There’s that moment when you are just wrapping off your work in the evenings, we all know about. The thought of dinner evokes hard work scenarios, and lunch was a while back. This is the time when we all want a snack that’s quick, easy and hassle-free. Sure, we could grab something on the way home, or just order something in. Or maybe just some bread jam would be enough. These confusing thoughts about what exactly we need when the hunger pangs hit—but we don’t want any hard work of chopping or cooking—can be difficult to navigate. Here’s the quick-fix solution you need: Fix yourself some spicy and savoury Tadka Dhoklas!
While Dhoklas can be a great snack on any given day, the mixture of sweet and savoury that makes up the traditional Khaman Dhokla is perhaps not what you crave in the evenings. Instead, our thoughts always go for the unhealthiest, yet absolutely lip-smacking, roadside chaats that wreak havoc on our taste buds. What if you could make a Dhokla with the yummiest tadka in no time? Of course, this is the recipe you need every evening, and it’s quite healthy and safe too.
Prepared with Sooji or semolina and Besan or gram flour, this Tadka Dhokla recipe is so easy to make that any beginner-level cook can whip it up. Use a microwave to steam the dhoklas, and your cooking time becomes shorter still. Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup besan or gram flour
1 cup sooji or semolina
1 cup curd
¼ tsp hing or asafoetida
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp Eno fruit salt
Salt, to taste
1.5 cups water
For the tadka
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp hing or asafoetida
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chaat masala
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
Method:
Place the semolina, gram flour, curd, asafaoetida, turmeric, sugar, salt and oil in a large mixing bowl.
Add the curd and water, mix everything well, then let the dhokla mix sit for half an hour. This will let the semolina rise.
After the resting period, add the Eno fruit salt to the dhokla mix, give it a quick and thorough stir, then pour into a microwave-proof dhokla pan.
Cover the dhokla pan or bowl with cling film, then cook it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (any power works). Insert a skewer to check if the dhokla is cooked.
Once it cools down, remove the dhokla cake and cut it into small pieces.
For the tadka, heat oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, cumin seeds and green chillies.
Once they stop spluttering, add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and stir.
Add the dhokla pieces and mix everything well with a light hand to ensure the dhokla pieces don’t break.
Once everything is mixed well, switch off the flame and add the coriander leaves and chaat masala. Serve hot with chutney.