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Uthappam Recipe | How To Make A Quick Vegetable Uthappam

Childhood Memories

My mother is undoubtedly a great influence on my cooking journey. She is a superwoman who has so many food tricks up her sleeve! The kitchen habits she practices are efficiency in time management and optimal utilization of resources in the kitchen. She is also good at sneaking vegetables into food, using up leftovers, and cooking within a budget without any wastage.

Every week, she would make a huge batch of idli batter, enough to feed our family of 4. The idli batter is made of rice and a specific type of lentil known as urad dal. The urad dal gives the batter a fluffiness akin to egg whites in a recipe. The lighter, fluffier combination of the urad dal with some rice batter floats around at the top. The heavier and denser rice batter settles at the bottom.

No Wastage!

My mother makes the versatile idlis for breakfast, lunch, or dinner during the first half of the week. Pair the idlis with coconut chutneys and a spicy vegetable sambar for a sumptuous meal. After the first couple of days, the batter becomes denser as we skim the lighter urad-rice batter off the top for making idlis. This batter is perfect for making dosas. You can make dosas with the dense batter for the next couple of days. The final bit of leftover batter becomes so thick that it can neither make a good dosa or good idli on its own. My mother uses this batter to make an easy, quick pancake recipe called Uthappam.

South Indian Pizzas!

The Uthappam is like a pizza made using idli/dosa batter. You can put any toppings you want on it and it becomes whatever you want it to be! It is great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make this Uthappam in a dollar pancake pan and watch your kids get super excited about their meals. My favorite version is a podi uthappam which is made with veggies and a special spice powder made of lentils, chilies, and sesame seeds. Lace the uthappam with a touch of ghee to lift the flavors of the vegetables and the spices!

Learn to make idli batter at home

You can make this Uthappam with fresh idli batter as well! Check out my recipe on how to make a basic idli batter. Or you can always head to a nearby Indian grocer and pick up a tub of idli batter.

Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe Made With Butternut Squash and Spices

November 2, 2020 5 Comments

Thick tamarind stew made with butternut squash

Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe with a twist

If you’re a fan of South Indian cuisine, you’re probably familiar with vathal kuzhambu. This tangy and spicy tamarind-based stew is a staple in many South Indian households, and undoubtedly, for good reason! It’s packed with complex flavors and aromatic spices, making it a delight for your taste buds. But have you ever tried making it with butternut squash? Adding butternut squash to the vathal kuzhambu recipe is a sweet twist on the classic dish and a delicious way to enjoy the hearty and sweet flavors of this seasonal squash.

Learn how to make butternut squash vathal kuzhambu step-by-step, so you can enjoy this delicious meal in the comfort of your own home. Let’s get started!

Where It Began

Rural Tamil culture is one that was born out of nature. The simple, traditional rural life of Tamil Nadu is one that just makes sense today. Eco-friendly, sustainable, and respectful of all living things.

Evolution of Vathals

Tamil Nadu is a tropical place that experiences hot and humid weather for a large chunk of every year. Historically, the woman discovered ways to preserve food for longer due to the warmer conditions and the lack of refrigeration technology. The need to preserve food sparked a slew of sun-dried recipes. These recipes were made annually when the days shifted to hotter temperatures. The practice of sun drying is called differently in different communities across Tamil Nadu. One such practice is drying vathals in the sun.

How Vathals are made

Vathals are made by sun-drying any vegetable or fruit. Unlike fresh vegetables, it is interesting that the more traditional varietals are made from the West’s highly frowned upon black nightshade plant Manathakkali and the Solanum Torvum plant, also known as Sundakkai.

Some involve soaking them in buttermilk and salt for a few days until they turn color. Some involve mixing fresh-cut vegetables or fruit in a thick batter made from rice flour, green chilies, and other spices. They are then sun-dried in small pieces on a large piece of thin muslin cloth. Obviously, these are just a couple of ways to do it. There are plenty of other variations to make the sun-dried recipe. The Vathals can be fried to be used in stews or just like that as a snack!

Substitute Vathals with Vegetables in your Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe

Once the Vathals are made, they are simmered in stews as a replacement for fresh vegetables that may not readily be available. A popular dish that uses them is the traditional Tamil dish Vathal Kuzhambu which holds a very special place in every Tamil recipe book today. It is the recipe we make when we want something comforting and special that will last longer than a day.

This recipe, however, can also be made with fresh vegetables and fruits, referred to as thaan. In our family, we love a very unconventional butternut squash thaan for making an Iyer-style Vathal Kuzhambu and pair this with a hearty South Indian Urulai Roast Kari. Here’s my recipe.

Notes:

I can’t pinpoint what castor oil does to this dish. But the tablespoon makes the kuzhambu taste rich.

*Appalams are sun-dried lentil flatbread deep-fried in oil. They make excellent accompaniments to rice-based dishes or are great as a snack.