Cookbook:Dhokla (Steamed Black Gram Bread)

Dhokla

Dhokla (Steamed Black Gram Bread)
Category	Indian recipe
Servings	4 pieces
Time	1 hour
Difficulty

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Cuisine of India | Snacks

Dhokla is a Gujarati snack that is made with black gram. It is not to be confused with Khaman, a variant made from Besan (Chickpea flour). It is eaten as a side dish with the main meal and is usually tangy and slightly sweet in taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rice
• ¼ cup of black gram skinless (urad dal)
• ¼ cup of yogurt
• 1 ½ cup of warm water
• Salt to taste
• 1 one-inch piece ginger
• 4 green chillies
• ½ tsp of soda bi-carbonate (baking soda)
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 2 tbsp of coriander leaves

For tempering

• ½ tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds ( Rai / sarson)
• A pinch Asafoetida (Hing)
• 1 Red chilli, broken into pieces
• 2 tsp oil or clarified butter

Procedure

1. Roast the rice and the dal on medium heat for four to five minutes.
2. Allow it to cool and then grind into a semi-coarse powder.
3. Put the powder in a bowl. Add yoghurt (little sour) and warm water into the bowl.
4. Mix thoroughly so that no lumps are formed and the batter is of pouring consistency.
5. Add salt and let it ferment for eight to ten hours.
6. Make a paste of ginger and green chillies.
7. Once fermented, mix the ginger, green chilli paste with the batter.
8. Grease the dhokla platter or a thali.
9. Boil water in the steamer/boiler.
10. Pour half of the batter in another vessel.
11. In a small bowl, add one-fourth-tspn soda bi-carbonate, half tspn oil and half tspn lemon juice. #Add this to the batter and mix well.
12. Repeat this for the remaining batter just before putting it in the steamer.
13. Pour this onto the greased platter and keep it in the steamer to steam for eight to ten minutes. #Check with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, it is cooked.
14. Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with green Chutney.

Notes and variations

• This is NOT Khaman. Khaman is a variation of Dhokla but made with Besan or Chickpea flour. It is fluffy while Dhokla is flat.