Rava Uttapam or Suji Uttapam is a quick, easy, healthy, mouth-watering and filler South Indian breakfast recipe that can also be relished as a snack or even as lunch and dinner.
Trust your culinary instincts and intuition to innovate and create dishes that express your unique style.
It is a savory griddle cake cooked with semolina (rava) and topped with vegetables.
In plain words, rava uttapam is a comforting, satisfying and nutritious dish. What else would you need in a simple and quick homemade meal? :)
Serve as it is, or partner it with some coconut coriander chutney and sambar like the most — the choice is up to you.
Instant rava uttapam is a painless 40 minutes dish you can prepare using easily available pantry ingredients like semolina, yogurt, some veggies and some basic seasonings like salt and red chili powder.
This uttapam batter does not need any fermentation. So it is an ideal recipe for those days when you are looking for quick, simple, easy and healthy breakfast ideas. Rava uttapam is certainly one of the best ways to delight in the most important meal of the day.
With this easy and fail-proof method, you can make your healthy and delicious breakfast in no time. Because this page has all the amazing and essential tips and variations you will need to prepare your best instant rava uttapam like a pro.
Other Interesting breakfast rava recipes you may also love are:
What is Uttapam?
Uttapam or Uthappam is a popular South Indian dish which is a savory pancake topped with chopped or grated veggies.
Traditionally uttapam batter is made with idli rice and black gram lentils. Here rice and lentils are soaked overnight, and then ground and fermented until it rises.
What are the toppings for Uttapam?
Common toppings for uttapam are onion, tomato, capsicum, grated cabbage, grated beet, grated carrot, and coriander.
What is Rava Uttapam?
Rava uttapam is an Instant version of Uttapam where semolina batter is used in place of fermented rice and lentils batter.
The traditional way of making uttapam requires soaking, grinding, and fermenting which is a bit of a tedious task.
Traditional uttapam is made using rice and urad dal but this recipe is made with semolina which is an instant version. This way you can make this traditional dish without grinding the batter and fermenting.
Since there is no overnight soaking, grinding, and fermenting required, rava uttapam is much easier and faster to cook. And it tastes delicious too.
It is ready under 40 minutes where there are only 10 minutes of cooking time and 30 minutes of soaking time.
This instant version of uttapam is super easy and can also be made by any beginner cook. To make rava uttapam, you simply mix semolina with yogurt, water, salt and make a smooth batter. Then you cook pancakes with the batter which has vegetable toppings. That’s it.
This amazingly delightful uttapam recipe has a pleasant taste of tangy semolina yogurt batter. And when the batter is combined with sliced tomatoes, onions and green chilies and seasonings, it is beyond delicious.
This rava uttapam:
✓ is wholesome, and tastes so good.
✓ is instant, quick and easy to make.
✓ stays fresh and soft after cooling down, so it is ideal for the lunch box.
✓ is made without grinding and fermenting.
✓ is ready in under 40 minutes.
✓ can be made into vegan.
What are the ingredients used in Rava Uttapam?
Rava uttapam is made with a batter and some veggies. You need simple ingredients for making rava uttapam. Here are the ingredients you will need:
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Baking Soda
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Carrot
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Coriander
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Green Chilies
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Natural Yogurt (Curd Dahi)
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Oil
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Onion
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Red Chili Powder And Salt For Seasoning
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Semolina (Rava Suji Coarse)
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Tomato, Finely Chopped
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Water
How to make Rava Uttapam?
To make rava uttapam, you make a batter with semolina, yogurt, salt, and water. This batter is then rested for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes you add baking soda to it and mix it lightly.
The batter is then spread in circular discs on a hot tawa (pan). These discs are topped with desired veggies, sprinkled with seasonings and then patted gently. These discs are then cooked covered for 1-2 minutes.
After that, oil is drizzled on it. The disc is flipped when it is light golden, and then again cooked until the toppings are cooked.
Done! Rava Uttapam is then ready to be served and eaten.
