Obbattu

Obbattu

Obbattu

Veg

Karnataka's festival sweet flatbread — a thin, layered wheat pastry stretched around a stuffing of chana dal and jaggery slow-cooked with cardamom and coconut, then griddle-cooked with ghee until golden and puffed. Also called holige or puran poli in Maharashtra, the Karnataka version uses a stretchier dough and a drier, more dal-forward filling. Central to Ugadi, Sankranthi, and harvest festival meals.

Cuisines

Udupi Mysore Saraswat Goan

Best for

Lunch Snacks

Recipe

Prep: 30 min Cook: 40 min Total: 70 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup chana dal
1 cup jaggery
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ghee
water as needed
oil for cooking

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash and soak the chana dal for 1 hour.
  2. 2 Cook the soaked chana dal in a pressure cooker with enough water until soft.
  3. 3 Drain the cooked dal and grind it to a smooth paste.
  4. 4 In a pan, add the ground dal paste and jaggery. Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
  5. 5 Add cardamom powder to the mixture and mix well. Let it cool to form the filling (hoorna).
  6. 6 In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour, turmeric powder, salt, and ghee. Add water gradually to make a soft dough.
  7. 7 Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  8. 8 Divide the dough and filling into equal portions.
  9. 9 Roll out a portion of the dough into a small circle, place a portion of the filling in the center, and fold the edges over to enclose the filling.
  10. 10 Gently roll out the filled dough into a thin disc.
  11. 11 Heat a tawa or griddle over medium heat. Cook the obbattu on both sides, applying a little oil until golden brown.
  12. 12 Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Tips

Use warm water to make the dough for a softer texture.