Dhokla

Name: Dhokla
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 125 g/4 oz/generous 1 cup gram flour/besan; 1 tbsp fine semolina; 1 sprig of curry leaves; ¾ tsp mustard seeds; 1 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil; 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves; 5–6 pickled baby beetroot, each cut into 4 pieces; 2 green chillies, slit; ⅛ tsp asafoetida; 1–2 tbsp granulated sugar; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 5–6 sprigs of pea shoots; ¾ tsp Eno fruit salt (unflavoured) plus 1 tbsp water (to activate it); 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut; 1 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil, plus 1 tsp for greasing; 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup water, plus extra if needed; 1½ tsp ginger paste; 1 green chilli, ground to a paste in a pestle and mortar; ⅓ tsp salt; 1 tsp granulated sugar; 1 tbsp Ghati Masala; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; 150 ml/5 fl oz/⅔ cup water

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Yatra

By Rohit Ghai

Published 2025

About

One of the most popular snacks in Gujarati cuisine, dhokla is a steamed savoury cake made with a fermented lentil-rice batter, topped with a spicy tempering. I like to garnish it with ghati masala, fresh coconut, pickled beetroot and pea shoots for a modernized version.

Ingredients

200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup water, plus extra if needed
1½

Asia
India
Snack
Vegan
Gujarat

Method

Put the measured water in a bowl and add the ginger paste, green chilli paste, salt, sugar, tablespoon of oil and lemon juice. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Sift the gram flour and turmeric into a large mixing bowl. Add the fine semolina and give everything a good mix. Pour in the spiced water and whisk to a thick, lump-free batter, adding more water, if needed, to make