Dhokla
 | |
| Alternative names | Dhokra |
|---|---|
| Course | Breakfast, side dish, main course |
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | Gujrat |
| Serving temperature | Cold, or room temp |
| Main ingredients | Besan (chickpea flour) and rice flour |
| Variations | Khaman |
 Cookbook: Dhokla  Media: Dhokla | |
Dhokla (Gujarati: ઢોકળા ḍhōkḷā) is a vegetarian food item that originates from the Indian state of Gujarat. It is made with a fermented batter derived from rice and split chickpeas.[1] Dhokla can be eaten for breakfast, as a main course, as a side dish, or as a snack. Dhokla is very similar to Khaman, and the terms are frequently used interchangeably.
History
Dukkia, a pulse-based precursor of the dhokla, is mentioned in a Jain text dated to 1066 CE. The earliest extant work to mention the word "dhokla" is the Gujarati Varanaka Samuchaya (1520 CE).[2]
Preparation
Rice and split chickpeas (chana dal), in a particular ratio (to achieve the desired texture and taste) are soaked overnight. The mixture is ground, and the paste is fermented for four to five hours or overnight. This is spiced by adding chili pepper, Coriander, ginger and baking soda.
The fermented batter is then steamed for about 15 minutes on a flat dish and cut into pieces. These chopped pieces are seasoned in hot oil with mustard seeds. Asafoetida and chopped green chillies can also be fried and, sometimes, an equal amount of water and a little sugar is added to this oil. The pieces are then removed from dish. Sometimes it is also fried in hot oil with cumin seeds.
It is usually served with deep fried chillies and chutney made from coriander. It is garnished with coriander and often with grated coconut.
Another method is to steam the fermented batter for 15 minutes on plates placed inside a container that does not let allow steam to escape. To avoid steam water falling on the batter during preparation, a cloth may be placed inside the container. The plates are directly not placed on the base, or the batter will burn, so a small stand is used. When the batter is steamed properly, the plates are taken out of the container and then served with raw oil poured over the dhokla, or used as dip. Other ingredients like curd, tomato sauce, garlic paste, or coriander paste may be used in serving, however none of these are traditionally eaten with dhokla.
Types of Dhokla
There are different kinds of dhokla prepared with different ingredients and ratios of chickpeas. Some of the popular kinds of dhoklas are:
- Khatta dhokla
- Rasia dhokla
- Khandhavi dhokla
- Cheese dhokla
- Toor dal dhokla
- Sandwich dhokla
- Rawa dhokla
- Mixed dal dhokla
- Green peas dhokla
Khaman is a similar gram flour-based food. Whereas dhokla is made with rice and chickpeas, khaman is made from chickpeas only. It is generally lighter in color and softer than dhokla, to make dhokla small proportion of baking soda is added while in khaman more baking soda is added to make it more fluffy spongy and porous.
Idada is another variety of dhokla, which is made by using different lentils like black grams, also known as urad dal, instead of Chickpea.Dhokla is very commonly used as a breakfast or as a snacks in western part of India including Madhya Pradesh, though nowadays its available in every Indian state. Its easy to cook and easy to digest snack.
See also
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
References
- ↑ Redhead, J. F. (1989). Utilization of tropical foods. Food & Agriculture Org. p. 26. ISBN 978-92-5-102774-5.
- ↑ K. T. Achaya (1994). Indian food: a historical companion. Oxford University Press. p. 134.
