Can I confess that I love Dhokla? It is such a great breakfast and snack option. It’s filling and so moreish. I like to make it when I am having guests over, on a weekend or anytime it pleases me as it’s so simple and easy to make.

Love the soft spongy dhokla along with a tangy tamarind chutney and a spicy coriander chutney. It’s best to have it hot! There are several variations to it with a fried version and a simple tempered version. I like to temper it with a simple curry Leaves-green chilli tempering.

I, however, made a tomato – garlic chutney with the dhokla this time to try something new and it was awesome. It was also because I didn’t have any coriander or mint with me, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. J

How do you like your dhokla?

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20-25 minutes
SERVINGS: 4-6
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Medium

Dhokla_chutney

INGREDIENTS: 

For the batter:

  1. Besan or chickpea flour – 1 cup
  2. Rava or Semolina – ¼ cup
  3. Green chillis – 1
  4. Ginger – a small piece
  5. Lemon– 1
  6. Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
  7. Asafetida – a pinch
  8. Baking Soda – 1 teaspoon
  9. Water – a cup or more
  10. Salt – to taste

For tempering:

  1. Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs
  2. Chillies – 2
  3. Sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon
  4. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
  5. Sugar – 2 tablespoons
  6. Oil – 2 tablespoon
  7. Grate paneer/fresh coconut – for garnish

For the tomato-garlic chutney:

  1. Tomatoes – 2, large
  2. Garlic – 4-5 cloves
  3. Roasted peanuts – a handful
  4. Curry Leaves – 5-6 leaves
  5. Chilies – 2
  6. Salt – to taste

RECIPE:

For the dhokla:

  1. Mix besan and semolina in a bowl.
  2. Crush the green chilis and ginger and add them to the bowl. You could add more chillis as per your taste.
  3. Add turmeric powder, asafetida, salt and lemon juice.
  4. Add about a cup of water and mix well.
  5. The batter should be smooth and not very runny. Rest the mixture for at least 2 hours.
  6. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the batter just before cooking the dhoklas.
  7. Grease an aluminium tin with oil and add the batter to it. Keep it in a boiler to steam on low flame for 15-20 minutes.
  8. Remove the cooked dhoklas from the steamer and cut them into small bite-size pieces.
  9. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
  10. Add sesame seeds, curry leaves, sugar and chillies. Add the diced dhoklas and mix well.

For the chutney:

  1. Dry roast peanuts in a pan and allow them to cool and then remove their peel.
  2. Add the peanuts, chillies and salt in a grinder and grind until it turns into a smooth powder.
  3. Add curry leaves, tomatoes, garlic cloves and grind again.
  4. Serve the chutney with the hot dhoklas.