A Delicious Recipe For Dhokla

Dhokla is a vegetarian meal popular in the Indian state of Gujarat and portions of neighboring regions. It is prepared using a fermented batter made from legumes like chickpeas, pigeon peas, and urad, as well as rice. Dhokla is a versatile meal that may be served as a breakfast item, the main course, a side dish, or a snack. Dhokla is extremely similar to Khaman, although Khaman is often prepared with chickpeas and has a yellow appearance. Outside Gujarat, Khaman has gained widespread popularity but is sometimes misinterpreted or wrongly referred to as Dhokla.

Dhokla Types

There are several varieties of dhokla cooked using a variety of ingredients and chickpea ratios. Several prominent varieties of dhoklas include the following:

• Khatta dhokla
• Rasia dhokla
• Moong dal dhokla
• Khandavi dhokla
• Cheese dhokla
• Toor dal dhokla
• Sandwich dhokla
• Rava dhokla
• Mixed dal dhokla
• Green peas dhokla
• Meetha dhokla
• Besan dhokla
• Khaman dhokla

Khaman is a familiar meal made using gram flour. Unlike dhokla, which is prepared with rice plus chickpeas, khaman is composed entirely of chickpeas. It is often paler in color and softer in texture than dhokla. A tiny amount of baking soda is applied to dhokla, whereas more baking soda is put to khaman to make it more puffy, spongy, and porous.

Idada/Edada is another kind of dhokla prepared with various lentils like black grams, commonly called urad dal, rather than chickpeas. Dhokla is a widespread breakfast or snack item in western India, particularly Madhya Pradesh, however, it is now accessible in each and every Indian state. It’s simple to prepare and a digestible snack.

Dhokla Expert Tips

Consistency of the Batter

The batter should have a flowing consistency yet be thick to medium-thick. 1 cup water to 1.5 cups gram flour usually produces ideal results for me, however, you may add a few teaspoons of water if your dough seems to be too thick. An overly thick batter will result in a dense and hard khaman. A thin batter will lose its form and become a jumble.

Steaming

You may steam khaman in a pan, a pressure cooker on the stovetop, or an Instant Pot. We have discussed the process of steaming khaman in each section below.

1. Steamed vegetables in a skillet or pot

In a big steaming pan large enough to hold the pan with the batter, place a small trivet. Pour two to two and a half to two and a half cups of water. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.

Place the batter pan immediately after mixing the eno. Cover with a lid that is loose-fitting yet has a vent or allows some steam to escape.

On medium-high heat, steam for 12 to 15 minutes. The pan’s depth in contact with the boiling water determines how quickly it steams. If it is not near the boiling water, the steaming process will take a little longer.

2. Steaming in a pressure cooker on the stovetop

In a pressure cooker, place the trivet. Add two to two and a half to two and a half cups of water. Bring the water to a boil. Between tongs, secure the pan securely and gently lay it on the rack.

Unplug the whistle (valve weight) from the cover and firmly close it. On medium to medium-high heat, steam for 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Steaming in the Instant Pot

Fill your IP’s steel insert halfway with 2 to 2.5 glasses of water. Arrange a plate (not short or long, but kind of in between).

Utilize the sauté function to bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

Carefully set the pan with the khaman batter on the rack using tongs or oven gloves. Cover with no lid.

Cover and seal the IP with its lid, and leave the vent in the open position to allow steam to escape. Hit the steam button and steam for 12 to 15 minutes at high pressure.

Keep an eye on the time with a clock or watch, since the Instant Pot will not beep and will proceed to steam after the timer has sounded. Allow all pressure to escape and the valve to fall down. Then gently lift the cover.

How To Make Dhokla

Ingredients:

For Batter:

• 1 cup Gram Flour (Besan or Chickpea Flour)
• 1 tablespoon Semolina (Rava or sooji), optional
• 1½ teaspoons Lime juice
• 1 teaspoon powdered Green Chilli-Ginger (or paste)
• 1/4 cup Curd ( yogurt)
• 3/4 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Eno Fruit Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Oil (for greasing)

For Tempering:

• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds (optional)
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing)
• 10-15 Curry Leaves
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds (til)
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 4 Green Chillies, cut lengthwise and slice into halves
• 1/3 cup Water
• 2 tablespoons diced Coriander Leaves
• 2 tablespoons scraped Fresh Coconut

Instructions For Batter and Khaman Dhokla

1. To create the batter, combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour roughly 2-3 cups of water into the bottom of the steamer and heat over a medium flame until the water is boiling. Before adding the dishes, make sure that the steamer has been cooked for at least 4-5 minutes before doing so (filled with batter). To grease two small plates or thalis, use 1 teaspoon of oil (4-5 inch diameter).

