Sourdough Savory Pancakes / Uttapam

Whew~ what a year it has been thus far! We are all feeling it around the globe, and while we all do our bit, stay responsible and vigilant for our community, and stay apart. While we also show solidarity and support for equality and justice, the everyday living must continue. Food must be cooked and eaten and dishes must be done. In these trying times, we find grounding in the everyday rituals. In the beauty that we can create. In the joy we can share. Maybe this is a year of great yet positive change, when things seem tough because they have to be, to change for the better. As we tackle issue head on instead of running from them, I hope and pray for a better, safer world. For us and our children. We continue to become a better, kinder race.

As it happens, because of the pandemic, I temporarily closed the sourdough classes. Also having a new born and a high risk mom at home made me exceptionally vigilant, not that I wouldn’t have been regardless. However, no classes meant an excess of sourdough starter. As I refuse to throw away the discard, ever, I have been experimenting with a heap of Indian recipes that usually call for an overnight ferment, and lacing them liberally with my sourdough Mr. Bubbles.

This recipe was inspired by the well known and loved south Indian Dish called Uttapam. Which is usually made with rice flour, lentils and vegetables. I substituted this with whole wheat and vegetables. It turned out just as soft, fluffy and crunchy on the outside. A bomb of deliciously sour and savory flavors. So without much ado, here is the recipe.

Sourdough Savory Pancakes / Uttapam

Recipe by DivaCourse: Breads, Breakfast, Healthy living, Side, Snacks, Sourdough, Weeknight/quick cookingCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

A beautiful way to use up your extra sourdough starter and turn it into tasty, crunchy and savory pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Sourdough discard

• 1 cup of plain or wholemeal flour of choice

• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp of chili paste or chili flakes or dried chili powder
  

• 1 tsp of garlic paste or chopped garlic

• 1 tsp of ginger paste or chopped ginger

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp coriander and cumin powder

• salt and pepper to taste

• water as required

• Oil to fry the pancakes

• 2 tomatoes cut in to thin rings to top

• Chopped coriander

Directions

• In a big bowl, combine the sourdough discard, flour and all the spices and herbs, along with chopped onion. You can also add more finely chopped vegetables, like carrot, shredded cabbage, capsicum or spinach for a bigger vegetable serve.
• Add enough water to form a cohesive, thick pancake batter.
• Heat a griddle pan, adding a little oil before laying the batter, use the spoon to flatten it slightly and circle the edges with a bit more oil to achieve crunch. On the top of the pancake, lay a few tomato slices. Cover and let cook for a few minutes (this would depend on the thickness of your pancake, try and not lay them too thickly). Flip and cook the other side uncovered. (covering make it a faster cook, and cooks all the ingredients through by trapping the steam)
• Enjoy with a bit of yogurt dip or sauce of choice.

Notes

• Used your sourdough discard this way? please post a picture. Also, to purchase sourdough starter, please go here .