Instant Dhokla

Dhokla/ઢોકળા one of the popular Gujarati dishes! It just reminds me of the funny dialogue from the movie 3 Idiots where Kareena Kapoor talks about Dhokla, fafda, handva :)

Dhoklas are steamed snacks and made of different ingredients. Khaman dhoklas are made of chickpea flour, Moong Dal Dhoklas and made of split moong, White dhoklas are made of rice flour and lentils. Today we will be preparing white dhoklas with sooji or semolina. This is a quick variety of dhokla, steamed and healthy snack with no oil or just 1 tsp of oil used for tempering.

Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)

1 cup rava/sooji/semolina
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. grated ginger and green chillies
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ENO regular fruit salt

For tempering: (optional)
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp mustard seed
Chopped green chillies
curry leaves
Cilantro for garnishing

• Take 1 cup of fine sooji/rava/ semolina in a large bowl. Semolina is made of wheat. It is coarsely ground wheat seeds.
• Mix 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 3/4 cups of water to make a thick batter. Whisk well to avoid lumps and to incorporate air.
• Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile add salt, ginger and chopped chillies.
• Get the steam bath ready to steam our dhoklas.
• You do not need a dhokla cooker. Use a regular pressure cooker without whistle or a deep pan with a steal container with water.
• When the steam bath is ready, grease dhokla thali or steal dish to pour the batter.
• Add 2 tsp of ENO fruit salt to the batter.
• As soon as you add ENO, the batter starts bubbling. Mix well.
• Pour the batter into grease thali or flat dish that can be steamed.
• Sprinkle some red chilly powder  and pepper powder (optional)
• Put the thali over steaming water. thali should not touch the water. The batter cooks with the help of steam. Cover the pressure cooker (do not put the whistle. we do not want the pressure to develop)
• Cut into square of diagonal pieces.
• Serve with green chutney or garlic chutney as it is or temper and garnish before serving.

To temper: 

• In a small pan heat 1 tsp. oil, add mustard seeds, chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till mustard seeds crackle. Pour over dhoklas and spread the temper well.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Take 1 cup of fine sooji/rava/ semolina in a large bowl. Semolina is made of wheat. It is coarsely ground wheat seeds.

Mix 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 3/4 cups of water to make a thick batter. Whisk well to avoid lumps and to incorporate air.

Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile add salt, ginger and chopped chilly.

Get the steam bath ready to steam our dhoklas.

You do not need a dhokla cooker. Use a regular pressure cooker without whistle or a deep pan with a steal container with water.

When the steam bath is ready, grease dhokla thali or steal dish to pour the batter.

Add 2 tsp of ENO fruit salt to the batter.

As soon as you add ENO, the batter starts bubbling.

Mix the batter thoroughly and quickly.

Pour the batter into grease thali or flat dish that can be steamed.

Sprinkle some red chilly powder  and pepper powder (optional)

Put the thali over steaming water. thali should not touch the water. The batter cooks with the help of steam. Cover the pressure cooker (do not put the whistle. we do not want the pressure to develop)

Cover and steam for 5-8 minutes depending upon the thickness of the batter.

Remove the lid and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before you remove the thali/plate from the cooker.

Cut into square of diagonal pieces.

Serve with green chutney or garlic chutney as it is or temper and garnish before serving.

To temper: 

In a small pan heat 1 tsp. oil, add mustard seeds, chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till mustard seeds crackle. Pour over dhoklas and spread the temper well.

Serve with Green Cilantro Chutney or Garlic chutney.

Enjoy this quick Gujarati farsan/snack!