed with masala and then folded.
Uttapam, on the other hand, is thick and fluffy, made without spreading the batter too much to form a circle with a diameter of 3 inches. This is then topped with veggies and roasted on both sides.
Same batter, totally different textures!
Salt speeds up fermentation. If you’re storing leftover batter, adding salt to it may make it too sour by the next day. Always salt only what you’ll cook immediately.
What’s the Best Pan for Uttapam?
`Both non-stick and cast iron pan work, but here’s how they compare:
Cast Iron Tawa
- Retains high heat well, which gives you a crisp, perfectly golden base
- Naturally non-stick once well-seasoned
- Durable — lasts forever with proper care
- Needs maintenance (seasoning + cleaning properly) – but don’t worry, I have a proper guide on how to clean and season cast iron pans
- Heavier and takes longer to heat up
Best for: People who make uttapam/dosas regularly, love a crisp texture, and don’t mind the upkeep
Non-Stick Tawa
- Easy to use and clean — great for beginners
- Requires less oil
- Lightweight and heats quickly
- Doesn’t get as hot, so uttapam may be softer and not as golden in color
- Can wear out over time, especially with metal utensils
Best for: Occasional uttapam/dosa makers or anyone who prefers low-maintenance cookware
Richa’s Top Tips
- Use a well-fermented batter for fluffy texture
Note: Use cold water for grinding to prevent the batter from heating up and affecting fermentation. I use ice cold water. Ferment in a warm spot — near a window, inside an oven with the light on, or wrapped in a towel.
- Cook on low heat so the base roasts and the top cooks through
- Don’t spread the batter too thin as you would when making dosa, this is the most key step. The batter in itself should be of a thick, pourable consistency
- When you pour the batter on the pan, it will end up spreading on its own. You can also spread it slightly here – we want to make a thick fluffy uttapam with a diameter of 2.5-3 inches
- It’s important to flip and roast the uttapam on both sides so that the veggies get roasted well
- Serve hot and fresh — uttapam is best when crisp on the edges and soft in the centre
- Use a non-stick dosa tawa or an iron tawa. Personally, I love the results that an iron tawa gives but I know they need some extra maintenance so a non-stick dosa tawa works in a jiffy. For best results, don’t use the tawa for anything else except uttapam/dosas to maintain the quality of both the uttapam/dosas and the tawa for a long long time.
- Make sure to check that your pan is hot before spreading the batter – you can do this by sprinkling a few drops of water on the pan. If the water sizzles and evaporates quickly, then the pan is hot enough.
Serving Ideas
- Coconut chutney and sambar are classic sides
- Serve with gunpowder (idli podi) and ghee for a quick bite – this recipe already tops the uttapam when podi but I like having some on the side as well
Storage Tips
- Fermented batter can be refrigerated (unsalted) for up to 3 days – I don’t recommend storing the cooked uttapams as these are best enjoyed fresh
- You can freeze excess batter in small portions for up to a month
- Always bring batter to room temperature before using
Recipes With Idli Dosa Batter
- Dhokla
- Idli
- Dosa
- Appe / Paniyaram
- Mysore Masala
- Dosa Waffle
- Schezwan Idli Fry
This uttapam recipe is never going to let you down – because you get that perfectly crisp yet fluffy texture every time! Enjoy it fresh off the tawa or pack it for your kiddo’s tiffin, this is a recipe that you’ll keep coming back to for sure.
If you liked this recipe, be sure to stay tuned for more as part of my Idli Dosa Batter series, and send me your recreations over on my IG @my_foodstory!
