My son first had this at my friend Sunita’s place. The kids call it as sweet chapati. It makes into the school snack box at-least twice a week. Sunita’s younger son Charan is a sweet lover. Its one of his favorites. He is the most naughtiest in the gang. Here is one incident that happened a couple of years ago. Painting was going on at my place and they were doing the doors that day. Painters had just painted the front door and the frame. The frame that ran on the floor was still wet. Charan came home. My husband stopped him at the doorway and said, “Charan, don’t stamp on the frame OK. It’s still wet with paint.” He said nothing. Instantly, he jumped on the frame, placing his foot firmly on the frame and then jumped back to where he was. He said “Vinodh Uncle, I should not stamp like this. Am I right?” My husband froze for a second. He burst out with laughter and said “Yes. That’s perfect.” He was 5 years old then. We did not paint the frame back again. We just left it like that with the foot print on. We all must have laughed for a good one hour and kept the foot print as a remembrance. The paint has now faded away but we still laugh whenever we speak about it. Here is our Charan, the man – Spider-Super-Bat-Captain-America man!!!
Here is a kids favorite, wheat obbattu.
Lets make the dough for the obbattu first. Add in the water, ghee and salt to the flour and knead well for a couple of minutes. If the dough is very dry, add a couple of tablespoon of water. Set aside for 2 hours. The dough will become soft and pliable during the resting period. The ghee makes the dough soft.
Soak the chana dal in water for an hour.
Cook the soaked chana dal with 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 5 whistles on a medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally.
Drain the cooked chana dal and grind it in a mixie along with jaggery, cardamom powder and salt. Powder the jaggery before adding it to the mixie. Else the motor will burn out. Grind to a smooth paste. Make sure its smooth as it will be easier to roll the obbattu later. If the chana dal is in pieces and not ground well, it may pop out while rolling making a mess. Try not to add extra water while grinding.
Transfer the ground mixture to a pan and fry for 5 minutes to take out the excess moisture. Set aside to cool. Make small lime sized balls out of the mixture and set aside on a plate.
I had 16 balls. They were the true sweet sixteen!
Stuffing the obbattu Knead the well rested dough for a minute and make 16 balls out of the mixture.
Take each ball and gently flatten and dust with flour liberally. Gently roll into a small circle. Place a ball of pooranam – lentil mixture in the middle.
Pull up the atta dough around the stuffing. Pinch the dough on top to seal.
Repeat with the remaining dough. Let the stuffed dough balls rest for 10 minutes before starting to roll. The gluten in the dough will relax and rolling will be easy. Pat the stuffed balls again in flour and roll the dough very gently. VERY GENTLY. If the dough breaks, add in a little more flour. Set aside.
Set a griddle on heat on medium flame and place the obbattu and sprinkle some oil or ghee. Leave it for 20 seconds. The obbattu would bubble up.
Flip the obbattu and cook for 30 seconds. Flip again if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and serve warm when required.
- Measurements used – Rice cups – 1 cup = 160ml
For the dough
- 2 cups Atta – whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 teaspoon ghee
- pinch of salt
For Pooranam / stuffing
- 1 cup chana dal
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 cup jaggery
- pinch of salt
Other ingredients
- 1/4 cup atta for dusting while making obbattu
- 3 tablespoon oil or ghee for frying
- Add in the water, ghee and salt to the flour and knead well for a couple of minutes. Tf the dough is very dry, add a couple of tablespoon of water. Set aside for 2 hours. The dough will become soft and pliable during the resting period. The ghee makes the dough soft.
- Soak the chana dal in water for an hour.
- Cook the soaked chana dal with 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 5 whistles on a medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally.
- Drain the cooked chana dal and grind it in a mixie along with jaggery, cardamom powder and salt. Grind to a smooth paste. Make sure its smooth as it will be easier to roll the obbattu later. If the chana dal is in pieces and not ground well, it may pop out while rolling making a mess. Try not to add extra water while grinding.
- Transfer the ground mixture to a pan and fry for 5 minutes to take out the excess moisture. Set aside to cool.
- Make small lime sized balls out of the mixture and set aside on a plate. I had 16 balls. They were the true sweet sixteen!
- Stuffing the obbattu
- Knead the dough for a minute and make 16 balls out of the mixture. Take each ball and gently flatten and dust with flour liberally.
- Gently roll into a small circle. Place a ball of pooranam – lentil mixture in the middle.
- Pull up the atta dough around the stuffing. Pinch the dough on top to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Let the stuffed dough balls rest for 10 minutes before starting to roll. The gluten in the dough will relax and rolling will be easy.
- Pat the stuffed balls again in flour and roll the dough very gently. VERY GENTLY. If the dough breaks, add in a little more flour. Set aside.
