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 FOOD TALK
Pushpesh Pant
A vegetarian omelette
The delightful utthapam from Tamil Nadu can be simply enjoyed with coconut chutney
Gone are the days when Madrasi tiffin was a novelty, tried once in a while, and a bit cautiously. Masala dosa endeared itself to the North Indians from day one as the spicy potato filling was vaguely familiar yet tinged with the exotic. Curry leaves, mustard seeds and urad dal all played with textures and taste. Unlimited supply of sambhar and chutneys was a bonus for the ‘value for money’ seekers. The paper thin crispy large-sized dosa is almost impossible to make at home and its variations continue to be popular. There were fewer takers for idlies in the beginning but soon the idli-vada combo began to compete with the dosa at the South Indian eateries. Utthapam, to our mind, is the last of the major tiffin items to make its presence felt.
Our friend Professor Raviandran in Chennai enlightened us about the idli, dosa, utthapam relationship. The same batter is used on different days to utilise optimally the ongoing fermentation. Also, contrary to popular belief in North, sambhar is not a must for any of the three items. A plain coconut chutney or gunpowder (podi) is enough. One of our acquaintances likes to call utthapam a vegetarian omelet. Utthapam is a delightful dish that needs no comparison to recommend it. It can stand on its own and shine.
What is most delightful is that now we don’t have to worry about tiresome grinding of the batter. It can be bought readymade even North of the Narmada in many town and cities. One can even purchase instance mix packs marketed by reputed producer like MTR. What are you waiting for?
 Ingredients
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Readymade batter or a packet of instant mix (if using the packet follow instruction on the package) 250ml
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Cabbage (washed, sliced fine) 100gm
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Carrots (scraped, grated) 100gm
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Onion (large, peel, chop) one
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Green chillies (deseed and chop) 2-3
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Tomato (medium, washed, chopped fine) one
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Ginger (1 inch piece, scraped, diced) one
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Oil 1tbsp
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Salt to taste
Method
Line a thick bottomed large non-stick tawa with a thin film of oil. When hot, reduce the flame and sprinkle a few drops of water on it. If using homemade batter, add salt to it. After the water has sizzled and evaporated, drop a large laddle full of the batter in the middle. Spread it out with a smooth circular motion using the back of the laddle to obtain a pancake-like shape. As the batter bubbles, sprinkle the vegetables of choice evenly. Loosen the utthapam with a sharp wooden spatula and turn carefully. Cover with a lid and cook for a minute or low heat or low flame. Remove and place on a plate. Repeat the process till all the batter is exhausted. Serve with chutney or tomato sauce.
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