Watch Uttapam Recipe Video
Uttapam | Uthappam
Ingredients
For idli dosa batter
- 1 ½ cups idli rice or parboiled rice
- ½ cup skinned urad dal
- ¼ cup poha or flattened rice
- ¼ cup cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon methi seeds fenugreek seeds
- 1 ½ cups water
- 4-5 ice cubes
For uttappam
- 1 cup idli dosa batter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- 1 onion cut into half horizontally
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped onions divided
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped tomatoes divided
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped green capsicum divided
- 3 tablespoons grated carrots divided
- ¾ teaspoon finely chopped green chillies divided
- ¾ teaspoon finely chopped ginger divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons idli podi divided
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil or ghee
- 1 ½ teaspoons butter divided
Instructions
Day 1 – morning
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Wash and soak idli rice, urad dal, poha and methi seeds in enough water in a way that there is at least an inch of extra water over the rice and dal.1 ½ cups idli rice or parboiled rice, ½ cup skinned urad dal, ¼ cup poha, 1 teaspoon methi seeds
Day 1 – evening
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Once the grains have soaked for about 8 hours, drain the excess water from the bowl.
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Grind the idli rice-urad dal mix with cooked rice until almost smooth with approx. 1 ½ cups water and 4-5 ice cubes in a mixer grinder. Add additional water if required. The consistency should be such that it can leave a thick coat on the back of a spoon and falls in a ribbon like consistency when poured with a ladle. The ground batter should feel very slightly gritty between your fingers.¼ cup cooked rice, 1 ½ cups water, 4-5 ice cubes
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Pour the batter into a bowl that’s large enough so that there is room for the batter to rise. Mix the batter with clean hands as shown in the video – this is an important step as it helps in the fermentation so please don’t skip it.
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Cover the bowl and set aside to ferment. Leave it in a warm, dry place away from direct sunlight to ferment. Fermentation takes anywhere between 12-24 hours depending on the humidity and temperature at your place. The warmer it is, the faster it’ll ferment.
Day 2 – morning or afternoon
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Once fermented, the batter should have become almost 1.5 times its size with a slight dome shape and a wrinkle, bubbly layer on top. You should be able to smell a little sourness in the batter. This smell means it has fermented. If it is too sour, it has fermented too much! You can use a spoon to check the batter – the texture should be frothy with air bubbles. This will yield approx. 1.75 litres (6-7 cups) of batter.
Prepping batter
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take 1 cup of batter in a bowl, add salt, sugar and mix well.1 cup idli dosa batter, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon sugar
Prepping tawa or pan
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Heat a non-stick pan or a seasoned cast iron dosa tawa over medium heat. Once hot, pierce the onion half with a fork, dip in oil & rub on the tawa (like shown in the video). This prevents the uttappam from sticking to the tawa.1 onion
Making Uttappam
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Reduce the heat to low & pour one ladle of dosa batter in the center of the tawa and make a thick dosa without spreading much.
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Add 1 tablespoon each of the toppings – onions, tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, ¼ teaspoon green chilli & ginger and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of idli podi.3 tablespoons finely chopped onions, 3 tablespoons finely chopped tomatoes, 3 tablespoons finely chopped green capsicum, 3 tablespoons grated carrots, ¾ teaspoon finely chopped green chillies, ¾ teaspoon finely chopped ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons idli podi
Roasting Uttappam
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Drizzle 1 teaspoon of ghee around the edges and ½-1 teaspoon of butter on top of the uttappam. let this roast for 1-2 minutes on low heat till the base gets roasted well & turns golden brown.2 teaspoons cooking oil or ghee, 1 ½ teaspoons butter
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Flip it over and roast for 1-2 minutes on low while gently pressing on the uttappam so that the veggies get roasted well. Roast the uttappam well on both sides and serve.
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Follow the same steps for making the rest of the uttappams.
Video
Notes
- To check if the pan is hot enough to make uttappam, sprinkle a few drops of water over the tawa & if it is ready, it should sizzle.
- Rubbing the tawa with onion dipped in oil prevents the uttappam from sticking to the tawa, so try not to skip it.
- For best results, uttappam should be cooked on low heat.
- Uttapams taste best when they are served hot
- Salt should be added ONLY to the quantity of batter you are using to avoid the batter from getting too sour.
- If you are not using all the batter, store the remaining unsalted batter in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze the batter for up to a month. Bring the batter to room temperature before making uttappams.
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Navya Khetarpal.
The post How to Make Uttapam | Uthappam appeared first on My Food Story.
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