Garugu Obattu | Holige with Riceflour-Coconut filling...Navaratri Special!!!!

Happy Navaratri to all my readers and friends!!!
Although my regular cooking is very much modernized, I still prefer to indulge in the traditional dishes occasionally and especially during festivals. I select a very simple menu for festivals(though few festivals are exceptions) and I would end up making some kheer,sundal and a variety rice which makes my job easier as hubby dear does not like me spending more time in kitchen.But I miss those traditional dishes which my mom makes and which I cherished growing up.We have lots of traditional dishes which I never got to make after my marriage because of my laziness but I crave for few of them and I ask my mom to make it for me when I visit her.

We make lots of holliges like Hoornada hollige(Pappu Obattu) ,Coconut Hollige, Sogasu Obattu,Sajjige Obattu(Sajjappa), Garugu Obattu and Paala Obattu(Haalu Hollige) which tastes best on its own and has its own importance for the festivals.I generally avoid making them, as they are time consuming but I want all of them to be there in my own space and hence started making(you can say learning) them slowly.
Coming to the holliges I mentioned above Sogasu hollige, Sajjige hollige and Garugu Hollige they all look similar and all are deep fried but the filling,taste and texture of each hollige is different from the other.Sogasu and Sajjige hollige uses rawa filling which is made differently for each hollige and where as garugu hollige uses rice flour filling.I know that it is very confusing if you are hearing all these names for the first time but once I put up all these recipes you can easily differentiate them.Now let us see how to make garugu obattu.Try this hollige on one of these navratri days and enjoy it.

Garugu Obattu | Holige with Rice flour filling Recipe:(yields 20-25 approx)

Ingredients:
for filling:
1 cup Rice flour
1 cup grated fresh Coconut
1 cup Milk
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped mixed Nuts(Cashews,Muskmelon seeds,Watermelon seeds)
1/2 tsp Elaichi powder

for kanaka(outer cover):
1 cup Chiroti/Hollige rawa(baarik rava)
a fat pinch of Salt
1/2 cup Oil(to soak the kanaka)
Oil for deep frying
Method:
for filling:

• Mix milk and rice flour without any lumps and add grated coconut and sugar to it and mix well until everything is mixed.
• Take a thick bottom big wide vessel and pour the mixture in it and let it cook over low flame.Keep stirring continuously until it forms a thick lump.The consistency should be thick enough to form laddus out of it.
• Add elaichi powder and chopped nuts to it and mix well.
• Let the mixture comes to room temperature.Make it into big lemon sized balls and arrange them in a plate and keep it covered until its usage.

for Kanaka:

• Mix chiroti rawa with a pinch of salt to it and add water to it and knead in to a very smooth dough.The consistency of the dough should be very loose than the regular roti dough.
• Now using your fist hit the dough for few mins to get the softer dough.
• Now place this dough in a deep vessel and pour oil over it until the dough is completely soaked in oil.Let the dough rest for a minimum of 1 hr and up to 2 hrs.Drain the excess oil and use it for other purpose.
• See the pics to get to know the consistency of the kanaka.

for making Garugu Obattu/Hollige:

• Cut the holige paper into a round and place it on the rolling stone which we use to roll rotis.Grease holige paper or banana leaf with oil.

• Pinch a small amla sized dough and flatten it a bit using your hands as shown in the pics and place one round of filling and seal it properly from all the edges like how we do for parathas.

• Now flatten it slowly with hands to get 3" diameter circle to the size of big pooris.It should not be very thick like paratha nor thin like rotis,it should be slightly thicker than poori.See the pictures for clear idea.

• Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying in a kadai and gently place the patted hollige in oil taking care that oil would not splutter.Deep fry them until they are slightly brown on both side.
• Drain them on kitchen towels to remove the extra oil.
• Repeat the process for making holliges,smear the hollige paper liberally with oil and follow the same procedure.

Serve them hot/warm or at room temperature.You can store them at room temperature for two days.
Notes:

1. Always make kanaka before proceeding to make filling which helps in saving time.
2. As these can be stored for two days you can make them ahead if you want.But the fresh ones are more crispier and tastier.
3. The addition of nuts is entirely optional but it adds a nice taste to every bite of hollige.
4. If you are a health freak instead of deep frying you can even fry it on tawa like how we do for parathas,they taste still good but the deep fried ones taste anytime better.