From obbattu to arsa: Discovering different versions of sweet rotis in India

A week ago when a colleague brought a platter of obbattusmdashKarnatakarsquos version of puran polismdashto the office we polished them off in no time Sweet and paperthin folded into quarters they came in four fillings Carrot coconut mawa and pineapple and were an interesting variation of the Maharashtrian puran poli That made us curious to investigate their delicious origins and go on a quest to find some moreldquoObbattus are a speciality on any festive occasionmdashUgadi Ganesh Chaturthi Diwali or Varamahalakshmirdquo says Rajani Nagesh a home chef from Mysuru Karnataka who recalls waiting in queue with the other grandchildren on festive occasions competing for a fresh steaming puran poli or obbattu to be doled out from their grandmotherrsquos stove ldquoI once tried to help my mother make an obbattu when I was six It was a disasterrdquo she laughsChef Sarada Narayan says that the jaggery and coconut filling in boli a Tamil Nadu sweet roti can also be used for making modaksCommonly there are two traditional versions of obattu a jaggery and chana dalbased one and another that incorporates fresh grated coconut ldquoThe dough is the samemdashallpurpose flour or maida The chana dal doesnrsquot have to be cooked completely it has to be boiled in a cooker until it gives off three whistles and then kept to cool before mixing in the jaggery and a bit of grated coconut The fragrant flavour comes from a dash of elaichi The coconut obattu follows a similar processrdquo she explainsldquoWhen you are unmarried a lot of elder folks in the family will ask you when are you going to treat them to an obbattu feastrdquo Nagesh laughs ldquoIt is nothing but a nice way of asking lsquoWhen will you get marriedrsquordquo Coconut and chana dal obbattus are omnipresent in south Karnataka Nagesh adds In the north shenga holige a version of obbattu that uses peanuts as filling is more easily found Also called peanut poli the dough can be either made of maida or wheat flour and groundnuts are the star featureKhoba rotis a Rajasthani staple are consumed in two variantsmdashsweet and savouryGrowing up in Tamil Nadu and Kerala Sarada Narayan the founder of South Side Mumbai explains the difference between obbattus and its sister versions found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu ldquoIn Kerala we make sweet chapatis called coconut rotis with grated coconut filling they are also consumed in Sri Lanka They are made with melted sugar and raw coconut while the Tamil Nadu version called boli is made with jaggery and coconut with a little bit of cardamom powderrdquoA Ganeshotsav speciality the filling used to stuff bolis is also used to make modaks Narayan shares a secret tip Use coconut water to knead the dough ldquoIt imparts a very natural fresh taste to the outer covering to match the inner stuffingrdquo she explains ldquoWe also make ghee at home and use it in such generous amounts that the boli is almost shallowfriedIn fact bolis belong to the family of snacky dishes palaharams eaten in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and are consumed at weddings and during other festivities The difference between obattu boli and coconut rotis are their thickness Obbattus are stuffed seamlessly and sparingly it is almost like eating a plain roti In Kerala or Tamil Nadu however the filling is heavy and the roti is thicker When relishing bolis you can feel the sweetness and creaminess of the jaggery swirling in your mouthrdquoRajani Nagesh reminisces about obbattu which has been a core part of her childhood memories growing up in a South Indian householdIn the Northeast sweet chapatis take on a different form Chef Alistair Lethorn from Nagaland introduces us to the kemenya roti which is more of a street delicacy than a dish prepared in household kitchens ldquoAssam is most famous for consumption and preparation of this rotirdquo he tells us ldquoHowever even in Nagaland you will find many street vendors selling kemenya roti topping it with powdered sugarrdquo Kemenya roti is a chapati or puri made with white sticky rice that is soaked overnight and then pounded and deep fried The roti is flattened using the palms of the hands and expertly levelled uniformally and shaped into a perfect circle They are served with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar or jaggeryArsa a version of sweet chapati from Bihar and Jharkhand is consumed frequently in the rural areas of the latter state and is also served at weddings and other religious ceremonies with kheer or as shagun A sweet puri made of rice flour jaggery ghee and sesame seeds arsa also comes in a savoury version dhuska which uses chana dal and spices and is a typical breakfast dishHome chef Monika Shah remembers eating arsas while sitting around an oil lamp in winter during power outages in her ancestral village ldquoMy nani used to make this dish for us during winter because its ingredients provide heat to the body and are quite filling as wellrdquo she says ldquoThe sesame seeds and jaggery make this a staple winter delicacyrdquoSurabhi Bhandari Alistair Lethorn and Monika ShahGurugrambased home chef Surabhi Bhandari who originally hails from Jodhpur introduces us to khoba roti a staple in Rajasthan with a notable presence in the northern states as well ldquoMade from whole wheat flour mixed with salt ajwain seeds and ghee the word khoba refers to the pinches made in the roti while it is being tossed on the pan using onersquos fingers as indents or a knife to create intricate patternsrdquo she explains ldquoIt is mostly consumed during the winter months due to its satiating nature along with dal baati The sweet version is enjoyed with crushed jaggery and ghee on toprdquo Bhandarirsquos fondest memories of the khoba roti are associated with her joint family Consuming khoba was a ritual ldquoWe would all sit on the floor togetherrdquo she says drawing a picture for us ldquoAn elderly member of the family would top the khoba roti with ghee and jaggery and crumple it with their hands for us Only then would we have it To this day my son refuses to eat the roti if my husband doesnrsquot crumple the roti for him It is a food and soul connectionrdquo