Uncovering Uthappam: Celebrating Cultural Classics

Uthappams with Onion, Tomato, and Coriander

When I was younger, I was a very picky eater. My parents were not okay with this. They wanted to expose me to a variety of foods and to try everything. I remember a couple of nights where my dad would tell me that I could just go hungry if I didn't want to eat what was for dinner. I probably threw a temper tantrum but would inevitably eat dinner because I was hungry.

My parents were right. I might not have liked everything I was fed but it expanded my palate and taught me to try everything at least once. When I found out on Friday that Uncovering Food had made it to round two of Project Food Blog (Thank you to those who voted!), I was excited to find out what the challenge was:

"Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Do your research then try to pull off successfully creating this challenge. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post."

I am always ready to learn about new cuisines! This was right up my alley! At first I thought I would learn how to make a traditional Hungarian dish since my dad's family is from Hungary and I have never learned how to make any of the dishes he made me. This would be out of my comfort zone but there were three other challenges I faced when selecting my dish. One, I am familiar with Hungarian food. In my mind this challenge was asking me to find a classic dish from a culture that I don't know very well. The second constraint was that I am partaking in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-day vegan challenge which means the dish I would be making would need to be vegan. The third constraint was that I would be at a debate tournament all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I would have limited prep and shopping time late in the evenings and early in the mornings.

A number of students I work with are from southern states in India and I knew a couple of them were vegan, so I asked for a restaurant recommendation for lunch on Friday to explore the cuisines of this part of India. My assistant debate coach and I ended up at Madura, a vegetarian restaurant with a number of vegan options. We ordered a variety of items on the menu to try and when I broke out my camera, that's when the education started.

Madura Dishes (clockwise from left): Medhu Vada & Rava Kichadi; Pea, Onion, and Mushroom Uthappam; Spring Dosa

The owner of the restaurant asked what I was taking pictures for and I explained the Project Food Blog challenge. He was especially nice to us upon learning this and explained to me how each dish was prepared and what ingredients were in every dish. I will definitely be going back to Madura to enjoy more of the dishes that were lighter than Indian dishes I was more familiar with from other regions of the country. Every dish I tried was full of flavor and would have been fun to make, but keeping in mind that Uncovering Food is about exploring healthier options, I opted to make Uthappam, a pancake that is eaten for breakfasts and lunches and is embedded with a variety of vegetables and spices.

What I failed to learn at the restaurant was how much time goes into preparing the batter. The first step takes 6 to 12 hours, then after a few prep steps you have another 12-48 hours of fermentation before the cooking of the batter. Which meant I would need to buy ingredients on Friday night after the tournament and cook the Uthappam on Sunday morning before leaving for the 8 a.m. tournament.

I also hadn't anticipated that one of the primary ingredients would be difficult to find at a traditional American grocery store. When I was told the dish contained lentils, I wrongly assumed they were the ones I was familiar with. However, Uthappam utilizes Urad Dal which is much smaller than lentils most Americans are familiar with.

This is a real penny. Split Urad Dal is very small! 
Be careful to not confuse it with larger lentil varieties.

Luckily, after a harrowing search by fellow coaches and students I found a kit for another Indian dish at Whole Foods that had a bag of plain urad dal in it, so I was saved with only seven minutes before the store closed. I took my ingredients back to the tournament, which hadn't ended, and anxiously waited for the rounds to finish.

The recipe I ended up making came about from both my conversations at Madura but also with parents at the debate tournament. I learned that many people now buy the flour pre-made for Uthappam but the best are always made from scratch. It reminded me of the difference between Bisquick and homemade hot cakes. However, I never got exact measurements and after doing some online research, I realized there is no exact formula. The ratios of rice to urad dal are between 2:1 and 3:1 and sometimes have the addition of cooked rice and/or flattened rice in the batter. While I would have probably soaked my rice and urad dal a bit longer because it supposedly heightens the flavor of the Uthappam, this recipe got rave reviews from the students and coaches who tried it on National Pancake Day (how appropriate to prepare these Indian pancakes on a day that celebrates it's American cousin!).

Uthappam is a thick hearty pancake that can be topped with a variety of vegetables, fresh herbs, and spices.

Tomato-Onion-Coriander Uthappam

2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 cup split urad dal, uncooked
1 tsp sea salt
1 vine-ripened tomato, sliced thin
1 small purple onion, sliced thin
fresh coriander, minced
canola oil, as needed

Rinse rice and urad dal in separate containers and soak for eight to twelve hours.

Drain and grind rice while reserving the liquid. Drain and grind urad dal while reserving the liquid. Mix rice powder, urad dal powder, and salt together. Add small amounts of each liquid until you reach a thick but spreadable consistency. This will vary depending on how long you soaked the rice and urad dal, but I added about a half cup of liquid. You will want the batter to look almost like a thick pancake batter that can be poured but is thick enough for the toppings to stick to. Cover the batter and let sit in a warm place to ferment for 12 to 48 hours.

Warm a large frying pan or griddle to a medium-high heat. I found in my research that the Uthappam is often cooked on a Tawa or Tava which can reduce the amount of oil needed because of the concave shape of the pan/griddle.

Pour the desired amount of batter on the griddle and spread to a thickness of about a quarter to half inch. Sprinkle tomato, onion, and coriander on the uncooked side. You can choose to drizzle oil over the top of the Uthappam or around the edges. Once the bottom is browned, flip over and let the toppings-side cook for about ten seconds. You want the batter to brown lightly to secure the toppings without burning the toppings.

Remove from pan and serve with a tomato chutney or Sambar, a lentil soup that usually contains tamarind, toor dal (yellow lentils), and a blend of spices commonly known as sambar curry powder.

Recipe makes 8 Uthappam approximately six-inches in diameter. Nutritional information does not include the optional oil.

One tomato-onion-coriander Uthappam has 258 calories, .69 grams of fat, 9.14 grams of fiber, 8.68 grams of protein.

Annie Chun's: Sushi in the Cupboard

It is inevitable. I could have a meal all planned out. It could be amazing. And then someone mentions "sushi" and suddenly it is ALL I can think about! Normally, this means going to one of my favorite sushi haunts. I have three that know me by name and I am always stalking Groupon for a sweet sushi deal. However in an attempt to save money tonight, I thought I would try a product I had to buy this spring while traveling and hadn't yet found a moment to try out.

Annie Chun's Sushi Wraps claim that all you need to add is the filling. Hmmmmm could it really replace my local Bay Area haunts?

By the way, this original product picture was taken before I got my new camera when I first bought the box. You can totally see the quality difference!

So what did I get in this box? A bowl of sushi rice, some small pieces of nori, and a packet of soy sauce. The bamboo place mat was not included.

I microwaved the rice (odd?) for a minute and then waited for it to cool down again. I am not sure why I needed to microwave the rice since I didn't want hot rice for my sushi. I may try it again without microwaving just to see what happens. I would think it should still work?

I needed to use my own sushi mat to roll the sushi. With the incredibly small rectangles, it was difficult to achieve neat rolls (well that and my vacation from home sushi making!) but as you can see below, it still turned out in the end! I grilled up some balsamic asparagus to serve on the side and some portabello mushrooms to put in the maki. You could get really creative with the fillings!

It was relatively easy to prep but the rice was just okay and some of the pieces of nori had holes that made it difficult to use. However for fast food sushi, this would pass. And considering how long it takes me to prep, the trade-off for a late night healthy inexpensive sushi fix was worth the small sacrifices. It won't be something I do often, I would rather go out or take the extra time to make everything from scratch, but I will definitely keep a box in the pantry for future sushi emergencies!

One half the package has 170 calories, no fat, less than one gram of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet in a Sweet Rice Ring

When I read the ingredients for the Royal Foodie Joust (strawberries, basil, whole grain), I knew immeadiately I wanted to make a strawberry-basil sorbet. However, my sorbet is not really sweet, so when considering the grain to pair with the sorbet, I chose a sweet steamed rice cake (also known as puto). I cut the rice cake into a ring and filled it with the sorbet.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet

2 cups diced strawberries
1 cup chopped basil
5 cups water
2 tbsp honey
1 lemon

Bring strawberries, water and honey to a boil. When the liquid begins to boil, remove pot from the heat. Add basil and juice the lemon into the pot. Chill. Once chilled, blend ingredients. Follow directions on your ice cream maker to turn mixture into sorbet.

Sweet Steamed Rice Cake aka Puto

2 cups rice
2 cups light coconut milk
4 packets Truvia*
dash of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
4 tbsp water

Grind rice into powder. You can use rice flour but I prefer to grind my own so it is still a bit chunky. Mix ingredients together and let sit for ten to thirty minutes. Pour into a tin and steam for 20-25 minutes. Cut into rings and let cool slightly. Fill with sorbet and serve immeadiately.

* I chose to use Truvia because I wanted to use a low calorie natural sweetener. You can sweeten the cake with your favorite sweetener, just taste it before you add too much!

I am entering this recipe in the Leftover Queen's Royal Foodie Joust!

That's a Wrap!

