Dhokla

Name: Dhokla
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups chickpea flour (besan); 2/3 cup plain yogurt; 2/3 cup water; 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced; 1 green chili, minced; 2 tbsp lemon juice; to taste salt; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 2 tbsp oil for tempering; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 10 fresh curry leaves; 1/4 tsp asafetida (hing)

Fluffy, light steamed cake made from chickpea flour with aromatic tempering. A beloved Gujarati breakfast that's tangy, savory, and delightfully spongy.

35 minMediumServes 6200 cal/serving

IndianBreakfastStovetopVegetarianEgg-Free

Ingredients

2 cups chickpea flour (besan)
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup water
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 green chili, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
to taste salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp oil for tempering
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves
1/4 tsp asafetida (hing)

Instructions

1

In a bowl, whisk together 2 cups chickpea flour (besan) and 2/3 cup plain yogurt until smooth.
2

Add 2/3 cup water, 1 tsp minced fresh ginger, 1 minced green chili, 2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste salt, and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Mix well into a smooth batter.
3

Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes.
4

Just before steaming, add 1/2 tsp baking soda and whisk gently to incorporate air. The batter should become lighter in color and texture.
5

Pour the batter into a greased square or round baking pan (about 8x8 inches).
6

Pour water into a large pot to a depth of about 2 inches. Insert a steamer rack.
7

Place the batter-filled pan on the steamer rack, cover with aluminum foil, and cover the pot with a lid.
8

Steam for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9

Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
10

Cut into squares. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small pan, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and let crackle, then add 10 fresh curry leaves and 1/4 tsp asafetida (hing).
11

Pour the tempering over the cakes and serve warm.

Questions

Can I make Dhokla dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 2/3 cup plain yogurt. Swap the yogurt for an unsweetened coconut or soy yogurt. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

How long does Dhokla keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Dhokla?

Yes. As written it serves 6. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.