Dokla ... Gujarati Tiffin.

Rice & Dal DOKLA

Dokla is a Famour Gujarat Tiffin / Snack .  There are many versions of Dokla.  One of the traditional method of doing Dokla is by using rice and dal,  very similar to South Indian tiffin, Idli.     We can also prepare Dokla using Rawa. Or Only using Bengal Gram, which is known as Khaman, which is usually sold in shops as Dokla or Khaman Dokla.   

Let us see the method of preparing Dokla using Rice and Dal, which is ideal for tiffin.    

Raw Rice : 1 cup

Bengal gram / Channa Dal :  ½ cup

Curd : ½ cup

Oil : 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder : 2 pinches

Salt to taste

Green chilly  : 4 ( for paste )

Ginger : ¼ inch

Eno Fruit Salt : 3/4 tsp

For Tempering :

Oil : 2 tbsp

Mustard : ½ tsp

Curry leaves : few

Green Chilly : 1  ( Slit into 4 )

Italian Pepper / Bajji Milagai : 1 ( chop into thick slices )

 Salt : 2 pinches

 Sugar : 2 tsp

Lemon Juice :  ¼ tsp

Water : 1 cup

For Garnishing :

Grated Coconut : 2 tbsp

Grated Carrot : 1 tbsp

Finely chopped Coriander leaves : 2 tbsp

          Soak Rice and Bengal gram in sufficient water , overnight.

Next day drain the water and grind nicely adding curd .  Add ½ cup water and mix nicely.

Mix turmeric powder and salt in the batter and let it ferment for 8 to 10 hrs.  ( In summer : 8 hrs & In Winter : 10 hrs of fermentation needed )

When the batter is ready after fermentation, prepare making doklas.

Grind 4 green chillies and ginger to a nice paste.

Add the paste in batter and mix nicely.  

Grease oil inside a deep small plate (Small Thali Plate can be used ) for steaming Doklas and keep it ready. I have used one of my cooker separater.  The batter should fill only half of it. 

Doklas should be steam cooked.  Heat 2 glasses of water in idly pan/ pressure cooker .   Keep a wire stand inside the Pan, to hold dokla vessel, to make sure water will not enter the dokla vessel.  You can also use Dokla Pan for steaming.

Let the water come to a boiling point.

Now mix Eno salt in the batter nicely and should not take more than a minute for mixing. (mix only in one direction , to make sure you will not affect air pockets created by Eno ). 

Immediately pour the batter in the greased plate and close the lid. 

Before steaming 

Steam cook for 12 to 15 mts, in medium to high flame.  After adding Eno, steam cook should be done immediately .

After 12 minutes, insert a knife inside the dokla to check its doneness.  It is done when the knife comes out clean.

Remove the Dokla vessel and Using knife, scrap all around the edges carefully .  Cut Doklas into squares .  You can wet knife before using it, to get clean cut .

I 

Dokla with lots of pores .

Now prepare for tempering.

Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds and when it stops spluttering, add green chilly, Italian pepper and curry leaves.

Saute for a minute in low flame and add water, sugar , salt and give a nice boil. 

When sugar dissolves completely, remove from fire and add lemon juice.

Arrange Doklas in plate.

Spread evenly, this hot tempering over the dokla, spoon by spoon ,  So that the Dokla can absorb the juice nicely.

Keep it aside for 15 mts.  Keep it covered.

Garnish with grated coconut, carrot and coriander leaves and serve.

Tasty tiffin, Dokla is ready.  Serve with spicy green chutney.

·       Adding Italian Pepper / Milagai Bajji is Optional.

·       Mix Eno very nicely and it should be done only in one direction.  But don’t mix for longer time.  Or else, Dokla will not be fluffy.

·       Don’t cook in low flame or else dokla will not be fluffy.

·       Batter should not be too thick or too thin.  It should be in dropping consistency but not pouring consistency to get fluffy Doklas.