Your Indian Experience Is Incomplete Without A Bite Of Dhokla!


Dhokla is a culinary dish popular in the state of Gujarat in India but loved by all. It is a steamed savory cake made with gram flour and topped with sweet & sour tempering flavored with curry leaves. This is a great option for vegetarian snacks!
Preparation Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 – 30 minutes
Yield: Four servings
Ingredients:
1. Two cups of gram flour (besan)
2. Two teaspoons of ginger and green chili paste
3. Half cup of semolina (sooji)
4. Four teaspoons of sugar
5. Quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder
6. Four teaspoons of lemon juice
7. One teaspoon cooking oil
8. Salt to taste
9. One teaspoon of fruit salt (unflavoured Eno)
10. One cup (or as needed) of lukewarm water
Tempering:
1. Two green chili split
2. Eight or nine curry leaves
3. One teaspoon of mustard seeds
4. Two pinches of asafoetida (hing)
5. Two teaspoons of sugar
6. Quarter teaspoon of salt
7. Two tablespoons of cooking oil
8. One cup of water
9. Two teaspoon lemon juice
Garnish:
1. Cilantro
2. Coconut flakes
Instructions:
1. Take a bowl and sieve the gram flour in it
2. Add semolina, sugar and mix well
3. Add water and make a paste
4. Add lemon juice and mix well
5. Cover the batter bowl and keep it aside for fifteen minutes
6. In the meantime, take a pan (steel plate with corners/aluminum pan/ cake tin) and grease it properly
7. Take a steamer or a deep pan/kadhai and add three cups of water to it
8. If you are using a pan (instead of steamer), place a utensil stand inside it, cover the pan with a lid and let the water come to boil
9. After fifteen minutes, add ginger-green chili paste, salt, turmeric powder, and oil to the batter, mix it properly
10. Once the water has started boiling, add fruit salt (Eno) to the batter and add one teaspoon of water to the fruit salt
11. Mix for ten to twelve seconds and immediately pour the batter into the greased pan
12. Open the lid and place the batter inside the deep pan/kadhai over a stand or inside the steamer.
13. Cover the pan again and let it cook for twenty to twenty-five minutes on medium flame
14. Once cooked, switch off the stove and let it cool down
15. Transfer the dhokla to a plate if you want
Tempering:
1. Take a pan over medium flame, and add oil to it
2. Once the oil is hot enough, add asafoetida, mustard seeds, and green chili
3. Saute for thirty seconds then add curry leaves, sugar, lemon juice, and salt
4. Saute for Thirty seconds then remove the pan from flame and add water
5. Again keep the pan over the flame and let it boil
6. Pour this syrup water over the dhokla
7. Garnish with cilantro and coconut flakes
8. Cut into pieces and serve with chutney
Tips:
1. While steaming the dhokla, do not open the lid in between
2. After adding fruit salt, stir in one direction and immediately pour batter into greased pan(this process need to be very quick)

Shweta is an IT consultant and engineer by day. A cooking enthusiast, she loves experimenting with food. Usually found hooked to Netflix or crafting knick-knacks for home decor, over weekends.