May was a crazy couple of weeks, highlighted by my absence from blogging. However, that did not stopped me from cooking. Er, crafting, new ideas. I am not sure if this wrap can be considered a recipe, or cooking, but it is delicious, nutritious, and quick!

Earlier this year I discovered precooked brown rice in a multitude of formats. When traveling I buy Minute’s individual brown rice cups and at home I currently have frozen brown rice that comes in two serving bags (three bags per box). This allows me to get a filling grain in quickly when I am pressed for time. Food Gal, Carolyn Jung, recently recommended making large batches of brown rice and freezing smaller portions. This is the perfect tip for budget conscious readers!

I have had an uncontrollable craving for sushi lately. It is my quick meal on the run dining option. I know at airports and on the road, I can find healthier options at a sushi bar then I might at other dining establishments. This was becoming problematic though as the craving was beginning to affect my bank account. However, the traditional sushi rice and preparing sushi the way I was taught in the couple of courses I have taken, would take much more time out of my day than I wanted to devote to dining during those busy weeks.

Thus, this quick wrap, similar to a hand roll, was formed. Now sushi purists are welcome to criticize. However, note that I refer to my creation as a wrap and only say that it filled my need for sushi. I don’t claim it is sushi. I don’t use sushi rice (which for the unfamiliar is actually what sushi is, the rolls and pieces have a variety of other names from nigiri to maki).

I bought a package of nori from the store. My package cost under $2 and had ten sheets. I used two sheets per meal. Store the remainder in a large resealable baggie if you package doesn’t reseal itself. I also had some leftover broccoli and carrot slaw leftover from making some Gotta Luv It Chicken Salad Wraps. I purchased a package of imitation crab sticks. And finally I needed some brown rice, rice vinegar, wasabi powder, and low sodium soy sauce.

I cooked up the two serving rice bag, which would actually become four servings in the wraps. The serving size was 2/3 of a cup, so for those repeating this at home, you will need 1/3 of a cup for each serving (two wraps). Put the cooked rice in a bowl and toss in some rice vinegar, sprinkle some wasabi powder, and drizzle a little bit of soy sauce. While traditional sushi rice omits the wasabi and soy but contains other ingredients, this combination was perfect for a wrap on the run. It has the tang, the kick and the salty sweetness combination I was looking for.

Taking a piece of nori, put about 1/6 of a cup of the rice mixture in one quadrant. Add shredded broccoli and carrot as well as shredded imitation crab. Roll into a cone, much like a hand roll. If you aren’t able to roll it tight enough to close the bottom, fold over the tip to prevent escaping ingredients out the bottom. Two of these wraps are filling and full of protein and fiber. Points will vary based on filling, but mine worked out to be 2 points per wrap.

Brown Rice for Busy Eaters

If you are one of the many people who have commented, emailed, called or texted about my lack of blogging, you are not alone in your concern. And while the busy school year hasn't quite wound down, I am ready to start sharing some of the quick recipes and delicious food finds from the last couple of weeks.

I love rice. And one of my concerns as I try to eat healthier is how nutritionally deficient many varietals are. Which is why I aim to enjoy brown rice when going this route. However, brown rice can take a long time to prepare. Let's be honest, time isn't something many of us have to spare.

In my search to enjoy healthy foods while dealing with the stress of May, I discovered Rice Expressions in my grocery store. These boxes of organic precooked brown rice can be found in the freezer aisle and each box contains three bags. The bags each have two servings of rice... which is the perfect amount for me to fix up at a time!

Rice Expressions Organic Brown Rice only contains what it's name implies and one serving is 160 calories/1.2 grams of fat/2.5 grams of fiber/3.5 grams of protein.


One of my go to meals has been wraps, and I need variety in addition to speed of preparedness. I enjoy tossing a bag of Rice Expressions with a can of beans and a diced zucchini. I then add hot sauce and seasonings to taste for a spicy filling for a wrap on the run. High in fiber and protein, this filling can also be enjoyed without the tortilla and with your own creative add-ins. Enjoy!

An Amazing Value: One Organic Food Bars

Very rarely do I find a bar that I have to buy more of immeadiately after sampling. One that I email and Twitter about after the third bite. One that I want to savor bite by bite, every chew, until I am sad that it is gone but so fully satisfied that I am happy at the same time.

More specifically, when I do find such a bar, very rarely is the bar sold at an affordable cost. Made with organic ingredients. Free of trans fats, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrupand preservatives. And prepared fresh daily through cold processing!

