Bele Obbattu

This used to be my favorite sweet. Usually, the standard Ugadi menu includes mainly Bele Obbattu and mavinkai chitranna. But since my birthday comes about a month after Ugadi, mom used to make it for my birthday for me, rather than for Ugadi....

My liking towards this special sweet was so famous that our next door aunty would not miss sending me a couple of obbattu whenever she made them. And my friends would invite me home when their moms would prepare them. I’d shamelessly go to their place and hog and come back!

Of course this still is my favorite.... the lunch caterer at office gets very soft obbattu almost every Friday and I make it a point to have it at least one Friday a month....
Actually these pics were taken last year on Ugadi, but somehow I had not posted them. Another Ugadi went by and my long pending post of Bele Obbattu is finally out.... Anyways, better late than never.... BTW, wish you all a Happy New Year...

Bele Obbattu

Preparation time : 20 min Cooking time : 30 + 30 min Makes : 20 - 25 Ingredients: For the Dough (kanaka): Chiroti rava / Fine suji - 3/4 th cup Maida/ All purpose flour - 1 cup Oil - 1/2 cup Water For the Filling (Hoorna): Tur dal - ¾th cup Channa dal - 1 cup Jaggery - 3 medium sized blocks / roughly 1¼th cup when powdered coarsely; adjust as per you sweet taste Cardamom - 3-4 Other ingredients Oil for brushing Method: For the Dough (kanaka): • Mix sooji and maida well in a wide basin • Add water and make a soft dough • Mix in oil and knead well. • Cover it and set aside for at least an hour For the Filling (Hoorna): • Wash and cook dal in a heavy bottomed vessel for about 15 minutes till cooked soft. Do not use pressure cooker as it gets mushy too soon. • Drain off the water. This water can be used to prepare rasam, which we call obbattina saru. • In the same heavy bottomed pan, start sautéing the cooked dal • Add jaggery and crushed cardamom. When jaggery melts, the mixture becomes a little watery • Continuously sauté it for at least 15-20 minutes on medium/low flame till the mixture is almost dry. Take care not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pan. • Allow it to cool slightly; when warm, grind it to a smooth lump in a mixie or grinder. If you're using mixie, grind it in small batches as the lump gets stuck in the jar if more quantity is used at once. Keep aside to cool completely. • You should get an almost dry, but with good binding consistency Making Obbattu: • After about an hour, the oil would be separated from the dough; Knead it again for at least 10 minutes, till the oil is absorbed • Grease your palms with oil, take marble sized ball and flatten it on your palm, leaving it a little thicker in the middle than on sides • Place a bigger ball (lemon sized) of the filling in the middle and cover it completely, by stretching the dough. The quantity of filling should be almost double that of the dough to get soft obbattu. • Grease a thick polythene film or a plantain leaf with oil and pat the stuffed dough slightly • Take another thinner polythene sheet and spread it over the stuffed dough • With your palm, smear over the second sheet applying gentle pressure, flattening the dough. Do it gently seeing to it that the filling does not come out. Make circular motion ensuring it is flattened evenly. • Heat a thick griddle and brush a little oil • Remove the second plastic sheet and Place the thick sheet with patted dough facing over the hot griddle. • After a few seconds, remove the sheet, leaving the obbattu on the griddle • Lower the flame and turn around the obbattu. Cook till golden spots appear on either side. Be sure to handle it with care, as these are quite delicate • Take it out from the griddle and cool it slightly if storing. Else serve it hot with a dollop of ghee. • Repeat for the rest of the obbattu. Tips n Tricks: • Do not overcook the dal • Sauté it till dry, else it will not be possible to get the right consistency Variations: • Dough can be made fully of maida instead of adding sooji