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Ooty varkey
Flaky spiral tea biscuits
வர்க்கி: the Nilgiris' flaky, spiral-layered, lightly sweet tea biscuit
Up in the cool tea country of the Nilgiris, around Ooty and Coonoor, small bakeries turn out trays of varkey every morning, and tourists carry home bags of them alongside the estate tea. They are flat, golden and lightly sweet, with tight spiral layers that crunch and then melt, a texture the bakers get by rolling a sugared dough up around a fat paste and slicing it like a Swiss roll. Eat them with strong milky Nilgiri tea; locals also crumble them over hot milk. Bakeries traditionally use vanaspati for the paste; butter mixed with a little ghee gives a cleaner taste in this eggless home version. Watch the spiral: if you press the slices too hard when flattening, the layers fuse and the biscuit bakes dense. Chef's tip: chill the rolled log until it is firm enough to slice cleanly; a soft log squashes under the knife and you lose the swirl.
- Total time
- 165 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 14
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- ½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 1 ⅜ oz sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 oz buttermelted
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
For the paste
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoft
- 1 oz gheesoft
- ⅞ oz plain flour
To finish
- 2 tbsp sugarfor sprinkling
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, ½ tsp fast-action dried yeast, 1 ⅜ oz sugar and ½ tsp salt. Add 1 oz butter and ¾ cup lukewarm water and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, firm dough.
8 minStep 2: Cover and rest in a warm place for 40 minutes, until slightly risen.
40 minStep 3: Beat 1 ¾ oz butter, 1 oz ghee and ⅞ oz plain flour into a soft, even paste.
Step 4: Roll the dough into a thin 35 × 45 cm rectangle, about 2 mm thick. Spread the paste evenly over it right to the edges.
Step 5: Starting from a long side, roll the dough up tightly like a Swiss roll, keeping it even. Wrap and chill for 40 minutes, until firm.
40 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays.
Step 7: Cut the log into 1 cm slices. Lay each slice spiral side up on a floured surface and roll it gently once in each direction to an oval about 5 mm thick, without pressing hard.
Step 8: Set on the trays, sprinkle with 2 tbsp sugar and bake for 20 minutes, until light golden and the layers have lifted.
20 minStep 9: Lower the oven to 275°F (250°F fan) and bake for 20–25 minutes more, until deep golden and crisp through; a cooled one should snap cleanly.
23 minStep 10: Cool on a rack and keep in an airtight tin for up to three weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 175 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ooty varkey take?
- About 165 minutes in total: 120 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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