Suji Uttapam (Rava Uttapam Recipe)
Feb 25, 2024
These thick savory pancakes are made with semolina, yogurt and vegetables. Suji uttapam or Rava uttapam is an easy to make Indian breakfast which is filling, flavor packed and best enjoyed with coconut chutney.
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Learn how to make Suji Uttapam without any fermentation with this step by step recipe. Made with sooji (semolina) and fresh vegetables like onions, peppers and flavored with curry leaves and green chilies, this makes an easy and quick meal which is also satisfying. These soft uttapams are best served hot with a side of sambar and coconut chutney.
Suji Uttapam also known as Rava Uttapam is an easy to make Indian breakfast recipe. I often make them on rotation along with my other favorite Indian breakfast like poha, upma and besan chilla.
These are savory thick pancakes made with rava (semolina), veggies and yogurt. Topped with vegetables they are easy to make and quite filling. Unlike traditional dosa and idli, these rava uttapam do not require any fermentation. You can make these in 1 hour or less and there’s no soaking or grinding involved. I do add a little ENO (fruit salt) at the end to make them slightly fluffy but that is optional.
Ingredients
For making sooji uttapam, you need just a few ingredients.
- Rava/Suji: For this uttapam recipe, we use regular coarse suji that I used for making upma or suji halwa. You can also make these with fina rava.
- Yogurt: Homemade yogurt works best because it gives the uttapam that tangy flavor but you can use store bought plain yogurt as well.
- Veggies: These uttapams are topped with chopped onion, peppers, cilantro and chilies. You can also add grated carrots, beets or chopped tomatoes.
- ENO: This is nothing but fruit salt which you can find easily at all Indian grocery stores. We use the plain ENO (the blue bottle) for this recipe. If you want you can also skip the eno, it will be fine just a little less fluffy but not a big deal. You can also use a pinch of baking soda in place.
How To Make Rava Uttapam
To a large bowl add 1 cup rava/sooji (175 grams). To that add 1/2 cup plain yogurt (120 grams).
Add 1/2 cup water (4 oz) to the bowl and stir until everything is well combined and smooth.
Cover this with a plate and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the rava would have absorbed water and so the mixture would have become thicker. Add additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of water at this point to adjust the consistency. The consistency should be thick but spreadable. Also add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix. Meanwhile, heat a skillet on medium heat.
Now, add 1/4 teaspoon of Eno and stir until Eno is well combined with the batter. Then start making the uttapam. Make sure the pan is hot before you start making the uttapam.
Spray a little oil at the bottom of the pan and then take a ladle full of the batter (around 1/3 cup), and add it to the center of the pan. With the ladle spread it a little to make a circle of around 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
Now top the uttapam with 2 teaspoon chopped onions, 2 teaspoons chopped bell peppers, 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro, some chopped curry leaves and some chopped green chili if you prefer spice (I used like 1/8th of a green chili per uttapam). Then drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of oil around the edges of the rava uttapam and also a little on top of the uttapam.
Cover with a glass lid and let it cook for around 2 minutes.
Then flip and cook the other side also for 2 minutes on medium heat. Press the uttapam with a spatula so that the veggies get a little browned.
Your rava uttapam is ready when the vegetables are lightly caramelized/golden brown. Make all uttapam similarly until the batter gets over. I got 5 uttapams with this batter. I enjoyed mine with coconut cilantro chutney and sambar!
Manali’s Tips
- Make the uttapams immediately after adding the eno (if you are using it).
- If you don’t want to use eno, just skip it. The uttapam will be fine without that too or you can add a pinch of baking soda in place.
- I cook these uttapams until they are golden brown from the bottom and the vegetables on top are also caramelized a little. This is how I like them but you can cook them for a lesser amount of time if that’s what you prefer.
- The pan needs to be hot before you add the batter to the pan. I use a well seasoned cast iron pan and heat in on medium heat until it is nicely hot. You can use a regular skillet too although I think that the uttapam comes out better when made on a cast iron.
- You can flavor these uttapams with podi or any other spice mix that you like. Just sprinkle some at the top while making these. You can also drizzle some ghee on top for extra flavor.
Suji Uttapam (Rava Uttapam Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 cup suji/rava 175 grams, semolina
- ½ cup yogurt 120 grams, I used plain whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup water 4 oz/120 ml + 2-3 tablespoons extra as needed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon eno fruit salt or use a pinch of baking soda
- 2 & ½ teaspoon oil ½ tsp oil per uttapam, I used avocado oil
Topping for each uttapam
- 2 teaspoons chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons chopped bell peppers I used a mix of red and green bell peppers
- 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
- chopped green chili to taste
- chopped curry leaves
Instructions
- Combined rava with yogurt in a large bowl using a wire whisk. Then add 1/2 cup water to it and mix until well combined. Cover the bowl with a plate and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.
- The rava will absorb water and the mixture would become thicker in these 30 minutes. Now, add additional 2-3 tablespoons water to make it pouring consistency again (but the batter should be thick, do not make it runny). Also add salt and mix.
- Now, add 1/4 teaspoon of eno and mix. Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once it is nicely heated, spray a little oil on the pan (if you are using a cast iron pan like me) and then pout a ladle full of batter in the center of the pan, around 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter.
- Using the ladle spread the batter a little to make a circle of around 5 to 6 inches diameter. Don't spread the batter thin as uttapam should be a on the thicker side.
- Top the uttapam with chopped onions, bell peppers, cilantro, some chopped green chilies and chopped curry leaves. Then drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of oil around the edges of the and also a little on top of the uttapam. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Then flip and cook the other side also for 2 minutes on medium heat. Press the uttapam with a spatula so that the veggies get a little browned. I like mine this way, when the uttapam is nicely browned from the bottom.
- Make all the uttapams simialrly until the batter is finished. I got 5 uttapams from this batter. Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney!
Notes
- Using eno is optional but I do recommend it. I like the texture of these uttapams more than I make them with eno rather than without.
- Make these uttapams on cast iron skillet. It tastes much better in my opinion when made on cast iron.
- You can make this recipe vegan by using a nondairy yogurt. Plain almond milk yogurt will work best.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is great for an on-the-go breakfast option. I’ve made it twice in the past two days and all of us loved it, including my toddler.
awesome, thanks for the feedback 🙂