Brown rice and red lentil uttapam

A fermented brown rice and red lentil pancake to enjoy with savoury or sweet toppings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice

• 1 cup split red lentils

• Drinking water for soaking, then enough fresh water to cover the ingredients in the blender

• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Soak the rice and lentils overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Drain and discard the soaking water. Place in a blender with the salt and just enough fresh water to cover. Blend into a smooth, pourable batter.

3. Transfer to a clean container and cover. In my home preparation, I leave the batter to ferment for 4–10 hours at a room temperature of 19–28°C.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Pour in about ⅓ cup of batter and spread into a thin pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, allowing more time if needed until the centre is thoroughly cooked.

5. Add your preferred toppings and serve.

Practical note

Fermentation time varies with the conditions; the range given describes my own practice, not a validated fermentation safety control. Use drinking water and clean hands and utensils. Do not taste the raw batter. Refrigerate fermented batter if it will not be cooked immediately. Other legumes are not automatically interchangeable with the lentils in this recipe: their preparation and cooking requirements differ.

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