There are countless delectable dishes that may be made when attempting Gujarati cuisine. Gujarati food has a lot to offer, whether it’s as a snack, a main course, or even a special dessert. But one Gujarati meal in particular has won our hearts: the fluffy, airy dhokla! Dhoklas, which are traditionally produced from fermented gram flour, are perfectly cooked and seasoned with mustard seeds and green chilies. This is a unique collection of inventive dhokla recipes that will enhance your cooking journey.
1. White Dhokla
(Credit: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients used:
- Rice Soaked 3 cups
- Urad Dal Soaked 1 cup
- Asafetida 2 tsp
- Sugar 1 tsp
- Water as per requirement
- Ginger 1 inch buds
- Green chili 4-5
- Salt to taste
- Yogurt 2 tbsp
- Eno ½ tsp
- Black pepper crushed 1 tsp
- Red chili powder 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves chopped 1 tbsp.
Procedure:
1. Fill the jar with water, urad dal, sugar, asafoetida, and soaked rice. Grind everything together until it’s smooth.
2. Transfer to a basin, cover, and leave overnight to ferment.
3. Fill the grinder jar with water, ginger, and green chilies. Grind the ingredients coarsely and add them to the batter that has fermented.
4. Thoroughly combine the yogurt and salt.
5. Stir in eno well. Set it away.
6. In the interim Place the large pot on a stand and fill it with water.
7. Fasten the cloth to the pot’s lid and shut it.
8. Apply oil grease to the tin, then fill it with the prepared batter. Garnish with chopped coriander, crushed black pepper, and red chili powder.
9. Put the tin in the steamer that has been ready, cover it, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Take the tin out of the steamer after 15 to 20 minutes, give it a quick oil brushing, and set it away to cool.
11. Divide into portions and serve.
2. Nylon Dhokla
(Credit: Chef Harpal Singh)
Ingredients used:
- Water 250 ml.
- Lemon Juice 1 no.
- Sugar 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Ginger 1 inch
- Green chilli 5-6 no.
- Gram Flour 2 ¼ cup
- Turmeric powder 1 tsp
- Eno 1 tsp
- Citric acid a pinch
- Oil 1½ tbsp
- Ingredients for sugar syrup: Water ¼ cup, Sugar 2 tbsp
- Tadka: Oil 1½ tbsp, Asafoetida 1 tsp, Green chilli slit 4-5 no., Mustard seeds 1 tsp, Curry leaves Sprig 2-3 no.
Procedure:
1. In a mixing dish, combine the sugar, salt, lemon juice, and water. Stir until the sugar melts.
2. Using a grinder jar, coarsely crush ginger, green chili, and a small amount of water. Add the mixture to a bowl and stir thoroughly.
3. Gradually add gram flour, thoroughly mix, and create a homogeneous batter.
4. Stir in the citric acid, eno, and turmeric powder.
5. Add the oil, stir, and let aside for five minutes.
6. In the interim Place the large pot on a stand and fill it with water.
7. Fasten the cloth to the pot’s lid and shut it.
8. Spray the tin with oil, add the prepared batter, set it on the steamer, cover it, and cook it for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Take the tin out of the steamer and set it aside after 15 to 20 minutes.
10. In a pan, combine sugar and water; stir to dissolve the sugar completely.
11. Drizzle the prepared dhokla with this syrup and set aside.
12. Heat the oil in the pan, add the mustard seeds, green chili, and asafoetida, stir thoroughly, and sauté for one minute.
13. Top the Dhokla with the tadka after thoroughly mixing in the curry leaves.
14. Divide into halves and serve.
3. Grilled Dhokla Sandwich
(Credit: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients used:
- 4 cups readymade dhokla batter
- Salt to taste
- Oil for greasing
- Crushed black peppercorns to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons crushed corn kernels
- 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped mixed capsicum
- 2 tablespoons grated cottage cheese (paneer)
- 1-2 green chillies, crushed
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
- Green chutney for spreading
- 2 teaspoons ghee + for basting
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
Procedure:
1. Fill a dhokla steamer with enough hot water.
2. Fill a bowl with batter. Mix thoroughly after adding the salt.
3. Pour some batter into the dhokla molds, grease them with oil, and tap. Place the molds in the heated steamer and steam until they are done, then sprinkle some crushed peppercorns on top. Remove, let cool, then de-mould.
4. Place corn kernels in a basin for filling. Mix in the cottage cheese, green chilies, chaat masala, mixed capsicum, and 1 tablespoon of coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly after adding the salt.
5. Using a medium-sized cookie cutter, cut the steaming dhoklas into roundels.
6. Turn on the grill pan without oil.
7. On one side of the roundels, put some green chutney to make dhokla sandwiches. Place a small amount of filling on half of the prepared dhoklas, then cover the other half, chutney side down.
8. To a heated grill pan, add ghee. Splutter it after adding the mustard seeds. Incorporate the leftover coriander leaves and sesame seeds. After placing the sandwiches, cook them until they are light golden on both sides, basting them with ghee.
9. Serve fresh and hot.
4. Dhokla Pizza
(Credit: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients used:
- 3 cups dhokla batter
- 3 tablespoons pizza sauce
- Salt to taste
- Oil for greasing
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium green capsicum, finely chopped
- ¼ cup sweet corn kernels, boiled
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4-5 black olives, pitted and sliced
- Grated mozzarella cheese for garnish
Method:
1. Fill a dhokla steamer with hot water.
2. Fill a bowl with batter. Mix thoroughly after adding the salt.
3. Apply some oil to a dhokla plate. Fill ½ of the way up with batter, then spread.
Step 4: Put the dish inside the heated steamer, cover it, and steam it through. Remove, let cool, then de-mould. Proceed similarly with the leftover batter.
5. In a nonstick pan, heat the olive oil to create the topping. For one minute, add the capsicum and sauté.
6. Include the corn kernels, dried oregano, chili flakes, salt, black olives, and three tablespoons of pizza sauce. Stir and heat for one to two minutes. Place in a basin.
7. Using a medium-sized cookie cutter, cut out half of each dhokla into roundels, then use a small-sized cookie cutter to cut the remaining dhokla.
8. Top each roundel with a little bit of cheese, prepared topping, and pizza sauce. Top with some chilli flakes and dry oregano.
9. Preheat a nonstick skillet and coat it with olive oil. Lay the ready-made dhokla pizzas on the pan, close it, and heat it gently until the cheese melts.
10. Serve warm.
5. Cabbage Dhokla
(Credit: Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients used:
- 1 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)
- 1 cup finely chopped cabbage
- ½ cup curds (dahi)
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 pinches of asafoetida (hing)
- 1½ tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp fruit salt
- Oil (greasing)
- 1½ tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/ sarson)
- 5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (til)
- For the garnish
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
Procedure:
1. In a deep basin, combine the besan, cabbage, curds, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin seeds powder, a sprinkle of asafoetida, and salt with about ½ cup of water. Mix thoroughly to produce a batter that is dropping consistency.
2. Mix the fruit salt into the batter and drizzle with 2 tsp water right before steaming.
3. Stir gently once the bubbles start to appear.
4. Transfer the mixture into a 175 mm (7″) diameter thali that has been greased, then place it in a steamer for ten minutes. Set aside to cool a little.
5. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and an additional pinch of asafetida to a small nonstick pan filled with heated oil.
6. Add the sesame seeds and stir thoroughly once the seeds start to crackle.
7. Drizzle the dhoklas with this tempering.
8. Cut into square pieces of the same size. Serve right away with coriander as a garnish.
