Rava Uttapam is a South Indian breakfast made with semolina along with yogurt, veggies, and gunpowder. Uttapam is served with chutney.
Despite growing up in a Punjabi household, my mom always cooked us South Indian food, mainly because she loves it. Idli, dosa, and uttapam were regulars on our weekend menu.
It was always so exciting when we ate South Indian food because the same ol’ Punjabi food got boring after a while, that goes for any cuisine really.
My mom never used store-bought batter, but made her own idli, dosa, and uttapam batter. She even learned how to make Gunpowder also known as Idli/Podi Masala from one of her friends. I loveeeeeeee gunpowder, it’s so good on idli, dosa, and uttapam too.
Since I’m not someone who is going to blend up the batter from scratch and then wait for it to ferment, I took a shortcut and made Rava Uttapam.
When making Rava Uttapam the entire dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. It’s quick, delicious, and makes the perfect weekend brunch.
The best part is that Krish loved uttapam too, you can even top it with cheese to make it more kid-friendly.
What is Rava Uttapam?
Rava Uttapam is an Indian breakfast made with suji/rava which is known as semolina in English. Rava Uttapam is also known as Suji Uttapam or even Instant Uttapam.
Semolina, yogurt, and water batter are formed to make these semolina pancakes. Then the pancakes are topped with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, green chilies, and gunpowder. This instant uttapam recipe
actually reminds me of the Asian Scallion Pancakes. Am I right?
Rava Uttapam makes a delicious breakfast that is easy to whip up and comes together in just 30 minutes. Enjoy with green chutney or coconut chutney.
Rava Uttapam is:
Delicious
Hearty
Satisfying
Great for Breakfast/Brunch
Versatile (change up your veggies)
Kid-friendly (see FAQ section below)
Yogurt: Don’t use Greek yogurt, just use regular whole milk or reduced-fat yogurt works too.
Water: You’ll need water to thin out the water slightly.
Eno: Eno is fruit salt that causes the flour to rise and makes the final dish fluffy and soft. It’s used in items such as dhokla.
Veggies: Onion, Tomato, Green Chilies. All chopped.
Fresh Cilantro: Chopped.
Gunpowder/Podi Masala/Idli Masala: You can find these items at the Indian grocery store, or you can substitute Sambar Masala or just use red chili powder which will add spice and color.
Salt
How to make Rava Uttapam recipe step by step?
Make the Rava Uttapam Batter
1. In a large bowl, add rava/suji (semolina), yogurt, salt, and water. Mix.
2. Now add ENO. Let this batter rest for 20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, chop onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and green chilies.
4. Make cilantro chutney – I winged it and added some tadka. I basically made my Cilantro Chutney, added some yogurt, and made a tadka (tempering) of oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies. I don’t have a recipe for this, just winged it. Of course, you can use store-bought too or also make coconut chutney.
5. After 20 minutes, your batter will look like this. The rava absorbs all the water.
6. You need to add more water for a consistency that is still thick, but you can still pour. Add 2 tbsp of water at a time and keep adding water until you have a pouring consistency, but is still thick. I will estimate you will need roughly 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water – but start with less.
7. This is what you should have.
Cook Rava Uttapam
1. Heat up a castiron skillet on low-medium heat. Once hot, spray coconut oil or add a little avocado oil, like 1/2 tbsp.
2. Using a 1/3 cup measurement, pour the batter onto the hot skillet. Spread it out a little.
3. Add onions, tomatoes, cilantro, green chilies, Kashmiri red chili powder for color, and gunpowder (aka idli masala – this is optional, but tastes great).
4. Drizzle 1/2 tsp of avocado oil over the uttapam.
5. Flip the uttapam and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. I love my uttapam well cooked.
6. Flip and this is what the veggie side should look like.
7. Place on a plate and enjoy with chutney.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve uttapam in the following ways:
The simplest way to eat Rava uttapam is with green chutney with some kind of tadka on top. You can also make Coconut Chutney or Tomato Chutney.
