From jbxyz@rcn.com Tue Jun 29 12:43:10 2004 Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 18:26:52 -0400 From: "Jean B." Newsgroups: uk.food+drink.indian Subject: Uttapams! I have recently discovered the joy of uttapams. Are these South Indian delights more common in the UK than they are here in the United States? Today I decided to go through the stack of Indian cookbooks that a friend dragged back from India for me decades ago, and I had two hits. In case anyone is interested, here they are: Oothappam Source: Aroona Reejhsinghani, "The Art of South Indian Cooking" (Bombay: Jaico Publishing House, 1977), p. 66. 125 grams parboiled rice 50 grams urad dal 2 small onions, finely sliced 4 green chillies, minced 1-inch piece ginger, minced 1/2 small bunch sliced coriander leaves salt to taste Soak rice and dal separately whole night. Next morning, drain out the water and grind them together and cover and set aside for 24 hours. Mix in the salt and the rest of the ingredients. Heat a girdle [sic] to smoking and pour in 1 tblsp of ghee, then add 2 tblsps. of batter after mixing into it enough water to make it into pouring consistency. Spread the batter into a round and when the underside turns golden, pour a little ghee around its edges and fry nicely on both the sides. Serve immediately with coconut chutney. From Aruna Sheth, "The New Indian Cookbook" (New Delhi: Orient Paperbacks, 1968), pp. 112-113, 115. Uttapam uses the same ingredients as in Sada Dosa [see below], the only difference being that this is much thicker and browned on both sides. The batter is also slightly thicker. These are made smaller in size. Onion Uttapam [c]an also be made by just the addition of chopped onions and green chillies to the batter before frying. Or else spread the uttapam on the tava and sprinkle with chopped onions and green chillies so that when you turn the onions get browned and give it a crisper taste. Sada Dosa 2 cups rice 1 cup urad dal salt to taste oil to fry Soak dal and rice separately in water for 8-10 hours. Traditionally speaking these should be drained and ground separately on the round grinding stone into fine paste--the urad dal specially so, to give it a smooth frothy consistency. But today even the South Indians are resorting to the quickest ways and more often than not use the electric mixer. I have made equally good dosa by getting the rice and dal mixed and ground at the same regular flour-mill and then mixing the flour in water to the desired consistency and letting it stand for 8 hours. A tablespoon of sour curd added to it gives it an extra-soft texture, after the paste is ready--it is fairly thin, pours rather than drops--mix in the salt and if you like, a teaspoon of caraway seed. Now heat a heavy flat tava and grease it with a few drops of oil. Put in the centre two tablespoons of the batter and starting from the centre with circular motion spread it out thinly and evenly maintaining the circular form as far as possible. Cook on slow fire until the side facing you is dry. Scrape and turn slightly, cook other side before removing. If you have managed to get them really thin it is not necessary to cook the other side, but double-fold and serve hot with coconut chutney. So, does anyone else have a recipe for this? (I have already found some on various sites, and I have already searched the groups, so I am looking for other recipes.) -- Jean B.