Dhoklas are yet another, one of the many exciting Indian foods to come across. Though this culinary dish, originally belongs to the western state of Gujrat and other nearby regions, it is loved and enjoyed by the entire country.
Traditionally, these are made using a fermented chickpea or rice batter, seasoned with salt and sugar. These steamed savory cakes are very healthy, light, and yet filling. Served with fresh green mint chutney or even some sweet and spicy tamarind sauce, Dhoklas can be eaten at about any time of the day, just as you please. So, if you’re in the mood to whip up something light and savory, check out this easy recipe of Dhokla that can be made with your basic pantry stapes.
Disclaimer: Typically in a store, you would find Dhoklas cut out in cubes and sprinkled with grated coconut and tempered spices. However, because I had limited kitchen resources, I decided to use my Idle cast tray for this recipe. And believe me, nothing other than the shape changed. 🙂
Dhokla Recipe
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 1 1/2 cups of sifted gram flour
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tbsp of semolina
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 Tbsp of ginger and green chili paste
- A pinch of turmeric to enhance the yellow color
- 1 and a 1/2 cup of lukewarm water to make a smooth thick batter.
- 3/4 tsp of baking soda
- 1 tsp of lime juice of apple cider vinegar
For the Tempering:
- Oil
- Curry leaves ( I did not have that stocked in my pantry, so opted out) 🙂
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 green chilies split
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of water
To Garnish
- Grated coconut & chopped cilantro
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, mix all the above batter ingredients except the baking soda and lime juice which will be added later, and make a smooth mixture.
- Cover and keep the batter aside.
- In the meanwhile, take a deep vessel or a pressure cooker and heat 2 cups of water on high heat.
- Then, prepare a flat round tray by greasing it with some oil. As mentioned above, I used an Idli tray as that is what I had available)
- Once the water almost comes to boil, add the baking soda and lemon juice/apple cider vinegar to the batter and stir it, not over mixing it. You will find tiny bubbles that hit the surface and that is what we want.
- Immediately scoop a tbsp of the batter and pour it in the compartments if using an Idli tray or directly pour it in a round/square pan that fits in well in the water bath.
- Place the batter tray in the water container to let it steam covering it with a lid. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to take off the whistle and let it look for 15-17 mins.
- You could also use your Instant Pot for this recipe by using the steam setting or the manual pressure cooking setting with the vent mode on for 15-17 mins.
- Once the cooking time lapses, carefully remove the lid. Do be extra careful as the steam could burn your hand.
- Now insert a toothpick into the steamed Dhokla and check if it comes out clean. If prepared in a pan, flip it over and the cake shall slip out. You may then cut them into squares and serve. In case of an Idli tray, you can run a butter knife around the Dhoklas and serve them on a dish.
For the tempering and the garnish:
- Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves, green chilies, mustard and sesame seeds. Cook for 5 seconds and then add the water, sugar and lemon juice.
- Allow it to cook for another 10-15 seconds and pour this over the dhoklas/steamed cakes so that the liquid seeps into the sponge. This will not only make the Dhoklas soft but also additional flavors.
- In the end, garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves. That’s it! These can be served hot or cold and can be stored for a day, in the refrigerator.
Enjoyed the recipe?
Did you try this recipe out yet? If you have and you loved it as much as I did, please drop in a comment, share and help spread the love by sharing a picture on Instagram and tagging me @frommyvegandiary.
Nabomita ❤
From My Vegan Diary 