Check the detailed recipe in the recipe box on this page.
How to serve uttapam?
Uttapam is one of the most popular dishes of South India and is often served with tangy sambar or coconut chutney.
You can also pair uttapam with following chutneys:
When to make Rava Uttapam?
Rava uttapam is a wholesome meal when served with some Coriander Coconut Chutney. You can have it for breakfast, or brunch. You can also serve it as a light lunch or dinner along with sambar. Or simply serve them anytime you wish to make something quick.
Rava uttapam also makes a great snack for parties and get-togethers. Make this when you have friends coming over for dinner or lunch. The best thing about this main South Indian dish is that you can make coconut chutney, sambar (spicy vegetable and lentil stew) in advance.
Just make the batter and in the meanwhile chop your desired veggies. And you are ready with an exotic South Indian meal without any extra effort. You can also make some steamed rice because they go well with sambar and chutney.
Serve rava uttapam with chutney, sambar and a cup of masala chai or spiced coffee.
How To Make Mini Uttapam?
Making mini uttapam is very simple, and you can easily prepare mini uttapams using the same batter. To make mini uttapam spread batter into small discs and the rest of the recipe will be the same.
Tips and variations to make your best Rava Uttapam at home:
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You can also make oats uttapam by replacing rava with the same amount of oat flour. The rest of the recipe will be the same.
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If you don’t want to use any vegetable toppings, then you can also make this uttapam plain without any toppings.
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I have only used onion, tomato, carrot toppings. You can also add shredded cabbage, chopped bell peppers, corn or any other vegetables of your choice.
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To make it vegan, use vegan yogurt while making the batter.
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I usually sprinkle my uttapam with some salt and red chili powder. This way it tastes extra flavourful. If you don’t want to use red chili powder then you can easily swap it with freshly ground black pepper or cayenne pepper.
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You can also add minced ginger and chopped curry leaves and cumin seeds to the batter.
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The batter is not fermented here, so I have added a bit of baking soda to the batter to make it light and fluffy. You can also substitute baking soda with Eno fruit salt.
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Sour yogurt adds a nice tang and flavor to the batter. So try to use slightly sour yogurt. However, if you can’t find sour batter then you can add about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice along with baking soda.
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Uttapam batter is best when it is rested for 30 minutes because this way it absorbs all the liquid and turns light and fluffy. However, if you don’t have much time then let it rest for at least 20 minutes. In that case, use only 1/2 cup of water while making the batter, and add more water only after resting, if needed.
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I personally love uttapam when they are topped with veggies. But there is also another way of making rava uttapam where you can add all the chopped veggies directly to the batter and then make pancakes out of it. It tastes great both ways.
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This recipe can also be doubled or tripled.
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For making the batter, you can also use sour buttermilk instead of yogurt. If using thin buttermilk then omit the water and use 1 cup of buttermilk for 1 cup semolina. You can add water after resting if needed.
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Use coarse rava (semolina, suji, sooji, or cream of wheat) for this recipe.
Other delicious breakfast recipes:
Rava Uttapam (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How To Make Rava Uttapam Batter:
- Add 1 cup of rava/suji (semolina) to a mixing bowl.
- Now add 1/2 of sour natural yogurt to it.
- Also, add 1 cup of water to it.
- Mix everything well until you get a lump-free runny batter. Don't worry if that batter looks too thin. The batter would turn thick as it absorbs liquid while resting.
- Add salt to taste and give it a mix.
- Set aside for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, give it a mix. The batter should be of pouring consistency now. If you think that batter is too thin, then add 1 tablespoon of rava or rice flour. If you want, you can also add ginger, green chiles, cumin seeds, and chopped curry leaves or coriander leaves to the batter.
- Now add baking soda and mix well until you get the light and fluffy batter. Do not overmix.
How To Make Rava Uttapam:
- Brush the tawa or pan with oil heat over medium heat. (You can use a non-stick or cast iron tawa for making rava uttapam.)
