Obbattu / Puran Poli

A very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all my readers. Here is a recipe of mouth-watering dessert, Obbattu specially prepared on Ugadi which marks first day of the new year according to Hindu calendar. It is also known as holige, bobbatu or puran poli. It is even prepared on festivals like Varamahalakshmi Vrata, Diwali, Dussehra and in other specail events.
Obbattu is prepared with lentils, jaggery/sugar, coconut as stuffing with maida and fine rava for outer cover. Lentils used differ from regions i.e, Toor Dal, Chana Dal or combination. It is served with ghee, milk or coconut milk.
Most of my friends far from India and their parents find it difficult to prepare and miss this delicious yummy dessert. So here is a recipe of Obbattu/ Puran poli in just 3 steps. Follow these 3 simple steps & measurements below and you will be an expert.

Ingredients :

For stuffing :

• Toor Dal - 250 gms/ 1 cup
• Jaggery - 250 gms/ 1 cup
• Coconut (grated/)  - 1/4 cup
• Eliachi powder - 1 tsp

For Dough :

• Maida - 1 1/2 cup
• Fine Rava - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Oil

Method :

Step 1 (To Make the dough):

• In a wide bowl take sieved maida, fine rava, turmeric. Mix them together and knead into a soft dough with water. Dough shouldn't be firm, let it be light and soft. When you pull out the dough, it should stretch without breaking. 
• Add enough oil and knead it well again. Smear the dough with oil, cover and let it aside for minimum 4-5 hours for soft Obbattu. Longer it is soaked, better the result. And even be liberal in adding oil.

Step 2 (For Making stuffing):

• In a thick bottomed pan take washed toor dal. U can soak toor dal for half an hour for faster cooking or even add a tsp of oil while cooking. 
• Add required amount of water, about 3 to 4 cups of water. Cook till dal is just tender. Dont over cook it till mushy.
• Drain the excess water. You can do it using strainer. Or cover the pan with a plate and drain the water by tilting it. This water is used to make holige saru/rasam.

• To the cooked dal add crushed/grated jaggery and let it cook. 

• As the jaggery melts, mix becomes little watery. Don't panic. Let it cook for sometime and it thickens. Keep stirring it on low flame, else it would stick to the bottom. 

• Once it starts to thicken add grated fresh coconut. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.

• Grind this mixture to a fine paste in batches and transfer it to a container. You can make obbattu once the dough is ready or even store both filling and dough in refrigerator for upto a week and prepare obbattu whenever you want.

Step 3 (Preparing Obbatu) :

• Make lemon sized balls out of the filling. And half the lemon sized balls from the dough.
• Heat a tawa on medium flame.
• Place a butter paper or any cleaned plastic sheet on a flat surface. Grease it with oil and even coat your fingers with oil.
• Place one ball of dough on the greased sheet. 

• Spread it with your fingers to the size of poori. Now keep one ball of filling at the center of the dough.

• Cover the filling from all sides with the dough. And slightly press the edges together to avoid breaking.

• Reverse the dough and spread it into a medium thin obbatu. 

• Carefully take obbatu on your hand and place it on the tawa, if using normal plastic sheet. Or you can directly place it on the tawa from the butter paper and remove the sheet.
• Cook both the sides on medium flame for a min each side or till golden brown spots appear. If its dry, you can spread oil or ghee while frying.
• Repeat the same with remaining dough and filling. Hot and yummy Obbatu/ Puran poli is ready to be served with ghee/ milk. Let it cool down before stacking or storing them.