Isn't it amazing how sometimes it only takes an incredible cup of chai to drift your attention away from a particularly bad day. This is perhaps why you never like to compromise on your tea-time, come rain or shine. In India, tea-time is often accompanied with a bunch of snacks like biscuits, pakodas, chips etc. Every region has its own unique set of snacks that are deemed 'perfect' to be served with a cup of tea. In Gujarat, you find a range of these snacks or farsaan, the most popular has to be the dhokla. You have to agree, dhokla is quite possibly one of the most popular snacks to have emerged out of Gujarat, which has now become a sensation across the country and abroad. It is tough to find a big confectionary or sweet shop that does not have dhokla up their menu.
(Also Read: Watch: How To Make Gujarati Rice Dhokla To Satiate Mid-Meal Hunger Pangs (Video Inside)
Now, for people who have still not tried the fascinating snack, dhokla is a spongy cake like snack that defies popular stereotypes you have of an Indian snack. For starters, it is not fried, it is steamed. It is not necessarily spicy; it is in fact sometime dipped in a sugar syrup. It is so soft, that you do not even need any cutlery to break it.
(Also Read: Make Instant Dhokla In A Glass That Too Without Steamer, Here's How!)
Dhokla can be made with a combination if ingredients
Dhoklas are of many kinds, it can be made with a combination of ingredients like rice, sooji or besan. Besan dhokla is arguably the more popular variant, but that does not mean the other types of dhoklas are any less flavourful. Take for instance this chana dal dhokla. It is made with a batter comprising chana dal, yogurt and sugar.
(Also Read: Watch: Instant Sooji Dhokla Recipe In Under 30 Mins - Perfect For Sudden Hunger Pangs)
Chutney can help elevate the taste of dhoklas
To make the batter, you would be required to soak the dal first so that it softens and mix it with yogurt and sugar before you keep it for fermenting. To make a smooth batter, grind everything a jar after a good mix, this would help you save a lot of time.
Post this you would need to grease the moulds of your steamer and allow the dhokla to cook. Once cooked, cut in cubes. You can garnish it with a tempering of mustard seeds and fresh coriander leaves.
You can find the complete recipe of Chana Dal Dhokla here.
While dhokla needs no accompaniment, many people like to pair it with coriander and mint chutney. Here is the recipe dhaniya pudina chutney (also known as mint chutney or hari chutney).
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