Rice and Lentil Dhokla with Tangy Raw Mango Topping

Dhokla is a kind of savory steamed cake that is made from a fermented batter, made of various types of lentils, rice, chickpea flour and even bread. The popular ones are made out of chickpea flour but I like to combine rice, Bengal gram and black gram lentil to whip out scrumptious succulent pieces.

I prefer to call them “Jiffy food”. The moment you serve these little parcels, they are quick to find their own set of followers. It has now ceased to drop the tagline “Gujarati Only” snack of preference. It has traversed boundaries to become a global favorite. This recipe is an instant hit among today’s fast paced health conscious generation because of its low Glycemic Index. It is very nutritious because of the use of Bengal gram which is low in fat, carbohydrate and high in protein content. It is extremely light on your palate as well. These days, it has often served at big gatherings because it can be prepared in advance and it is easy to re-heat.

You can make dhokla's more nutritious by adding finely chopped carrots, French beans, grated bottled gourd, green peas and finely chopped cabbage to the batter before steaming or do some variation by adding some interesting topping.

Today I have done some variation by using raw mangoes as topping for tempering the steamed dhokla’s. The tangy spicy topping enhances the aroma and it gives an extra punch to its taste.

This recipe requires some advance preparation time and needs practice to attain the required texture.

Here is the recipe for my unique “jiffy food”:

Preparation time: One day in Advance

Cooking time: Under 30 minutes

Equipment: Dhokla Thali/Plates and a Steamer

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredient for the Dhokla:

Rice: 2 Cups

Bengal Gram (Chana Daal): 1 Cup

Black Lentil (Urad Daal): 1 Cup

Green Chilli, Ginger Paste: 2 Tsp

Chopped Coriander Leaves: 3 Tbsp

Buttermilk (chaach): 2-3 Cups

Asafetida: ¼ tsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Tbsp for sprinkling on the bottom of the plates

Oil: 2 Tsp

Salt to taste

Ingredient for the Topping:

Thinly sliced raw mango strips:  1 Cup

Black Mustard Seeds: 1 ½ Tsp

Green Chilli: Thinly Sliced, 3-4

Coriander Leaves: A bunch finely chopped

Roughly pounded Coriander Seeds: 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder: ½ Pinch

Salt to Taste

Method:

1. Clean, wash and soak dal and rice together overnight.

2. Next morning grind the mixture into a coarse batter adding just enough buttermilk and care to not make it watery. Do not add water separately. 3. Now add green chilli and ginger paste, chopped coriander leaves, asafetida and salt to the batter and mix it well. 4. It’s time to add eno fruit salt to batter for fermenting the batter. Leave it for 10 minutes and you will see the batter will rise on its own. It helps to give dhokla its spongy consistency. 5. Apply a little oil to a dhokla thali( flat metal with low rim). Pour enough batter so as to fill half the height of the dhokla plates. 6. Sprinkle a little red chilli powder on top of the dough. Place the dhokla plates in a steamer and steam for about 10-15 minutes, until the dhokla's are cooked. Just like cake, when you insert a skewer or knife, it should come out clean. 7. Now take a frying pan and heat up the remaining oil. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Stir fry the green chillies along with raw mango pieces. It’s time to add the powdered spices to the mixture. Stir fry the topping over low flame. Add salt and throw in the chopped coriander leaves. 8. You don’t have to overcook the topping. We have to retain the crunchy texture of the raw mangoes. 9. Now pour the topping over the dhokla’s and cut diamond or square pieces as per your choice. The tasty dhokla’s are ready to be savored. Enjoy and relish the food for life.