A Plate Full of Happiness - Obbattu

Hello Folks!!!

The last few days were like the best days of my life. Although all of us are at home and it looks like we have a lot of time, we are unable to do the little things that bring happiness to our lives. Many a times, we just get caught up in a lot of busy things, forget to live those moments and share time with the ones we love. The fun began this Friday eve when my sister and I wished to make this Karnataka sweet dish. We usually cook in the evenings and enjoy our snacks for high tea; but this time, we tried something new and fun!!!

We enjoyed ourselves the whole day- after attending our online classes, we played board games, watched videos together, had our dance and music classes and watched a movie. Now that looks like a very normal and busy day, but I will tell you, the fun begins right after we finished our supper. We had left some dough in an air tight container and after we were done eating,  quickly grabbed our aprons and eagerly set the pan on fire. We imagined ourselves to be chefs in a cruise ship. I took the job of  an Executive chef- rolling out the soft  dough and my sister, Executive Sous-chef – roasting the sweet bread on the pan. Cooking is much more fun when you add a dash of imagination to the recipe.

We played our favourite songs on speaker, sang along and started with the lovely preparation . It was around 11pm by the time we finished, but the taste of our hard work was so satisfying . We finally succeeded in making the Karnataka famous obbattu / holige. It looked so heavenly and tasty, sitting on a plate like edible gold. 

Unfortunately, by the time I went to call my parents to show our latest masterpiece, some of the obbattus were missing. The little rat in our house (the executive Sous-chef) stole them! We had a great laugh and just ate till our hearts content. However, we took an oath to not finish them and left some for the next day. It was the best day- cooking with my sister and singing like crazy,  finally forgetting everything and just enjoying ourselves. Sometimes, it's fun to forget all the busy stuff and worries in life and just sit down, play some good music and create some memories!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

1.All-purpose flour- 1 cup

2.Turmeric – ¼ tsp 

3.Salt – ¼ tsp

4.Water- sufficient to prepare a soft dough 

5.Oil – ¼ cup

For the stuffing

1.Chana dal – 1 cup

2.Water- 3 cups

3.Turmeric – ¼ tsp

4.Oil – 1 tsp

5.Jaggery – 1 cup

6.Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp

INSTRUCTIONS

For the dough

1.Add the flour, turmeric and salt in a large mixing bowl and combine. Then add the water and knead the dough.

2.Once the dough becomes slightly sticky and smooth, pour the oil and fully immerse the dough in it.

3. Let the dough rest for 3 hours.

For the stuffing

1.Put the Chana dal in a pressure cooker and add water, turmeric and oil. Let it cook on medium flame until it is cooked yet retains shape.

2.Drain off the excess water.

3. Transfer the dal into a frying pan and add the jaggery. Cook the mixture on medium flame and stir until the jaggery melts and  the mixture thickens. Add the cardamom powder and let it cool.

4.Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend it till it becomes a fine paste.

For the Obbattu

1.After resting for 3 hours, knead the dough slightly and pinch a small - ball sized dough and flatten it.

2.Place a sufficient amount of stuffing in the middle. Bring the edges together and pinch off the excess dough to secure tight.

3.Dust the ball with all-purpose flour and flatten with your hands until thin.

4.Roast it on a hot pan, pressing slightly until both sides are cooked.

Serve hot with some clarified butter!