Dhokla

Gujarati Khaman Dhokla

A traditional Gujarati steamed snack made from a fermented batter of chickpea flour and yoghurt, finished with a sizzling tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli. Feather-light, tangy and savoury, it is best eaten warm with green chutney.

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4 to 6 (one 20 cm round tin)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz / 1½ cups) besan (chickpea flour), fine, fresh besan gives best rise
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) plain full-fat yoghurt, slightly sour is ideal
• •120 ml (½ cup) water, adjust to batter consistency
• •10 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger paste
• •2 to 3 whole green chillies, finely chopped, adjust to taste
• •1 tsp turmeric powder
• •1 tsp Eno fruit salt (unflavoured), traditional leavening; do not substitute baking soda in same quantity
• •1 tsp sugar
• •1 tsp salt, or to taste
• •2 tbsp oil, for the batter, plus more for greasing
• •2 tbsp oil, for the tempering
• •1 tsp mustard seeds, rai
• •1 tbsp white sesame seeds, optional
• •10 to 12 whole fresh curry leaves
• •2 whole green chillies, slit, for tempering
• •1 pinch hing (asafoetida), skip for gluten-free check
• •250 ml (1 cup) water, for the tempering liquid
• •1 tsp sugar, for the tempering liquid
• •1 tsp lemon juice, fresh

Steps

1. 1 Grease a 20 cm (8 in) round steaming tin or thali with oil. Prepare a steamer with about 5 cm (2 in) of water and bring it to a rolling boil.
2. 2 In a large bowl whisk together besan, yoghurt, water, ginger paste, chopped green chillies, turmeric, sugar, salt and 2 tbsp oil until smooth. The batter should be a thick but pourable ribbon-like consistency (drop a spoonful; it should drop smoothly off the spoon, not in lumps). Cover and rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes — this short ferment builds the classic tang.
3. 3 Just before steaming, stir the Eno fruit salt into 2 tbsp of water until it fizzes, then fold it gently into the batter in one motion. Do not beat; fold just until evenly distributed, then immediately pour into the greased tin and tap gently to level.
4. 4 Place the tin in the steamer, cover with a tight lid (wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel to absorb condensation so it does not drip onto the dhokla). Steam on medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes. Doneness cue: insert a toothpick into the centre; it should come out clean and the surface should spring back when pressed.
5. 5 While the dhokla steams, prepare the tempering: heat 2 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking, add mustard seeds and wait until they splutter and turn grey, add sesame seeds and stir for 5 seconds, add curry leaves (stand back — they splatter), slit green chillies and hing, then pour in the water, sugar and lemon juice and bring to a quick boil.
6. 6 Remove the dhokla from the steamer and let it rest 2 minutes. Cut into squares or diamonds with a greased knife, pour the hot tempering evenly over the top so it seeps into the cuts, and let it soak for 5 minutes before serving.
7. 7 Serve warm with green coriander-mint chutney and sweet tamarind chutney. Dhokla is best eaten the day it is made; it does not re-steam well.