Multigrain onion uttappam - spongy rice and grain pancakes topped with a medley of peppers, onion, chili and cilantro. When served with colorful chutneys on the side, this is what a dear friend had to say...“Getting an early morning Bangalore feel, especially when you pass the Darshinis whose serving tables spill over to already narrow side walks...”
For sure! Bangalore has always been famous for its quick and yummy South Indian foods. Ofcourse they also serve North Indian and Indochinese cuisine on the side. But dosas, idli, uddina vada, pongal and sambhar have been their signature dishes. Not to forget the filter coffee and its intoxicating aroma!
If you have lived in Bangalore, you cannot ignore the hustle of these eateries. They are packed with college kids and working people who grab a quick bite on their way. Anytime of the day, quick snacks or full sized meals will send you and your tummy happy. Okay, back to the recipe.
Serves 4
Uttappam ingredients:
2 cups idli rice
1 cup urad dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/2 cup whole millets, mixed
1 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
I have used a blend of ragi/finger millet and barnyard millet.
Soak all the uttapam ingredients in about 8 cups warm water. Let it soak for 6 hours.
Drain and grind all the grains in a wet grinding machine or blender until smooth. Add little amounts of water as needed to make a thick batter.
Pour the batter into a large bowl. Cover and set aside overnight in a warm place, to ferment.
In the morning, the batter would have fermented and risen to double its quantity. Add a spoon of salt, and beat it down. Set aside.
Topping ingredients:
2 large onions, diced
2-3 spicy green chilies, finely chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
2-3 colored sweet pepper, diced
1/2 cup oil
A few spoons of ghee
1/2 whole onion
Uttappam pan/tawa or griddle
You could also put all the topping ingredients into a processor and pulse it a few times to dice them uniformly. Set aside. Heat a griddle/tawa on medium high heat. Cut an onion in half, dip it
oil and wipe on the tawa to give it a nonstick coating.
When the pan begins to smoke, put a ladle full of batter and slightly swirl the batter. The thickness should be 1/4 inch, like a pancake. Sprinkle a generous serving of onion topping.
Place a lid over the uttapams and let cook. Add a spoon of oil or ghee around the edges to give it a crisp texture.
When the uttapams have bubbles, you can gently flip it and let the onion side down, cook to a golden brown char. Serve hot with a side of chutneys. Enjoy!
Ps: Chutney recipes here.