- When the pan turns hot, pour a ladle full of the uttapam batter.
- Spread it evenly and gently. Don't spread too much.
- Top with desired veggies. I have used onions, tomatoes, green chilies, grated carrots, and chopped coriander leaves.
- Sprinkle with some salt and red chili or black pepper powder. (This is an optional step, but it creates a huge difference in flavor profile, so I would highly recommend this.)
- Now gently press the vegetables down with a wooden spatula. This step would ensure that toppings will not come out while flipping uttapam.
- After that, cover the pan with a lid and let it cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom is lightly golden.
- Once the bottom is cooked, uncover the pan. Drizzle the uttapam with some oil.
- Gently lift the uttapam with a spatula and flip it.
- Cook it on the other side for 1-2 minutes or until the top is perfectly cooked.
- Flip back again and cook it further until the base is lightly crispy. Repeat the same until all the batter is used up.
- Serve rava uttapam hot or warm with coriander coconut chutney.
Recipe Card
Rava Uttapam [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 130 reviews)
Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
---|---|---|
40 mins | ||
Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
Breakfast | Indian | 4-5 pieces |
Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
171 calories | 1 serving |
INGREDIENTS
For Rava Uttapam Batter:
- 1 cup semolina (rava suji coarse)
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt (curd/dahi)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 cup water (or as needed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda or eno fruit salt (or use 1/2 teaspoon)
For Toppings:
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 large tomato, finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped
- 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
- red chili powder and salt for seasoning
For Cooking:
- 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
How To Make Rava Uttapam Batter:
- Add 1 cup of rava/suji (semolina) to a mixing bowl.
- Now add 1/2 of sour natural yogurt to it.
- Also, add 1 cup of water to it.
- Mix everything well until you get a lump-free runny batter. Don't worry if that batter looks too thin. The batter would turn thick as it absorbs liquid while resting.
- Add salt to taste and give it a mix.
- Set aside for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, give it a mix. The batter should be of pouring consistency now. If you think that batter is too thin, then add 1 tablespoon of rava or rice flour. If you want, you can also add ginger, green chiles, cumin seeds, and chopped curry leaves or coriander leaves to the batter.
- Now add baking soda and mix well until you get the light and fluffy batter. Do not overmix.
How To Make Rava Uttapam:
- Brush the tawa or pan with oil heat over medium heat. (You can use a non-stick or cast iron tawa for making rava uttapam.)
- When the pan turns hot, pour a ladle full of the uttapam batter.
- Spread it evenly and gently. Don't spread too much.
- Top with desired veggies. I have used onions, tomatoes, green chilies, grated carrots, and chopped coriander leaves.
- Sprinkle with some salt and red chili or black pepper powder. (This is an optional step, but it creates a huge difference in flavor profile, so I would highly recommend this.)
- Now gently press the vegetables down with a wooden spatula. This step would ensure that toppings will not come out while flipping uttapam.
- After that, cover the pan with a lid and let it cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom is lightly golden.
- Once the bottom is cooked, uncover the pan. Drizzle the uttapam with some oil.
- Gently lift the uttapam with a spatula and flip it.
- Cook it on the other side for 1-2 minutes or until the top is perfectly cooked.
- Flip back again and cook it further until the base is lightly crispy. Repeat the same until all the batter is used up.
- Serve rava uttapam hot or warm with coriander coconut chutney.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- If you don't want to use any vegetable toppings, then you can also make this uttapam plain without any toppings
- I have only used onion, tomato, carrot toppings. You can also add shredded cabbage, chopped bell peppers, corn, or any other vegetables of your choice.
- To make it vegan, use vegan yogurt while making the batter.
- I usually sprinkle my uttapam with some salt and red chili powder. This way it tastes extra flavourful. If you don't want to use red chili powder then you can easily swap it with freshly ground black pepper or cayenne pepper.
- You can also add minced ginger and chopped curry leaves and cumin seeds to the batter.