Pans and Needles: Dal Dhokli

Dal Dhokli

Food Blogging Marathon from 2/9/2013 to 30/9/2013. Each day a new alphabet. 4 categories.

Today it is D for Dal Dhokli

This is a famous regional recipe from Gujarat. Each area will have something different and each family too will have a just so recipe which is preferred over other recipes. This is a truly one dish meal.

This dish is also made in some parts of Maharashtra but instead of 'Dhoklis' dumplings are made by taking a fistful of dough and pressing it hard to make a dumpling with impressions of fingers on it. This is called 'MUTKULE' in Marathi and the name for the recipe is Dal Mutkule. This was a very often made dish in my mother's home. My family prefers the Gujarati version so here it is:

Dal Dhokli

Ingredients for the Dhokli:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup besan
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric/haldi powder
1/4th tsp coriander/dhaniya powder
1/4th tsp cumin/jeera powder
1/2 tsp carom/ova/ajwain seeds
1 tblsp oil
salt to taste
water as needed (approximately a little less than 1/2 cup)
Mix everything together and make a dough that is not too soft or too hard. Knead well for 5 minutes. Cover and keep aside till the Dal is almost ready.

Ingredients for the Dal.

1/2 cup toor/tovar/arhar/yellow dal
1 cup water
Pressure cook the dal till soft. Mix well so that it is completely mashed. Keep aside.

Other ingredients for the Dal:

1/4 cup chopped cauliflower
1/4 cup shelled peas
1/4 cup chopped carrots
2 to 3 drumsticks cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped potatoes
2 green bananas that are firm but ready to eat. These will be used last. Do not cut the bananas till just before using them.

All the vegetables should be chopped into fairly small pieces. the size of green peas. Drumsticks should be about 2 to 3 inches long

Potato pieces are kept in water in the small steel vessel

1/2 tsp red chilly powder or to taste
1 tsp cumin/jeera powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander/dhane/dhaniya powder
salt to taste

For the tempering:
1/4 tsp mustard/rai seed
1/4 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
a few fenugreek/methi seeds
1/4 tsp asefotida/hing
1/4 tsp turmeric/haldi powder
4-5 cloves
6-8 black peppercorns
3-4 green cardamom
2-3 pieces of cinnamon
a few curry leaves
10 -12 thin slices of ginger
2 tblsp oil

In a large vessel heat oil till hot and add mustard seeds and as they splutter add all the ingredients for tempering one by one. Add all the vegetables and give it a good stir. Now add the chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and stir and cover for a minute or two.

Add the mashed dal and 6 to 8 cups of water and salt to taste. Let it come to a rolling boil and let it simmer till you do the Dhoklis.

Let the dal simmer on low heat after it comes to a rolling boil like this.

For the Dhoklis

Take the dough and give it a good knead for a couple of minutes and make 4 to 6 balls. Roll to make fairly thin chapatis/rotis.

Make vertical cuts with a knife.

Turn the board slightly and cut again to make diamond shape. If you prefer you can make squares too.Keep the dhokli on lightly floured plates and do the same using all the dough. Don't pile the dhoklis too thick. Use more plates.

When all the dhoklis are done, on high heat and as the Dal is boiling drop all the Dhoklis one by one in the Dal. Be careful while doing this.

The Dhoklis are boiling in the Dal.

Put a lid and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Just before switching off the heat, peel those two bananas and cut in half vertically and then cut small pieces and add to the Dal Dhokli and cover and shut off heat. Let rest for 5 minutes and it is ready to eat.

Serve hot with a spoonful of homemade ghee. This is a great one dish meal. Best eaten hot.