Bobbatlu recipe with step by step photos and video – bobbatlu or obbattu or Holige is one of the sweets that is made during festivals like Ugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Gudi Padwa. these are delicious flat breads stuffed with the sweet aromatic stuffing of chana dal or toor dal.
In telugu language, these flat breads are known as bobbatlu or bobbatu. In kannada language, they are called Holige or obbattu. In marathi language these are called as puran poli.
Generally maida (all purpose flour) is used to make the outer covering, which helps in making thin bobbatlu or puran poli. In this recipe I have used half-half of all purpose flour (maida) and whole wheat flour. This recipe is different from the Puran poli recipe i had shared earlier.
One of the best bobbatlu is made by my aunt. When she had visited us, she had made bobbatlu for us and also gave me many tips. Some of her tips I am mentioning below:
Tips for making best bobbatlu or Holige recipe
- The dough has to be kneaded very well. It should be like elastic.
- For rolling use rice flour as it helps in rolling evenly and thin without breaking the bobbatlu.
- Some sooji (rava) can be added to the dough.
- The more oil in the dough, the better is the texture of the bobbatlu dough.
- Chana dal has to be cooked well and ground well. If there are specks of chana dal in the ground stuffing, then the bobbatlu can break while rolling.
- Instead of chana dal, you can also use tuvar dal.
- Also if the chana dal are slightly under cooked, then the jaggery becomes hard when the mixture is cooked.
- Do not over cook or brown the bobbatlu too much as then they become dense and hard.
- According to my aunt, its best to have puran yantra. If you do not have puran yantra, then the next best option is a grinder. If you make bobbatlu often, then consider buying a puran yantra.
This recipe gives you one of the best bobbatlu. Also do note that preparing bobbatlu take a lot of time. So do plan and organize your time and activities before making them.
Bobbatlu recipe video
How to make Holige or obbattu or bobbatlu recipe
A) preparing outer dough for bobbatlu
1. In a sieve, take 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour (maida), ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
2. Sift and keep aside.
3. Add about ⅓ cup water.
4. knead lightly. Do add water as required.
5. Then add 5 tablespoons oil and continue to knead.
6. Knead till all the oil is absorbed. Basically you will have to knead for about 7 to 8 minutes till all the oil is absorbed and the dough becomes very soft and pliable. Do add more water if required.
7. The dough should be kneaded very well to get a smooth, soft and elastic consistency.
8. Cover and keep aside. Let dough rest for 30 minutes. You can spread some oil all over the dough also.
Making sweet stuffing for obbattu or bobbatlu
1. When the dough is resting, you can start with the bobbatlu stuffing. rinse and then take 1 cup chana dal in a pressure cooker. If you want you can even soak chana dal for an hour. Also add 2.5 cups water. You can also use toor dal (arhar dal, pigeon pea lentils) instead of chana dal.
2. pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles on medium flame.
3. when the pressure settles down, open the lid of the cooker and check if the chana dal is cooked well. Take a few chana dals and mash it with your fingers. They should get mashed easily. Do take care as the dal is very hot.
4. Strain the chana dal and let it cool or become warm. use the strained water for making Rasam or Katachi amti. you can also knead atta with this water or add it to gravies or dals.
5. Then add the chana dal in a grinder jar.
6. Add 1 cup jaggery. I have used organic jaggery and hence not dissolved in water and then strained it. add ½ teaspoon cardamon powder and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder.
7. grind to a smooth consistency. If you are unable to grind, then you can add 2 to 3 tablespoons or more water. Grind at intervals. Grind, then scrape the jar and grind again. The entire chana dal mixture should have a smooth texture. No whole or part chana dal should be visible in the ground mixture. Otherwise while rolling, the bobbatlu breaks. So do make sure to cook the chana dal well.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan.
9. Add the ground chana dal+jaggery mixture.
10. On a low flame stirring non stop, cook the mixture till it starts to leave the edges of the pan.
11. Then switch off the flame and keep aside. Let the stuffing mixture cool down.
12. Make medium sized balls from the mixture and keep aside. Cover them so that they do not dry out.
Stuffing and rolling obbattu or Holige
1. Pinch a medium sized ball from the dough.
2. Gently flatten it with your fingers. You can also use the rolling pin (belan) and flatten it.
3. Place the chana dal stuffing ball in the flattened dough.
4. Then start bring together the edges.
5. Press the edges at the center.
6. then flatten the center and gently roll the stuffed dough ball between your palms. To see the method of stuffing and sealing, do check the video embedded above.
7. Stuff the dough balls this way and keep covered with a kitchen napkin, so that they do not dry out.
8. place the stuffed dough ball on rolling board and sprinkle some rice flour. Instead of rice flour you can also use all purpose flour.
9. Gently roll to a large bobbatlu. Add rice flour as required while rolling.
Cooking bobbatlu or Holige
1. Heat a tawa. Sprinkle some flour on the tawa and it should get golden (wipe off this flour). Then gently place the bobbatlu or Holige on the tawa.
2. Roast the Holige till one side is golden and then flip.
3. Spread some ghee or oil on this side. You can skip adding ghee or oil if you want.
4. Flip again and roast the second side of Holige till golden.
5. Spread some ghee or oil on this side too.
6. Fold and then serve bobbatlu. Or you can just lift them and place them in a roti basket, so that the bobbatlu remain warm. Serve bobbatlu or Holige with milk or ghee by side. Or you can just have them plain.
