Dhokla

Method

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1. Whisk the gram flour, water, lemon juice, sugar, salt, ginger, chopped chillies, turmeric and batter oil into a smooth batter.

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2. Rest 15 minutes.

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3. Bring a steamer to a full boil and grease a 20 cm tin.

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4. Whisk the eno into the batter — it will froth — and pour it into the tin at once.

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5. Steam 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

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6. Cool 5 minutes, then cut into diamonds while still in the tin.

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7. Heat the tempering oil and pop the mustard seeds for 30 seconds.

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8. Add the curry leaves and slit chillies for 15 seconds, then the tempering sugar and water. Boil 1 minute.

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9. Pour the hot tempering evenly over the warm dhokla and let it soak in for 10 minutes.

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10. Scatter the coriander over and serve.

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Chef’s Tips

• Steamer boiling and tin greased before the eno goes in.
• Cut it in the tin while warm, not after it cools.
• The sugar tempering is what makes it taste Gujarati.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Green chilli chutney
• Masala chai
• Fried green chillies

Storage & Reheating

Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Steam for 3 minutes to bring it back.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.