HAPPY UGADI TO ALL OF YOU !!! OBATTU AND VADA

Wish you all Happy Ugadi !!!  Hope everyone had wonderful day celebrating India's victory as well as Ugadi Festival.   Here are few treats that are made for Ugadi.  Traditionally Ugadi Pachadi, Obattu (Poli, Bobbatlu, Holige, Puran poli), Garelu (vada) are made.  Ugadi Pachadi symbolizes the mixture of sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise.   

 

The special mixture has

Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness

Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness, signifying Happiness

Green Chilli/Pepper for its hot taste, signifying Anger

Salt for saltiness, signifying Fear

Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying Disgust

Raw Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise

Once again I wish all of you "Happy Telugu New Year".  Hope you all enjoy my virtual treat.

OBATTU

There are several varieties that can be used as the stuffing for obattu.  But today I am posting the Bengal gram and jaggery stuffing. 

The measurement yields 13 to 14 obattu (big size)

Outer cover:

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1/2 cup (You can fully use all purpose flour as well, some time I use mixture of both or fully APF too)

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Water as needed

For stuffing:

Bengal gram dhal/channa dhal - 1 1 /2 cup

Jaggery - 2 cups

Cardamom - 10 (Powdered)
Coconut - 1/4 cup (optional, This time I did not use it, if you are using first fry it in the ghee then add dhal, followed by jaggery in the pan) 

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Some more ghee for roasting

Extra all purpose flour or Oil for dusting / patting the obattu.

Method:

1.  In a mixing bowl add all purpose flour, wheat flour, salt, warm oil, and mix well. 

2. Add water little by little and knead well.  The dough should be loose than the chapathi dough, it should be pliable.

3. Add little oil and cover and keep it aside for at least 5 hrs.

STUFFING :

Method:

1. Wash and soak the channa dhal in the water for 1/2 hr. Pressure cook the Bengal gram dhal with little turmeric and salt, by adding a cup of water.  Pressure cook up to 3 whistles.

2. Once it is cooled down, if there is any extra water drain, other wise mash it to fine paste using potato masher or food processor.

3. Now in a vessel add the jaggery with tbsp of water, switch on the flame, once the jaggery is melted strain and keep it aside.

4. Heat a heavy bottom vessel, add tbsp of ghee add the mashed dhal, strained jaggery, fry until the mixture thickens.

5. Switch off the flame add the powdered cardamom and keep it aside.  Let it cool, the mixture thickens some more when it is cooling.

6. Once it is cooled divide them to 13 to 14 equal size balls.

How to stuff:

1. Divide the dough to 13 to 14 equal size balls. The ball of the dough should be half size of the stuffing ball.

2. Using oil just make a small circle in the dough ball; keep the stuffing in the middle.

3. Close it as shown, press slightly with your palm.  Now dust it with the flour and roll it like a chappathi but take care not to give too much pressure while rolling, just roll softly.  If you’re using the poori press just apply the oil and press to the desired thickness.

 

4. Parallely heat the tawa.  When rolling is done put the rolled one on the tawa. When you start seeing the brown spots, add 1/4 tsp of ghee around and smear on the upper part, flip it over and do the same.

5. Cool them on the wire rack or plate.

6. Do the same with other balls.  And store them in the aluminium foil; this stays fresh for 3 to 4 days. In fridge up to 10 days.

How to serve:

1. When serving, just warm it in the microwave and serve with ghee.

2. You can also serve with milk (tastes awesome)

Note:

1. Since I wanted to do healthier version I used Wheat flour , but traditionally its done with Full all purpose flour or with Chiroti rawa + All purpose flour.  Sure will post when I get a chance of making this again.  
2.  The dough for the outer part should be loose than the chappathi dough, only then it result soft and fluffy obattu.  This really comes out very very soft like cotton.
3.If your using all purpose flour fully then reduce the amount of Jaggery to 1/2 cup.

Paruppu vada/vadai or Masal vadai is a popular evening snack in southern part of India.  It is an appetizer which can be found everywhere ranging from a local tea shop to a hotel.    Enjoy making it in the comfort of your own home.  

CHANNA DHAL VADA/ PARUPPU VADA

This measurement yields 25 vadas small size

Ingredients:

Channa dhal - 1/2 cup
Yellow split peas - 1/2 cup (If this is not available, substitute with 1/2 cup of Channa dhal)
Green chilli - 4 to 5 sliced very very finely
Red  Chillies- 8 to 10
Saunf - 1/4 + 1/4 tbsp
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece (optional)
Garlic - 1 clove minced (optional)
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - handful chopped
Big onion - 1 chopped very finely (or you can use 1/2 cup shallots chopped finely)
Cilantro - 1 cup chopped finely
Oil for deep frying
Salt

Method:

1.Soak both the dhals in the water for about 1 or 2 hrs.
2.Reserve Handful of dhal before grinding. Now grind the dhal with red chillies, asafoetida, ginger, 1/4 tbsp of saunf to a coarse paste.  Now add that reserved whole dhal.
3.Add salt, onion, curry leaves, green chilli, remaining 1/4 tbsp of whole saunf, cilantro.  Mix the vada batter until everything is blended well.
4.Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel. To check if the oil is ready, add little batter to the hot oil.  If the batter comes up without sinking then the oil is ready for frying.
5.Take a small ball pat slightly and carefully drop them in hot oil, you can drop 6 to 7 depends on the size of vessel you use.
6.Now slightly reduce the flame, let it brown on one side, once it is done flip it over and let it brown on other side too.
7.Once it is done, drain it in a kitchen tissue to absorb excess oil.
8.Do the same with remaining batter.  Serve with Coconut Chutney or Ketchup!!!