Sambar is another favorite way I love to eat uttapam.
Make sure you enjoy Rava Uttapam while hot.
Tips on making Rava Uttapam:
Make sure you let the uttapam batter rest for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, you will need to add some water to ensure your batter is runny. but still thick.
Chop all your veggies.
I highly recommend using a castiron skillet for the best results. I love the veggies cooked in a castiron which results in tastier uttapam.
Make sure you drizzle 1/2 tsp on top of each uttapam, this ensures the veggies and masalas are cooked once flipped.
Try and get gunpowder also known as Idli/Podi Masala. If you can’t find podi masala, sambar powder will be a good substitute when sprinkling some masala over the uttapam.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Can I make this recipe vegan and gluten-free?
Unfortunately, no.
Rava Uttapam is not vegan since it uses yogurt. You can certainly try making the batter with non-dairy yogurt, but I’m not sure how it’ll turn out.
Rava Uttapam is made with semolina which is NOT gluten, hence this recipe is also not gluten-free. There are no substitutes here.
2. If I don’t have Gunpowder or Idli Masala, what can I use instead?
Gunpowder, Idli Masala Powder, and Podi Masala are the same things. My mom makes gunpowder at home and gives me some when I visit home. You can find Podi Masala at the Indian grocery store.
Alternatively, you can also use Sambar Masala Powder instead of Podi Masala. You can easily find sambar masala at your Indian store.
Another option is you can use red chili powder.
And lastly, you may skip using any masala on top and your Rava Uttapam will still taste delicious.
3. What other veggies can I use in Rava Uttapam?
Feel free to change up the veggie combo. Carrots, bell peppers, corn, broccoli, and spinach would all be delicious in here. There are so many different variations you can make with Rava Uttapam.
Next time I make this for my son, I want to try broccoli, onion, and cheese.
4. How can I make Rava Uttapam Kid-friendly?
Simply add cheese on top. Doesn’t cheese just make everything better? Some cheese, corn, broccoli, or whatever other veggies your little one likes, add a little bit of everything to the uttapam and top with cheese.
I love using sharp cheddar cheese since uttapam is a mild flavor.
5. Can I use a nonstick pan instead of castiron?
Absolutely! I personally feel food tastes so much better in a castiron skillet and since we are adding uncooked veggies, they will cook better in a castirion skillet.
In a large bowl, add rava/suji (semolina), yogurt, salt, and water. Mix.
Now add ENO. Let this batter rest for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, chop onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and green chilies.
Make cilantro chutney - I winged it and added some tadka. I basically made my Cilantro Chutney, added some yogurt, and made a tadka (tempering) of oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies. I don't have a recipe for this, just winged it. Of course, you can use store-bought too or also make coconut chutney.
After 20 minutes, your batter will look like this. The rava absorbs all the water.
You need to add more water for a consistency that is still thick, but you can still pour. Add 2 tbsp of water at a time and keep adding water until you have a pouring consistency, but is still thick. I will estimate you will need roughly 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water - but start with less.
This is what you should have.
Cook Rava Uttapam
Heat up a castiron skillet on low-medium heat. Once hot, spray coconut oil or add a little avocado oil, like 1/2 tbsp.
Using a 1/3 cup measurement, pour the batter onto the hot skillet. Spread it out a little.
Add onions, tomatoes, cilantro, green chilies, Kashmiri red chili powder for color, and gunpowder (aka idli masala - this is optional, but tastes great).
Drizzle 1/2 tsp of avocado oil over the uttapam.
Flip the uttapam and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. I love my uttapam well cooked.
Flip and this is what the veggie side should look like.
A foodie who is passionate about living a healthy-ish lifestyle, cooking, and traveling. You'll find a mix of everything here and lots of seasonal content. I moved from Jersey City leaving behind my family & friends to beautiful Southern California for love. I'm adjusting to the laid-back SoCal lifestyle and learning a lot about myself along the way. Come join me on a soul searching journey and I'll tell YOU "what's cooking" through my love for food, fashion, and travel.
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