If you are looking for more Diwali sweets then do check:
bobbatlu recipe
Ingredients
for obbattu (bobbatlu) dough
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
- 4 to 5 tablespoons oil or ¼ cup oil or ghee
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- water as required
- ghee or oil for roasting
for obbattu (bobbatlu) stuffing
- 1 cup chana dal or 195 grams chana dal (split and husked bengal gram)
- 2.5 cups water for pressure cooking
- 1 cup jaggery or 160 to 165 grams jaggery
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom seeds or cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder (jaiphal powder) - optional
Instructions
making obbattu (bobbatlu) dough
- In a sieve, take 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour (maida), ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Sift and keep aside.
- Add about ⅓ cup water and knead lightly. Do add water as required.
- Then add 5 tablespoons oil and continue to knead.
- Knead till all the oil is absorbed. Basically you will have to knead for about 7 to 8 minutes till all the oil is absorbed and the dough becomes very soft and pliable. Do add more water if required.
- The obbattu dough should be kneaded very well to get a smooth, soft and elastic consistency.
- Cover and keep aside. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
making obbattu stuffing
- Rinse and then take 1 cup chana dal in a pressure cooker. If you want you can even soak chana dal for 1 hour.
- Then add 2.5 cups water. Pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles on medium flame.
- When the pressure settles down, open the lid of the cooker and check if the chana dal is cooked well. Take a few chana dals and mash it with your fingers. They should get mashed easily. Do take care as the dal is very hot.
- Strain the chana dal and let it cool or become warm. Use the strained water for making rasam or katachi amti. You can also knead atta with this water or add it to gravies or dals.
- Then add the chana dal in a grinder jar.
- Add 1 cup jaggery, ½ teaspoon cardamon powder and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder.
- Grind to a smooth consistency. If you are unable to grind, then you can add 2 to 3 tablespoons or more water. Grind at intervals. Grind, then scrape the jar and grind again. The entire chana dal mixture should have a smooth texture. No chana dal should be visible in the stuffing. Otherwise while rolling, the obbattu breaks. So do make sure to cook the chana dal well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan.
- Add the ground chana dal+jaggery mixture.
- On a low flame stirring non-stop cook the mixture till it starts to leave the edges of the pan.
- Then switch off the flame and keep aside. Let the stuffing mixture cool down.
- Make medium sized balls from the mixture and keep aside. Cover them so that they do not dry out.
stuffing and rolling obbattu or bobbatlu
- Pinch a medium sized ball from the dough. Gently flatten it with your fingers. You can also use the rolling pin and flatten it.
- Place the chana dal stuffing ball in the flattened dough.
- Bring together the edges and press them at the center.
- Then flatten the center and gently roll the stuffed dough ball between your palms. To see the method of stuffing and sealing, do check the video embedded above. Stuff the dough balls this way and keep covered with a kitchen napkin, so that they do not dry out.
- Place the stuffed dough ball on rolling board and sprinkle some rice flour. Instead of rice flour you can also use all purpose flour (maida).
- Gently roll to a large obbattu. Add flour as required while rolling.
cooking obbattu or bobbatlu or holige
- Heat a tawa. Sprinkle some flour on the tawa and it should get golden (wipe off this flour). Then gently place the obbattu on the tawa.
- Roast till one side is golden and then flip.
- Spread some ghee or oil on this side. You can skip adding ghee or oil if you want.
- Flip again and roast the second side till golden.
- Spread some ghee or oil on this side too.
- Fold and then serve obbattu. Or you can just lift them and place them in a roti basket, so that the obbattu remain warm.
- Serve obbattu with milk or ghee by side. Or you can just have them plain.
RECIPE VIDEO
Notes
- You can use oil instead of ghee while roasting.
- Instead of chana dal, you can use tuvar dal (arhar dal).
- Some coconut can also be added in the stuffing.
- Instead of jaggery you can use sugar.
can I use two cups whole wheat flour instead of maida?
shilpa, yes you can use.
Hi Dassana
What brand of tawa have you used in the video?
reva, its a granite look non stick tawa from wonderchef brand.
I love obittu with KAYIHAALU but I m looking for dat recipe.. pls upload if u know.. I had only once at my friend’s house in my childhood.. 🙁
pooni, i will try to add that recipe.
Madam can you give the recipe for coconut holige pls.
nrimala, i plan to add coconut holige recipe in this festive season. so have taken your recipe request on file.
I have always had difficulty with holige, but following ur recipe came out perfect.. thank u
welcome shilpa
Ma’am thanks for your blog! However the Puran turned out soggy after grinding. Later I added some rice flour to make it thick and then continued the way you suggested. They turned out real good. Any idea why the puran turned soggy? Mistake with jaggery or channa dal?
okay. if the puran is cooked more, then the sogginess will go away. it needs to be cooked till it starts to leave the sides of the pan. i think its due to the chana dal being overcooked. but your idea of adding rice flour was a good one.
Ma’am, your blog is so good that I think you deserve a great respect for all your work here. You are very articulative and comprehensive about your recipes. You are just great. I pray for your good health and long life!
Thanks Anurag for your positive feedback and best wishes. Glad to read your comment.