When I first communicated with Organic Food Bar, I was interested in learning more about the Active Greens and Omega-3 Flax bars. The names just seemed so.... healthy? But Eric over at Organic Food Bar was convinced my readers and I would fall in love with the One line, a low cost and all organic line of bars. Eric was right about one thing... a girl has to watch her wallet these days. These bars are only 86 cents when you buy a box of twelve (and only $1.19 if you buy them individually) online. When he told me they were gluten free, soy free, dairy free and peanut free... I KNEW I had to try them. I have friends with a number of allergies and if these were as amazing as they sounded, I would have to tell the world!

Lucky for me, the happy taste tester, and all of my amazing readers, the One Organic Food Bars are worthy of gracing the screen of Uncovering Food. Although don't create too big a demand, because this girl still wants to be able to get her hands on some of them!

Raspberry Muffin Crunch

Okay so while the first picture on the blog is one I took, I loved how the graphics on the company web site included the ingredients that go into the bar! The Raspberry Muffin Crunch was my favorite all around bar. It was sweet without being too sweet. The raspberry pieces just popped in my mouth and combined with the organic non-glutton cereals and granola, it was the perfect texture. The bar consistency was firm but soft, creating a satisfying mini meal and a perfect pre-workout snack. Did I mention it has 500mg of Omega Threes and is Vegan? When reviewing my notes, the first thing written in caps across the top of the page was: YUM!!!

Ingredients: Certified Organic Ingredients: Organic Raspberry Granola (Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Raisins, Organic Raspberries, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Crispy Brown Rice) Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Millet, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Flax, Organic Acacia Fiber and Organic Freeze Dried Raspberry Juice.

Nutritional Information: 180 calories/4.5 grams fat/3 grams fiber/5 grams protein

Chocolate Macaroon Crunch

Coconut lovers beware! The Chocolate Macaroon Crunch Bar is full of this fabulous ingredient! Complete with more probiotics than a serving of yogurt, this bar was my second favorite of the line. Every mouthful was chocolate and coconut. I felt like I was being so bad! It was definitely more cookie like, which was good when I was looking for something to enjoy with a good cup of Teavana Earl Grey Creme tea for afternoon tea time. It is also very filling for a bar. After enjoying it with my tea, I wasn't hungry for hours!

Ingredients: Certified Organic Ingredients: Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Coconut, Organic Coconut Almond Granola (Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Barley Flakes, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Raisins, Organic Almonds, Organic Coconut, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Sunflower Seeds) Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Millet, Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter), Organic Acacia Fiber and Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086.

Nutritional Information: 210 calories/10 grams fat/6 grams fiber/2 grams protein

Blueberry Muffin Crunch

Another quality bar in the line, the Blueberry Muffin Crunch Bar also boasts heart healthy Omega 3s. This was my least favorite in the line, as it was definitely sweeter than the raspberry bar with less pop from the fruit. The bar does have a nuttier texture though which I enjoyed and savored. When I say it was least favorite, let me be clear that I would still buy and eat these Vegan babies. The texture is a bit chewier (although I did get a couple larger chunks of almonds - yum!) and the bar was a bit darker in color from the blueberries. However it also left me satiated and with a fresh burst of energy!

Ingredients: Certified Organic Ingredients: Organic Blueberry Almond Granola (Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Raisins, Organic Apples, Organic Almonds, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Blueberries, Organic Sunflower Seeds) Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Millet, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Flax, Organic Acacia Fiber and Organic Freeze Dried Blueberry Juice.

Nutritional Information: 180 calories/4.5 grams fat/6 grams fiber/3 grams protein

Tofu-Snap Pea-Rice Scramble

This is quick and easy. It doesn't look pretty but it is tasty and full of nutrients.

1 lb or so of snap peas*
1 vacuum-sealed package of lite firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
1 TBSP hoisin sauce
1 TBSP oyster sauce
powdered ginger to taste
2 cups of rice (I used Uncle Ben's brown and wild rice ready package)

Mix tofu, sauces, and ginger together. Let sit for a few minutes.

Stir fry the snap peas in a wok or high rimmed pan until they brown slightly and the water has evaporated out (You may need cooking spray to prevent sticking to pan). Add tofu mix and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Add rice and finish up until rice is heated through.

I added low sodium soy to my finished dish.

This can become a Core dish I believe if you use brown rice. The two sauces combined are 30 calories total for the whole dish so even if they are not Core, it should be okay.

4 servings = 3 points
3 servings = 4 points

I will report later how it reheats. It is my biggest concern since the peas are already slightly limp.

TWO DAYS LATER: Yesterday's reheat was great. As long as you don't expect the peas to be crisp. Today it was still quite tasty but I definitely noticed that I forgot to pull off some strings off the beans as it was a little chewier.

* Just a warning... I did not tally these into my points count. Some people count veggies, it might add a point based on serving size breakdown.