Rava Uttapam (Sooji Uttapam)
These delicious Rava Uttapam make for a great Indian breakfast & can be made under 30 mins. Unlike the traditional Uttapam, these instant uttapam do not require a fermented batter. So that saves a lot of time and effort. Rava uttapam can be eaten plain or with a spicy chutney & Podi. You can also get fancy and add some grated cheese to make them cheesy.
Apart from this rava uttapam, breakfast foods like this Rava Dosa, Wheat Dosa, Oats Uttapam & Besan Chilla come handy when you don’t have much time to prepare in advance.
For the uninitiated, Rava Uttapam are Indian savory pancakes made with semolina (rava), spices, yogurt, veggies & herbs. Traditionally, lentils and rice are soaked and then ground to a batter which is later fermented until airy.
This batter is poured to a hot pan and topped with onions, chilies, coriander leaves and cumin seeds. The fermented batter cooks up to fluffy thick pancakes which are cooked in ghee or oil.
Making these rava uttapam is much easier than the traditional version because this recipe helps you by-pass the lengthy steps of soaking, grinding and fermenting. Instead we make a simple batter by mixing all the ingredients.
This recipe uses yogurt (homemade curd) to impart a slight tangy flavor & it also helps to rise the uttapams a bit when you cook the batter. I have not used baking soda or eno at all as I did not feel the need.
Do check out the tips and notes section below, after the stepwise photos.
How to make Rava Uttapam (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
1. Add half cup semolina (fine rava / suji) to a mixing bowl.
2. Add half cup water.
3. Mix it well. Set this aside for 20 mins.
4. Meanwhile chop the veggies like onions, green chilies, tomatoes, bell pepper. You can also use grated carrot & coriander leaves.
5. Add 4 tbsp yogurt (¼ cup).
6. Next add salt as needed.
7. Mix well. The batter should be neither thin or too thick, but must be of spreading consistency. Check the consistency first and then add 1 to 2 tbsp more water if required.
8. This is the consistency required. Set this aside.
Make Sooji Uttapam
9. Grease or season your tawa well with few drops of oil. Rub with a sliced onion or kitchen tissue. I season my cast iron pan after every wash and wipe off the excess oil before storing it. I heat it and grease it again before use.
10. When the pan turns hot, pour half of the prepared batter.
11. Spread it gently only a little.
12. Immediately add cut veggies.
13. Press down with a wooden spatula. If you do not do this, veggies will come off the uttapam when you flip it.
14. Pour oil or ghee and cook on a medium heat.
15. After a while you will see the edges loosen from the pan, gently lift it with a spatula and flip it.
16. Cook on both the sides till fully done. If you want you can also cook longer to brown your veggies & the uttapam both. If you want you can also add cheese or Idli podi at this stage.
Serve these instant rava uttapam just with a cup of masala chai or a Chutney, podi, or Pickle.
Ingredients
- This recipe requires homemade yogurt. If you want to use Greek yogurt, cut down to 2 to 3 tablespoons. If it is too sour you may also stir in a bit of milk.
- Rava is nothing but semolina. For this recipe you will use the fine rava also known as Bombay rava, suji, sooji. It is the same kind we use to make halwa & sheera. This recipe also works with chiroti rava (extra fine suji) which is used to make chiroti.
- I have used just onions and bell peppers here as I was running short of veggies. Chopped tomatoes, grated carrots, lots of coriander leaves go well on this rava uttapam.
- Sometimes I also add dill leaves. If you like the flavor you can just add about a tbsp of the fine chopped leaves.
Pro Tips
- Ensure the pan is hot enough before you pour the batter. The batter will get stuck to the pan if it is not hot enough.
- The batter should to be of pouring consistency yet thick. If it is too runny, it will get stuck and not get cooked well.
- The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
INGREDIENTS (US CUP = 240ML )
- ½ cup semolina (fine rava or suji or sooji)
- ½ to ¾ cup water (½ + 1 to 2 tbsp)
- ¼ cup curd (4 tablespoons Indian yogurt)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons carrot grated (optional)
- 1 small tomato chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons capsicum chopped (optional)
- 1 to 2 green chilies chopped
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 to 3 teaspoons oil or butter
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparation
- Soak semolina in half cup water. Set this aside for 20 mins.
- Meanwhile chop the veggies and season the pan or tawa with oil. Wipe off excess with a kitchen tissue.
- Stir in the yogurt and salt to the soaked rava. The consistency should be neither too thick not too runny. You need a medium consistency.
- If the batter is too thick you may splash a bit of water – 1 to 2 tablespoons & stir. (Check pics in the post to know the consistency)
How to make Rava Uttapam
- Heat the pan on a medium high flame. Drizzle a few drops of oil on the pan and smear with a kitchen tissue carefully.
- When the pan is hot, pour half of the batter and spread a bit gently.
- Sprinkle the veggies and press with a spatula.
- Add oil or ghee around the edges and cook on a medium heat until you see the edges loosen from the pan.
- Flip the uttapam carefully with a spatula.
- Cook until the veggies are partially done or brown to your liking. Flip back and cook until the rava uttapam turns lightly crisp.
- If you want you can also sprinkle some Podi or cheese. Serve rava uttapam hot or warm with chutney or masala tea.
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