Dainty dhokla recipe
This light, spongy savoury snack with a zingy topping is ideal to serve at teatime. Dhokla is made from steamed chickpea flour batter. If you don’t possess a steamer big enough, place a stand in a large saucepan (with a fitted lid), add water until it reaches halfway up the stand and bring the water to simmering point, Place the dhokla on the stand and cover the pan to cook. Chickpea flour or besan is available from Asian stores, health food shops and good supermarkets.
'Tempering' is a method of briefly frying spices to release their aroma. They are then scatted on top of the dhokla.
Ingredients
For the dhokla- 150 g chickpea flour (gram flour)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger root
- 1 tsp (heaped) bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 green chillies, finely sliced
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 sprinkling desiccated coconut
- 1 ramekin date and tamarind chutney
Details
- Cuisine: Indian
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Grease a 23cm/9inch cake tin or heatproof dish with a little sunflower oil. Put water to heat in a steamer or a large saucepan with a stand.
- Sift the chickpea flour and turmeric into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour and gradually stir in 200ml warm water, crushing any lumps as you stir.
- Add the caster sugar, salt, lemon juice and ginger and at the last minute add the bicarbonate of soda. Pour immediately into the prepared tin.
- Carefully lower the tin on to the stand; cover the pan and steam for 15 minutes (a cocktail stick inserted in the middle should come out clean).
- Remove the dhokla from the pan, allow to cool for 10 minutes, and then cut into bite-sized diamond shapes.
- To make the tempering, heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and when the oil is really hot add the sliced chilli followed by the mustard seeds. As the mustard seeds start to pop add the sesame seeds, curry leaves and desiccated coconut.
- Continue to fry until the coconut becomes golden. Add 4 tablespoons of warm water (this will splutter a little so stand back!) and pour evenly over the top of the dhokla.
- Sprinkle the dhokla with chopped coriander leaves and a little extra coconut. Serve with date and tamarind chutney alongside, for dipping.
Photography by Chris Caldicott.
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