Onion and Tomato Uttapam from Fermented Rice Batter

What you need

• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) idli rice, or parboiled rice
• 100 g (1/2 cup) urad dal, split, husked
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, or ghee

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Rinse the rice 2-3 times and soak it in plenty of water for 5-6 hours.

2. 2

   At the same time, rinse the dal with the fenugreek and soak them in a separate bowl.

3. 3

   Drain the dal and fenugreek, keeping the soaking water. Grind them with a little of that water to a light, fluffy, very smooth paste.

4. 4

   Drain the rice and grind it with just enough fresh water to make a smooth batter, slightly grainy at most.

5. 5

   Combine both batters in a large bowl with the salt and mix well with your hand or a spoon.

6. 6

   Cover and leave in a warm place overnight, 8-10 hours, until roughly doubled, bubbly and pleasantly sour.

7. 7

   Stir the batter gently. It should pour thickly; add a splash of water only if it is stiff.

8. 8

   Mix the onion, tomatoes, chilies and cilantro in a bowl.

9. 9

   Heat a cast iron griddle or heavy frying pan over medium heat and brush it with a little oil.

10. 10

    Pour in a ladle of batter and spread it gently into a round about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick and 13-15 cm (5-6 in) across.

11. 11

    Scatter a generous spoonful of the vegetable mixture over the top and press it lightly into the batter.

12. 12

    Drizzle a little oil around the edge, cover and cook until the underside is golden and the top looks set, 3-4 min.

13. 13

    Flip and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, 2-3 min. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

14. 14

    Serve hot, straight from the griddle.

Imported from vegrecipesofindia.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.