Moong Dal Dhokla are a Gujarati specialty made with mag ni dal. I love adding garlic to make lasaniya dhokla—a delicious, fermented snack with an extra burst of flavour.

steamed rice and lentil yellow square pieces placed on the serving tray.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content. The recipe remains the same. First published in March 2013.

While dhokla is traditionally made with rice and chana ni dal, I’ve always been curious about how different lentils and flours can change the taste and texture of this classic.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with my Mum with various combinations. Recently, I made dhokla with mag ni dal—yellow moong dal—as a lighter alternative to khatta dhokla made with chana ni dal. It’s quickly become one of my favourite variations!

Whenever we get the (slightly elusive) Indian summer here in Britain, I set to work fermenting all sorts of batters for dhokla and handvo too!

Fermenting the batter in the hot sun helps – exactly what’s needed for the rise.

The results were perfectly fluffy and well risen dhoklas that surprised everyone. They tasted great – and sour and had a wonderful spongy texture. The proof is in the pictures!

Great as a snack or as farsan in a Gujarati thali. Generously dunk them in a thick herby chutney like my finger-licking raw mango green chutney It’s sweet, tart and spicy! A steaming up of adrak chai is my go-to!

Yellow coloured Gujarati steamed savoury cakes arranged in a serving platter.

Ingredients

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

For Dhokla:

yellow moong dal – sometimes sold as split yellow lentils too.
sour yogurt – I like using a low fat sour yogurt made with live cultures, which aids the fermentation process and bring out tartness.
crushed garlic, ginger & green chillies – I love the subtle taste of garlic in these dhokla, the flavour with the moong dal works really well. You can leave it out though.
eno fruit salt – instead of eno, I’ve also used baking soda which is a perfectly reasonable substitute.
citric acid aka limbu na phool – citric acid helps to add a sourness, useful if the batter didn’t ferment for long enough. This is optional and I’ve tried the recipe with and without with good results.

For Tempering

oil – neutral flavoured oil is best.
dried red chillies – these are optional and I sometimes add, sometimes don’t. They infuse extra dry heat to the oil when tempered.
slit green chillies – the fresh spiciness of green chillies cannot be beaten! You can also cut them into rounds.
mustard seeds, cumin seeds & hing (asafoetida) – all standard as part of a vaghar. The combination of these layers the flavour.
fresh curry leaves – another classic in a Gujarati vaghar. I like to use really fresh curry leaves as they release the best aroma.

Don’t forget the garnish – my go-to for dhokla has to be lots of freshly chopped coriander. Sometimes I do a sprinkle of desiccated coconut too!

Tips & Tricks

Dhokla can easily become dense rather than airy. This usually happens when the batter is either too thick or not aerated enough. From my experience, blending the soaked moong dal with a little extra water for a smooth, pourable batter really helps. Also, I’ve found that adding eno just before steaming and lightly folding it in (never overmixing) creates the perfect airiness.

I always steam dhokla on high heat for sponginess, preventing the dhokla sinking in the middle and brown spots appearring on the surface.

Sometimes the cooked dhokla can stick to the plate. My Mum’s top tip for this is to generously grease the plate with plenty of oil. It helps to lift out the dhokla. Also, wait for them to cool slightly, they’ll crumble less.

moong dal dhokla in a plate served with chai and red chutney.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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