Carrot Broccoli Rava Uttapam (Savory Semolina Pancakes)

Carrot Broccoli Rava Uttapam (Savory Semolina Pancakes)

Rava Uttapam (Savory Semolina Pancakes), a very famous Indian Breakfast dish, is made healthier here with the addition of grated carrots and broccoli. This delicious dish is packed with nutrients, and is loved by kids and adults alike!

 

Just like any other kid, there was a time when my daughter too was a fussy eater. Packing her Lunchbox or getting her to eat a healthy breakfast was my biggest struggle. I had tried many options, but most of them were rejected by her, to my dismay.

But, there was one thing that caught her attention and she always relished it. It was Uttapam (Savory Semolina Pancakes). I used to make Onion and Tomato pancakes always, but her liking made me to think of doing more experiments with the same breakfast option.

That’s when I decided to incorporate different vegetables into uttapam. This version combines grated carrots and grated broccoli into the pancake, along with some spices.

Health Benefits Of Rava Uttapam (Semolina Pancakes)

Semolina has numerous health benefits. It keeps you full for a long period of time and is a great energy booster. It is also an excellent source of iron, and also contains phosphorous, zinc and magnesium, which helps in maintaining good nervous system.

Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A, which is very vital for vision, so it is great to include this in your diet, especially very beneficial for kids. Also, carrots provide good amount of iron, calcium, magnesium and Vitamin C.

The other vegetable used here is Broccoli. Broccoli is a great source of Vitamins, like Vitamin K and C, along with folic acid and potassium. It contains antioxidants which help in reduced inflammation and aid in blood sugar control for diabetics.

Semolina Pancakes – Tips & Accompaniments

You can get as creative as you want when it comes to giving pancakes to children. You can experiment with more flour choices, and also add more vegetables, which are otherwise difficult to incorporate into children’s diet. For kids who are even more fussy, cut out pancakes into different shapes and serve them with a dip of their choice.

We love eating pancakes with the homemade Tomato Cilantro Chutney that I make. It goes very well with different savory snacks, like these semolina pancakes and also with the Semolina Muffins that I had shared earlier. Try that chutney with the Mashed Potato Quesadillas as well, or for that matter, any form of a quesadilla, the dip is simply yum!

I have kept the spice level in these pancakes to minimal because of my daughter. But if you love spicy food, I would recommend adding one chopped green chili or one chopped jalapeno pepper to the semolina mixture. If you love spicy garlicky flavor, I would recommend adding a tablespoon of Schezwan Chutney. Both me and my husband are a big fan of the flavor that Schezwan Chutney imparts to the uttapams. I would say if you can’t add it to the pancake, use it as a sauce to go with the uttapams, it serves as a fantastic dip.

 

Also, continuing the tradition, here comes my 30th recipe under My Julie & Julia Project. For those who don’t know, I had started this project last year, under which I had planned to post 100 recipes from my kitchen by the end of the year 2019. But since I got busy with other priorities in life, I have planned to continue the tradition in 2020. So, this is the Recipe #30 for you all.

If you like this recipe, you might want to check out these recipes as well.

• Instant Pot Vegetable Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Noodles
• Classic Vegetable Lasagna
• Butter Chicken Lasagna – The Perfect Indo-Italian Fusion

Without taking more time of yours, let’s get straight to the recipe of Rava Uttapam (Semolina Pancakes)!!

Method (Step-by-step with pictures)

• Take one cup of semolina in a bowl and add one cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt in the bowl. Stir everything and make a smooth mixture. Keep the mixture aside for 1-2 hours.

• After an hour or two, to the bowl, add grated carrots, grated broccoli and all the spices and again give everything a good mix.
• Adjust salt and add 1/4 cup water to make the consistency of a pancake batter. You can add a little more water for desired consistency.
• (Optional) Add chopped green chili and/or schezwan chutney for the extra spicy kick.
• (Optional) Add 1/2 tsp baking soda to the bowl and give it a good mix. (This is added if you want fluffier pancakes)

• Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with a few drops of oil. And add around 4-5 spoonfuls of mixture to the pan. Spread it to form a pancake. Add few drops of oil on all sides of the pancake and let it cook for around 2-3 minutes on each side. Keep flipping in between until it is evenly cooked from both sides.
• Repeat the above step for all the pancakes, it will make around 6 pancakes.

• Serve hot Uttapams (Savory Pancakes) with a chutney or dip of your choice. We relished it with hummus this time. These also go great with the homemade Tomato Cilantro Chutney!