Khova Obbattu

Khova Obbattu

Ingredients:

Maida/ All-purpose flour – ¾ cup

Khova – 200 gm

Jaggery – ½ cup

Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp

Coconut – 1 tbsp, finely grated

Green cardamom – 3, crushed into powder

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt as per taste

Ghee/ Oil for preparing the dough and pan frying

Instructions:

        Take a small kadai and stir fry the poppy seeds under medium flame until they get warm or slightly change the color to light brown. Dish them out into a clean plate and allow them to cool down under room temperature.

        Add jaggery into a small pan and heat it. Sprinkle some water only if required. Keep stirring occasionally until the jaggery melts. Switch OFF the flame. Once the jaggery syrup cools down completely add khova, green cardamom powder, poppy seeds, grated coconut and mix well. If the jaggery syrup is hot, there is high probability that Khova would melt while mixing making it mushier. 

TIP 1: Let the jaggery syrup cool down completely before you add Khova and then mix well.

TIP 2: Adding powdered jaggery to khova is a better option than making the jaggery syrup.

        After cooling, the sweet stuffing hardens a bit. Now, take small portions of it and bind them together to form a small ball by pressing them gently between your palm and fingers. Place these balls in a clean and dry plate. Follow the same process until all the khova mixture is used up. This is called Puran, Poornam or Purna in different Indian languages.

TIP 3: Grease your palm and fingers before making the sweet ball to prevent it from sticking.

        Add maida, turmeric powder, salt, ghee, oil into a bowl and mix well. Add some water into the flour and knead it well to make lump free dough. During kneading add some oil to make soft elastic dough. Due to the presence of oil the dough doesn’t stick to your fingers or palm. Close the lid and set it aside for atleast 20 minutes. Then, take small portions of the dough and make small round balls. Place it in a clean plate. Follow the same process until all the dough is used up.

        Grease your fingers and palm with oil. Take a ball of sticky dough and place it on your palm. Pat it gently to spread it across. Pick up the sweet stuffing and place it on the sticky dough in the centre. Now, slowly pick up the corners of the sticky dough and place it over the sweet stuffing covering it from all the sides. Once the sweet stuffing is completely sealed gently roll it over the palm to make a round ball. Follow the same process until all the khova balls are sealed using the sticky dough.

         Take a plate, plastic cover or banana leaf and grease it with oil or ghee. Pick the sealed sweet stuffing and place it over the greased surface. Using the tip of your fingers gently pat it all over to spread it across just like round rotis or paratas typically called Obbattu, Poli or Puran Poli.

        Take a flat pan and grease it with oil or ghee. Heat the pan. When the pan is hot, pick up the round roti and place it over the pan. Fry it over medium flame. When it is half roasted sprinkle some ghee or oil over the top surface and its surroundings. Now, flip it on to the other side and roast it well until you notice little brown spots. Once done, dish out into a clean plate and allow it to cool down for 5 minutes before serving. Follow the same process and roast all the Puran Polis, Holige or Khova Obbattu. That’s it. Simple and super tasty Khova Obbattu is ready. Serve them hot or cold as per your preference. 

TIP 4: It’s advised to prepare and consume them fresh rather than storing for later consumption. Reason being, Khova is a by-product of milk and it tends to deteriorate faster.

         Khova Obbattu is a delicacy most preferably prepared for wedding meals or festive occasions. I came across this dish only when I had it recently at one of my cousin’s wedding reception. The current generation looks forward to more creative, tasty and quick recipes as an alternative to time consuming traditional recipe “Tur Dal Obbattu”. No doubt! It tasted good and instantly, I decided to prepare it and share my cooking experience with you all. 

         So, here I am with a new variety of Puran Poli – Khova Obbattu. I involved my twin daughters during it’s preparation just to keep them engaged indoors during these stressful days with COVID – 19 outbreak. It was fun experimenting with budding chefs although tiring at times to help them understand the art of cooking. Nevertheless, we had a happy ending. The Khova Obbattus came out better than our expectation and tasted much better than the store-bought ones. Isn’t it a nice feeling to succeed? Indeed, a much-needed acknowledgement for all the efforts that the kids had put in.

         Do try out and share your experiences. Ugadi is here. A New Year with new beginning. Why not try a new recipe then? :P Stay tuned.