To make it, mix together 1 cup gram flour, 1 tablespoon vermicelli (sooji/rava), 112 teaspoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon green chili-ginger powder, 1/4 cup yogurt, 3/4 cup water, and salt in a mixing bowl until well-combined. Combine the ingredients well to get a smooth batter. Make assured that there are no lumps.

3. For about 1 minute, stir in 1 teaspoon fruit salt in a single direction. You’ll see that it has almost doubled in size.

4. As you pour the batter onto each greased dish, spread it out to about a 1/2-inch thickness.

5. Place the plates in a steamer and steam for about 10-12 minutes over medium heat, or until the plates are crisp.

Sixth, after ten to twelve minutes, insert a fork or a toothpick into the dhokla and check to see if it comes out completely clean. Otherwise, continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.

7. Remove the plates from the steamer and lay them aside for a few minutes to allow them to cool completely. Cut the puffy khaman dhokla into small squares with a knife, if desired.

Tempering Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan or tempering pan over medium heat. In a small mixing dish, combine 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds with a pinch of asafoetida and mix thoroughly (hing).

2. When the seeds begin to crackle, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, 10-15 curry leaves, and 4 green chilies on top of the mixture. A few seconds in a hot pan should be plenty.

3. Bring 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 1 minute. As soon as the tempering (tadka) is ready, pour it over the dhoklas and gently toss it till each dhokla is completely coated with the tempering.

4. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped coriander and 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, if desired. Serve with green coriander chutney on the side.

How to Prepare Dhokla in a Pressure Cooker:

1. Water should be distributed. 4-5 minutes over a medium flame before placing the greased plates in a 3 or 5-liter capacity aluminum/steel slow cooker. 1.5-2 glass water into the slow cooker and heat for 4-5 minutes.
2. Prepare a small stand or basin in the pressure cooker and place greased plates (filled with batter) on top of it. In addition, the dhokla stand may be used in a pressure cooker to make dal.
3. Close the pressure cooker’s cover when the whistle has been removed from it. Cook for 15 minutes over medium flame, mixing occasionally. Using a fork or knife, test the dhokla after 15 minutes to see whether it’s ready. Proceed to simmer for an additional 5 minutes if the chicken is not completely cooked through.
4. It’s important to remember to fill the slow cooker halfway with water between batches if you’re making it in quantity.

How to Prepare Dhokla in a Microwave:

1. In step 2 of the above recipe, leave the batter allowed to stand for 10 min to allow it to settle (before putting Eno fruit salt).
2. Pour the mixture into a greased microwavable bowl after 10 minutes, and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
3. Cover it with a cover or a dish and cook it for 2.5 to 3 mins on high for the best results.
4. After 2.5 minutes, take the dish from the microwave and put a toothpick into the middle to see whether it is cooked through. If it is, repeat the process. If it comes out clean, it is done; otherwise, continue to cook for another 20-30 seconds until done.
5. In order to avoid overcooking them, monitor them after 30 seconds when cooking for an extended period of time if you must cook for an extended period of time.
6. The amount of time necessary to cook dhokla will vary based on the various microwave settings and the amount of batter used.

How to Prepare Dhokla Without Steamer:

1. Take a large, deep jar (larger than a dhokla dish) and cover it with a lid. The dish should be somewhat smaller in diameter than the saucepan in which you would like to steam them.
2. Pour 1-2 glasses of water into the vessel, then place a dhokla plate (full with batter) on top of a tiny stand in the vessel, and then cover the pot to keep the heat in.
3. Over medium heat, steam it for 12-15 mins until it is tender.

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 1446 Kcal
• Carbohydrates: 137.7 gm
• Protein: 53 gm
• Fat: 76.2 gm
• Other: 38.7gm

Recommendations For Dhokla

• The fluffy, sweet, savory cakes compliment any spicy and sweet Indian chutney.
• Additionally, you may enjoy it with your evening tea.

FAQs About Dhokla

Conclusion

Dhokla is one of the most popular and loved snacks pan-India. We hope you enjoy making this dish with our comprehensive recipe. For more recipes about popular recipes, keep reading Seema.