- Set a griddle on heat on medium flame and place the obbattu and sprinkle some oil or ghee. Leave it for 20 seconds. The obbattu would bubble up. Flip the obbattu and cook for 30 seconds. Flip again if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
- Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and serve warm when required.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: South Indian
- Measurements used – Rice cups – 1 cup = 160ml
For the dough
- 2 cups Atta – whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 teaspoon ghee
- pinch of salt
For Pooranam / stuffing
- 1 cup chana dal
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 cup jaggery
- pinch of salt
Other ingredients
- 1/4 cup atta for dusting while making obbattu
- 3 tablespoon oil or ghee for frying
- Add in the water, ghee and salt to the flour and knead well for a couple of minutes. Tf the dough is very dry, add a couple of tablespoon of water. Set aside for 2 hours. The dough will become soft and pliable during the resting period. The ghee makes the dough soft.
- Soak the chana dal in water for an hour.
- Cook the soaked chana dal with 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 5 whistles on a medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally.
- Drain the cooked chana dal and grind it in a mixie along with jaggery, cardamom powder and salt. Grind to a smooth paste. Make sure its smooth as it will be easier to roll the obbattu later. If the chana dal is in pieces and not ground well, it may pop out while rolling making a mess. Try not to add extra water while grinding.
- Transfer the ground mixture to a pan and fry for 5 minutes to take out the excess moisture. Set aside to cool.
- Make small lime sized balls out of the mixture and set aside on a plate. I had 16 balls. They were the true sweet sixteen!
- Stuffing the obbattu
- Knead the dough for a minute and make 16 balls out of the mixture. Take each ball and gently flatten and dust with flour liberally.
- Gently roll into a small circle. Place a ball of pooranam – lentil mixture in the middle.
- Pull up the atta dough around the stuffing. Pinch the dough on top to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Let the stuffed dough balls rest for 10 minutes before starting to roll. The gluten in the dough will relax and rolling will be easy.
- Pat the stuffed balls again in flour and roll the dough very gently. VERY GENTLY. If the dough breaks, add in a little more flour. Set aside.
- Set a griddle on heat on medium flame and place the obbattu and sprinkle some oil or ghee. Leave it for 20 seconds. The obbattu would bubble up. Flip the obbattu and cook for 30 seconds. Flip again if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
- Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and serve warm when required.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: South Indian
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/obbattu-recipe-obbattu-bobbatlu-recipe/
I got inspired to do this dish when I saw a pic of Beet Uttapam in Instagram. This dish is part of the breakfast menu at Pondicheri Cafe, located in Houston, USA. Their menu card reads “fermented rice and lentil pancake with coconut, ginger and topped with amul cheese and a fried egg / served with sautéed greens and a chutney of your choice” I wanted to make it for our weekend brunch as it was too good to pass.
Picture from Instagram – Pondicheri Cafe Houston
So here is my version of the beet uttapam. You will need idli batter for this recipe. Here is the recipe for idli batter. Idli Batter made in a mixie / food processor Idli Batter made in a wet grinder
Grind the peeled and chopped beetroot along with fresh shredded coconut and ginger. I added 2 tablespoon of water while grinding. Do not add a lot of water. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Take about 3 cups (750 ml) of idli batter into a bowl. Add in the beet mixture. Mix well to combine.
I love to cook my uttapam in a cast iron dosa pan. Here is where you can buy them.
Pondicheri style uttappam with cheese and egg.
Heat a heavy griddle until hot. Rub the surface of the griddle with a piece of napkin soaked in oil to grease the griddle. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto the griddle. Using the back of the ladle, slightly spread the batter on the griddle. Do not apply pressure on the ladle while spreading. Spread in concentric circles. Sprinkle with a little oil and let it cook for 30 seconds.
Flip the uttapam and add in a couple of tablespoon of grated cheese. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 30 seconds more. The cheese would have melted.
Remove from the griddle and top it with a fried egg. Serve hot. I served the uttapam today with Tomato-onion chutney and Coconut chutney.
- 1 medium sized beetroot
- 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 750 ml idli batter
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoon sesame Oil for the griddle
- Optional – Fried eggs for topping
- Grind the peeled and chopped beetroot along with fresh shredded coconut and ginger. I added 2 tablespoon of water while grinding. Do not add a lot of water. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Take about 3 cups (750 ml) of idli batter into a bowl. Add in the beet mixture.
- Heat a heavy griddle until hot. Rub the surface of the griddle with a piece of napkin soaked in oil to grease the griddle. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto the griddle. Using the back of the ladle, slightly spread the batter on the griddle. Do not apply pressure on the ladle while spreading. Spread in concentric circles. Sprinkle with a little oil and let it cook for 30 seconds.
- Flip the uttapam and add in the grated cheese. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 30 seconds more. The cheese would have melted.
- Remove from the griddle and top it with a fried egg. Serve hot.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
