Dhokla is to Gujaratis what pizza is to Italians. It is made in almost all the Gujarati families. Khaman dhokla the fluffy commercial version is more famous around the world but this healthy and nutritious delight has its own fan following.

Most of the families prepare the dhokla flour in advance and use it as required. This flour can be stored up to three months in refrigerator.

The dhokla flour needs to be mixed with sour curd and left over night to ferment. My mother in law uses buttermilk to make the batter. It adds to the softness and tangy taste of the dhokla. Just before steaming the dhokla a tempering (tadka) is added to enhance the flavour and add spice to the dhokla.

There are two ways to enjoy dhoklas. One is to add tempering (the Gujarati way) and eat it with tea and second one is the healthier option to just cut it into piece and eat it with garlic chutney like I do.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups dhokla flour
• 3 cups butter milk
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 pinches soda
• Paste of 2 pods of garlic and 1 green chilli
• 1 tbsp oil
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies broken into pieces
• 1 tsp red chilli powder for sprinkling
• 6-8 curry leaves

For Tempering

• 2 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 14 tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Make a batter with dhokla flour, butter milk, and salt and keep it in a warm place overnight to ferment. The batter is ready when it is fermented and you get a sour smell from it. Add garlic and green chilli paste and soda. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chillies. Once the seeds pop, pour this mixture over the dhokla batter and cover it for few seconds. Mix well and check for salt.

Grease a thali (plate with high edges) and pour 1/3 of batter. Sprinkle few pinches of red chilli powder and steam it in a steamer for 8-10 minutes or till the dhoklas are cooked. The clean skewer rule of cake works for dhokla too. If the skewer comes out clean, dhokla is done. Let it cool slightly and cut into diamond shaped pieces.

Repeat the above step to for the remaining batter. You can make three batches from the batter.

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve the dhoklas hot with tea and garlic chutney. This is the healthier version of dhoklas.

Another way to eat this is by tempering the dhoklas.

Heat 2tbsp oil in a kadhai. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chillies, and curry leaves. Once the seeds pop add turmeric and red chilli powder. Mix and immediately add dhoklas and mix well. Cook for 3-4 mins sautéing in between to you see the dhoklas getting slightly browned or crispy on the edges. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve hot with tea and garlic chutney.