Ooty Varkey

Varkey, the decades – old baked treat of Ooty can best be described as a native interpretation of the French Puff Pastry. This delightful teatime accompaniment was introduced in the scenic hill station by the British Raj.

 

A number of bakeries making a variety of treats sprung up to cater to the British taste. The locals already had their own special cookie which was hugely popular. Varkey was an innovation to suit the climatic conditions of this picturesque town.

 

The locals were fascinated with this new crunchy snack that attributes its unique taste to the natural springs, streams, soil rich in organic matter and locally prepared mavvai.

 

The mavvai is a mixture of maida, semolina, sugar and banana kept in a mud pot that is allowed to ferment for days and topped up daily effectively becoming the mother dough (starter). This mavvai is mixed with maida, sugar, salt and a little water. The dough is kneaded till it is soft and smooth.

 

The dough is allowed to rest, divided into two balls and allowed to ferment for at least six to eight hours. The dough is then spread into thin layers and brushed with vanaspati, vegetable oil and ghee followed by a sprinkling of maida and sugar.

 

The layers are folded into several layers, placed on trays and left to ferment for a few minutes. It is again spread into layers of thin sheets, cut into squares and rolled into small balls.

 

These balls are allowed to rest, flattened slightly into a varkey and again fermented. They are baked in a brick oven with a wood fire for thirty minutes.

 

The entire preparation is either done by hand or partly through modern machines. The varkey can remain fresh for 20 days if stored carefully.

 

Masala varkey, sweet varkey and plain varkey are sold in the bakeries. The varkey is best enjoyed after dipping it in a hot cup of tea or coffee.

 

Ooty varkey was granted the Geographical Indication Tag (GI) in 2023.

 

Written by Lakshmi Subramanian