Dal Dhokli Recipe
This unique dal from western India features plump wheat and chickpea flour dumplings in a tasty dal suffused with ginger, tomatoes and spices. It's a crave-worthy Indian pasta dish.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 302kcal
Ingredients
For dhokli
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (if available, use atta or the Indian durum wheat flour used to make roti)
- ¼ cup besan (chickpea flour)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or any red chilli powder)
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil (use any neutral-flavored oil)
For tadka (tempering)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (or serrano pepper, minced)
- 2 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (or any red chilli powder. Tweak to your tolerance for heat)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
Other ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon jaggery (or sugar)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Make dhokli
- Place the dhokli ingredients in a bowl- whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, cayenne, turmeric, ground cumin, carom seeds (ajwain) and salt. Whisk to mix.
- Drizzle on the oil and use your fingers to rub the oil into the dough, like you would if you were making shortcrust pastry.
- Gently drizzle in water, a little bit at a time, and knead until a stiff dough forms. This is really important. A softer dough will yield sticky dhokli that clump together in the dal. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl and let the dough relax 30 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, divide it into three equal-sized balls. Flatten one of the balls and dust it and the surface liberally with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 9-inch roti.
- Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut 1-inch diamond shapes or squares. Place the dumplings in a bowl and set them aside.
Make the dal
- Place the toor dal in a saucepan or pressure cooker. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric and enough water to cover by an inch. Pressure cook for three whistles or cook for 20-30 minutes until the dal is very, very soft. Whisk the dal to puree it. Set aside.
Make tadka
- Heat oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add asafetida, curry leaves, chopped green chili peppers, fenugreek seeds and ginger. Lower heat to medium and sauté for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, mix, then add ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and cayenne. Mix, cover, and lower heat to medium-low.
- Let the tomatoes cook until they are a bit soft but not completely pulpy. You want some of the sweetness of the tomatoes to remain intact.
Make dal dhokli
- Add the cooked and pureed dal along with three cups water to the tomatoes. Stir in the jaggery. Bring the dal to a boil and add salt to taste. Cover the dal and let it simmer 10 minutes.
- One by one, add the dhokli into the dal. Don't dump them in all at once because they will stick together. Use a ladle to gently stir them in.
- Bring the dal back to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 more minutes. Stir gently a few times in between. Turn off the heat, garnish the dal dhokli with cilantro, and serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1022IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg