Dal Dhokli Recipe
Dal Dhokli is a one-pot comfort meal made with whole-wheat flour dumplings shimmered in lentil curry.
Servings: 6 people
Calories:
Equipment
- 1 Parat For mixing the dough
- 1 Rolling Pin and Board are needed for making the dhokli
- 1 Knife to cut the dhokli
- 1 Plates to keep the dhokli
- 1 Pressure cooker to cook the Dal
- 1 Thick bottomed pan to make the Dal
- 1 Hand blender to blend the Dal
- 1 Tadka pan for tempering the Dal
- Plates to serve
Ingredients
For The Dhoklis:
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1-½ tablespoon chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds or ajwain, optional
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- Salt to Taste
- whole-wheat flour for rolling
For The Dal:
- 1 cup toor dal
- Salt to Taste
- 5 Kokum soaked and drained
- ½ tablespoon Lemon juice
- 5 tablespoon Jaggery chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic diced fine
- 1 teaspoon Ginger diced fine
- 1 teaspoon Green chillies diced fine
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 10 Curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 Cloves
For Garnishing and Serving:
- 4 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
Instructions
For The Dhoklis
- In a large bowl, I use what we call parat, add whole wheat flour and besan. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder.
- Add ajwain or carom seeds if using them. Mix in the oil and salt to taste.
- Add water and knead into the dough. I prefer it to be stiff but soft enough to roll out.
- Keep covered and set aside, say for 15-20 minutes while you get the other ingredients ready.
For The Dal
- In a container, wash and drain the Dal. Soak the Dal for about 10 minutes.
- Pressure cook for 3 whistles and let the pressure drop naturally before opening the lid.
- Transfer the cooked Dal to a deep wok/kadhai or pan. Blend until smooth using a hand blender.
- Add hot water, salt, kokum, lemon juice, jaggery, garlic paste, ginger paste, and green chilli paste.
- Add chilli powder, curry leaves and turmeric powder, mix well.
- Cook on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Tempering the Dal
- In the small tempering pan, heat both the ghee and oil. Splutter the mustard seeds and jeera.
- Toss in the asafoetida, cinnamon and cloves. Break the red chillies into pieces and add to the pan.
- Sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
- Add this hot, sizzling, aromatic tempering to the Dal, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
To put together the Dal Dhokli
- Lightly knead the dough into small balls; I make about five.
- Dredge the dough ball in a little whole wheat flour, then roll one ball into a thin circle, a chapatti. Use the dry flour as needed.
- Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut the chapati into diamond or square shapes. Transfer the cut pieces to a plate individually.
- Take care that the pieces are not overlapping or too close to one another to prevent sticking.
- Similarly, roll out the remaining dough and cut it into pieces.
- Now, place your Dal on medium flame and bring the Dal to a gentle simmering boil.
- Lower the heat and add the pieces or dhoklis to the Dal one by one.
- Let the Dal come to a boil as the dhokli cooks; they will rise to the top.
- Adjust the consistency of the Dal; it should not be too thick or too thin.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Your Dal Dhokli is ready to serve in individual plates, drizzled with ghee.
Video
Notes
Protips for Dal Dhokli
- Remember to add the cut dhokli individually to the Dal, piece by piece, unless you want a big fat lump of dough in the Dal.
- Add more water if the Dal thickens while simmering.
- Remember is that the Dhokli needs to be added and cooked just before serving; otherwise, you have a soggy mess on your hands.