ಒಂದು ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟಿನ ಕಥೆ......

Mr Kingston asked me, "What makes a good thinker?", this was in the middle of the interview, I dint have much time to regroup my thoughts, I started thinking loudly, I began, "Thought makes a good thinker, on a contrary you need a good thinker to harness thoughts. I feel both feed on each other." He giggled and said, "It's not like, which came first chicken or egg?", and we carried on to some informal discussion. 

A conversation that happened a good five years ago, started surfacing this forenoon as I was fiddling with the dough to prepare ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು(obattu) 

I had seen ಅಮ್ಮ(Amma) preparing a zillion times, but never paid attention to the nuances of  making. I started with my experiment after having gotten briefed by ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಅಣ್ಣ (Murthy Anna), my eldest brother. So much of a revelation, probably I made all the possible mistakes. This will also serve as a manual on how not prepare an ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು (obattu).

Lesson 1. Filter

Once, Jaggery syrup + baked dal + grated coconut are mixed together. Not everything should go to grinder. This would spoil the stuffing. 

My gyan - Though everything seem relevant. You would opt to what works. 

Lesson 2 - Catalyst

Now that stuffing is a bit diluted, we use gram flour for thickening. Again if the gram flour is not powdered well, this will tear up as we roll. 

My gyan - 1) Be independent, don't depend on external agents for your bindings / happiness. 

                      2) Choose the right partner. This can make you or break you. Really!!!

Lesson 3. What water could do, oil couldn't. 

Maida and semolina had to be mixed in equal proportions and we soak it in oil for a while. If the dough is not made neither solid nor liquid, and if you think soaking in oil will do the job..... Please keep thinking. 

My gyan - 1) Use the right thing at a right time. 

               2) Overdoing when its time will not fetch you better results anyway. 

Lesson 4 - ‌‌झुठे बूनियदों से रिश्ते नहीं जोड़े जाते ।

Malnourished dough and a weak stuffing will never result in great dish. 

My gyan - You need to bring in the individual brilliance for the team to function. 

Lesson 5 - What goes in come out. 

If you still muster courage, roll out the mixture and place it on tava, it will break soon.

My gyan - The quality of your life depends on your inputs, depends on your  thoughts. Think carefully. 

Lesson 6 - Lubricant Well

The mixture gets rolled out on the oil laced banana leaf for the successful transfer on to the tava.

My gyan - Just because somebody stuck to you and used you doesn't mean that it's yours. Develop detachment. Lubricant well. At least on weekends.

Lesson 7 - Be Banana 

Banana Leaf also gets subjected to heat every time it transfers ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು(obattu) on to the tava. During the process the fringes becomes unbreakable. 

My gyan - 1) Adversity makes you stronger anyway. 

               2) Getting used for a noble cause.

Lastly, "ಅಮ್ಮ, ನಿಮಗೇನು ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ", is the everyday tantrum that gets thrown at her. One should try making obattu, to realize how much she knows.

PS - Obattu, is traditional sweet dish of Karnataka