Dhokla Recipe — Soft Steamed Chickpea Flour Cake with Gujarati Tempering
Deepa ShahShare
Dhokla is one of Gujarat's most widely eaten snacks — a soft, spongy steamed cake made from fermented chickpea flour (besan) batter. It is light, slightly tangy from fermentation, and finished with a hot tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli, and a little sugar-water that soaks into the surface and gives it its characteristic flavour balance. The recipe is straightforward but depends on two things: adequate fermentation, and not over-mixing the batter once the fruit salt (eno) is added.
Prep Time: 15 min + 4–6 hours fermentation | Steam Time: 20 min | Serves: 4–6
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 2 cups besan (chickpea flour / gram flour)
- ½ cup yogurt (slightly sour is better)
- ¾ cup water (adjust to get a thick, pourable batter)
- 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp Phoran Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp fruit salt (Eno) — added just before steaming
- 1 tbsp oil
For the Tempering
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp Phoran Black Mustard Seeds
- 8–10 curry leaves
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt (the sweetened water)
For Garnish
- Fresh coriander, chopped
- Fresh grated coconut (optional but traditional)
Method
Step 1: Make and ferment the batter
Mix besan, yogurt, water, ginger-chilli paste, sugar, salt, turmeric, and oil into a smooth, lump-free batter. The consistency should be thick but pourable — like a thick pancake batter. Cover and leave to ferment in a warm place for 4–6 hours. The batter should rise slightly and smell pleasantly sour. In cooler weather, leave overnight.
Step 2: Prepare the steamer
Grease a round thali or cake tin (20–22 cm) with oil. Fill a large pot or steamer with water and bring to a full boil. The water must be boiling before you add the batter.
Step 3: Add fruit salt and steam
Add the fruit salt (Eno) to the fermented batter. Mix gently with a spoon — about 10–12 stirs. Do not over-mix; the bubbles created by the fruit salt reacting with the sour batter are what make the dhokla spongy. Pour immediately into the greased tin. Place in the steamer, cover, and steam on medium heat for 18–20 minutes. Check with a skewer — it should come out clean. Do not open the lid during the first 15 minutes.
Step 4: Make the tempering
While the dhokla is steaming, heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Add curry leaves (they will splutter), green chillies, and sesame seeds if using. Cook 30 seconds. Add the sugar-salt water — it will sizzle. Pour this tempering immediately over the hot dhokla as soon as it comes out of the steamer.
Step 5: Rest and cut
Let the dhokla absorb the tempering for 5 minutes before cutting. Cut into squares or diamonds. Garnish with fresh coriander and grated coconut. Serve warm.
Key Technique Notes
- Fermentation matters: Under-fermented batter produces dense, flat dhokla. 4–6 hours minimum; overnight in cool weather.
- Don’t over-mix after Eno: The bubbles are structural. Over-mixing collapses them and the dhokla will be flat and rubbery.
- Boiling water in the steamer: Adding the tin to water that isn’t yet boiling means uneven steaming and a sunken centre.
- Hot tempering on hot dhokla: The tempering must go on immediately while both are hot so the sweetened water absorbs into the surface.
- Slightly sour yogurt: If your yogurt is fresh and not sour, add ½ tsp lemon juice to the batter to help fermentation.
Serving
Dhokla is served at room temperature or warm, never hot from the steamer. It goes with green coriander chutney and a sweet tamarind chutney. It is eaten as a breakfast, snack, or starter — not as a main course.
Variations
Khaman dhokla (the yellow version above) is the most common. Rava dhokla uses semolina instead of besan and does not require fermentation. Green dhokla (palak dhokla) uses spinach puree in the batter.
