Gujarati Khatta Dhokla are fermented and steamed savoury cakes made with lentils, rice and sour yogurt.
In Gujarati cooking, steaming is a common method to cook many recipes. Handvo, moist dudhi na muthiya,spongy nylon khaman,sweet and spicy patra and khichu are all such examples.
Yellow khatta dhokla are made with chana dal and rice. Others are made with different lentils and flavourings like these dhokla with moong dal and garlic.
My Mum always uses a ratio of 1 cup of rice and ¾ cup of chana dal and this always works for her.
The whole cooking process requires some time. Firstly the rice and lentils are soaked then ground into a slightly coarse batter. This is fermented overnight until it turns sour and rises. Flavourings are then added and then steamed until spongy. The dhokla are finished with an aromatic tempering then served.
Here in the UK we have to wait for hot summer days to get a decent rise otherwise I use my Instant pot handvo dhokla batter recipe to ferment.
For recipe variations, try making these fun sandwich dhokla.
Ingredients
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
- Rice - I recommend using short grain rice and not long-grain basmati rice
- Chana dal (split Bengal gram lentils)
- Salt to taste
- Yogurt - low fat sour yogurt works best. Do not use full fat greek or greek style yogurt. The yogurt brings the tart flavour and helps with the fermentation.
- Turmeric powder
- Green chilli and ginger - crushed. You can add some crushed garlic too.
- Eno fruit salt or baking soda
- Optional to garnish - red chilli powder, desiccated coconut
Alternatively, you can purchase dhokla flour from Indian supermarkets
Tempering:
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Curry leaves
Hayley's Tips
- To make white dhokla, simply omit the turmeric powder.
- Soak the rice and dal well (8 hrs or overnight). Keep the batter mixture coarse when grinding. Smooth batter will lead to chewy dhokla.
- Allow to ferment well in a warm place, It should double in volume and smell sour.
- Do not over stir the batter after fermentation to prevent it deflating.
- If steaming the dhokla in batches, only add the eno to the batch you are about to cook.
- The batter should be pourable but not runny. Like thick pancake batter.
- Preheat the steamer or pot before placing the plate inside.
- Steam on medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Do not open the lid frequently while steaming.
- Pour the tempering evenly over the cooled dhokla, not hot — to avoid making it soggy.
- Let the dhokla cool for 10 minutes before cutting. This helps it set and avoids crumbling.
Equipment
Grinder or blender - To prepare the batter.
Steamer or large pot with lid – Traditional method for steaming dhokla. You can also use an idli steamer or a pressure cooker without the whistle.
Dhokla plate or shallow thali – Flat, round plate to pour the batter into for steaming.
Small pan – For preparing the tempering/tadka.
Steamer Stand or Trivet – To place the dhokla plate inside the steamer or pot.
Serving Suggestion
Serve khatta dhokla the traditional way as a snack with a cup of masala chai.
They'll also go great with this green mint and coriander chutney, sweet imli chutney or Rajkot special green chutney.
In the summer try this raw green mango chutney or spicy red chilli raw mango chutney.
Dhokla will often be a part of a Gujarati thali as a farsan.
Storage
Store leftover dhokla in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 day. Reheat in the microwave before serving. They can also be served at room temperature.
Dhokla can be frozen for up to 3 months and you should allow the dhokla to thaw at room temperature. You may find that the texture of the dhokla is not as good.
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📖 Recipe
Khatta Dhokla
Ingredients
Khatta Dhokla Batter
- 1 cup rice
- ¾ cup chana dal
- ½ cup yogurt
- 3 tablespoon ginger and green chillies crushed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon eno or baking soda
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder optional
Vaghar - Tempering
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 sprig curry leaves optional
Garnish
- 4 tablespoon coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut optional
Instructions
Khatta Dhokla Batter
- Rinse rice and lentils in clean water, then soak in cold water atleast 8 hours or overnight.
- Add soaked rice and lentils in a blender jug, grind into a coarse paste with little water.
- Don’t add too much water in the beginning, you can always add more water afterwards if you think batter is too thick.
- The batter has to be same consistency as the idli batter. Add yogurt and mix well.
- Cover the pan with a lid and allow to ferment for 6-7 hours in warm place. (above 25℃)
- Add turmeric powder, salt, ginger, chillies and mix well. Add little water if the batter is thick.
- Heat 3 cups water in a big pot, add eno in batter and mix.
- Pour batter in a deep lightly greased thali.
- Sprinkle red chilli powder on top of the batter.
- Steam for about 12 minutes.
- Leave it to cool slightly. Cut with a clean knife into diamond or square shape.
Vaghar - Tempering
- Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, once they crackle add hing.
- Tip in curry leaves, then dhokla pieces.
- Mix and saute for a couple of minutes.
- Turn off the heat, sprinkle coriander leaves and coconut.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content. First published in April 2012.
Hayley Dhanecha says
The fermented batter gives it that lovely sourness, and it steams so beautifully into a light, spongy texture. I enjoy serving it with green chutney and a simple tempering, it always feels fresh, homely and really satisfying.
Gujarati Zaika says
looks awesome.......
Lifewithspices says
wonderful very interesting dhokla!!
Priya Suresh says
Nice twist to usual dhokla, never tried this way,thanks for sharing Jags..
Shama Nagarajan says
delicious dhokla
Sayantani Mahapatra Mudi says
mostly make it with besan. these look yummy.
Priya dharshini says
I luv this khatta dhokla a lot,very light and yum..