Dhokla is a popular Gujarati snack made with soaked rice and chana dal. It is a combination of sweet and sour taste, which tastes great with tempering or any chutney. In this recipe, I made dhokla without any steamer, cooker, or mold. It is quick and ideal for a healthy morning breakfast or a great option for a tiffin box. Do try this easy and foolproof recipe of soft and spongy dhokla at home.
The key to making soft instant dhokla at home are
- Firstly, for dhokla batter quantity of rice and chana dal should be equal. Also, add some poha which makes it fluffy and softer.
- Dhokla batter should be medium thick and pouring consistency. Also, whisk the dhokla batter well so air particles incorporate into it and dhokla become soft and spongy dhokla.
- For soft and fluffy dhokla, I have added Eno fruit salt which can be easily replaced with baking soda if you wish to. But I would heavily recommend skipping turmeric as it would react with baking soda to yield pink color spots.
- I use a deep vessel for making dhokla, so steam pressure will generate and cook on the plate. You can use steel cups or plates to shape it and steam the idli’s in kadai or steamer.
- Steam dhokla on high-medium flame. do not steam it on low flame.
- Lastly, dhokla tastes great when served hot with tempering or chutney.
Recipe video
Instant dhokla recipe | dal chawal dhokla recipe | dhokla without steamer
Ingredients
For instant dhokla
- 1 bowl small grain rice
- 1 bowl chana dal
- ½ cup poha
- ½ tsp methi dana
- 2-3 spicy green chilli
- 1 inch ginger
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Pinch of hing
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup sour curd
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ cup water or as required to grind batter
- ½ tsp Eno for half batter - or ¼ tsp baking soda
- Some coriander leaves
For dhokla tempering
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 green chilli slits
- 10-12 curry leaves
- Pinch of hing
- Some coriander leaves
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add rice, chana dal, poha, and methi seeds. Wash and soak it for 5-6 hrs.
- Then remove water and in a mixture jar, add soaked dal-rice mixture, ginger, green chili, salt, turmeric powder, hing, sugar, curd, oil, and some water. grind it.
- Dhokla batter should be medium thick and pouring consistency.
- Take out batter into mixing bowl and Whisk it with hand for 3-4 minutes. also, divide the batter into two parts.
- Now add some coriander leaves and eno fruit salt into the batter. mix well.
- Then in a deep bottom vessel (big patili) add 3-4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- When water comes to a boil, place a greased plate on it and add batter with a ladle does not spread it. (refer to video)
- Cover and steam dhokla on high flame.
- It should take 4 minutes to properly steam. Check with a knife, if it comes out clean then it is properly cooked.
- Make all dhokla in the same way. Allow it to cool for a while.
- Now heat oil into a tadka pan, add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, chopped green chili, curry leaves, and a pinch of hing. Sauté it.
- Now add tadka on dhokla. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and mix well.
- Serve dhokla with chutney.
Notes
- the ratio of rice and dal should be equal in dhokla batter.
- addition of some poha into the batter gives a soft and spongy texture to dhokla.
- do not add more water while grinding the dhokla batter
- whisk the batter for 3-4 minutes, so air particles incorporate in it and dhokla become light and fluffy.
- make medium thick and pour consistency of the batter.
- if your batter is slightly thin, then add some rava to absorb water and give thickness to the batter.
- steam dhokla only for 4 min on high flame. also if the knife comes out clean then dhokla is properly cooked
- dhokla tastes great when it is served hot.