Dodhak or uttapam is a savory and spicy pancake made with sooji (cream of wheat). A lot of folks that have it for the first time compare it to the scallion pancakes you can get at authentic Chinese restaurants. A lot of dodhak (uttapam) recipes call for onions or tomatoes to keep the moisture intact. Unfortunately, this usually leaves these soggy areas only where the onions or tomatoes end up. My ajji had a secret trick to keeping these savory pancakes moist all over without sogginess and still keeping the outside crispy -- pumpkin! Any kind of raw pumpkin or hard squash, like acorn, can be used in this recipe and if you're fresh out of pumpkin, substitute cucumber. You will be surprised with the delicious result. After enjoying this breakfast in Phoenix and watching as I prepared, my son-in-law tried it out for my daughter back in Austin. I can truly say she was thrilled to wake up to what she thought she could only get at mom's house. Aaron is now a true konkani and also a budding Indian chef in the making. One of his favorite items as accompaniment to the dish is a simple "chutney" made with 1 cup yogurt, 3 tablespoons sambar powder and a teaspoon (or to taste) of salt. Mix these all together and let sit while you combine and make the dodhak. Seriously simple, seriously yummy.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated pumpkin
1-2 green/red fresh chilis (depending on your spice level)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups sooji
1 cup yogurt/buttermilk
1-2 teaspoons salt (depending on how salty your yogurt is)Vegetable oil
Step 1: Mix all dry ingredients together and then add the yogurt and combine until well incorporated. Batter should be thick, almost a pasty consistency.
Step 2: Fill a small bowl with tap water. Heat cast iron or non-stick skillet with a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Step 3: Using your hand (clean!), scoop up about a half cupful of batter and place on the hot pan. Press down on the batter with wet fingers to make a flat pancake. If the batter is sticking to your fingers, you need to wet your fingers further and try again. Trickle a little oil around the dodhak and flip once edges are crisp. Cook about 2 minutes on each side.
Step 4: Serve hot with yogurt sambar chutney, butter or hot pickle
Step 3: Using your hand (clean!), scoop up about a half cupful of batter and place on the hot pan. Press down on the batter with wet fingers to make a flat pancake. If the batter is sticking to your fingers, you need to wet your fingers further and try again. Trickle a little oil around the dodhak and flip once edges are crisp. Cook about 2 minutes on each side.
No comments:
Post a Comment