Dal Dhokli is a traditional Gujarati dish where dal is simmered with spiced wheat flour dumplings (dhokli) until they cook through and absorb the flavors of the dal. The dumplings become juicy, flavourful and develop a soft, pasta-like texture that is difficult to replicate any other way. I have shared a dal recipe that balances sweet, tangy and spicy notes perfectly, that you can have it as a one pot dish. Let’s see how to make Gujarati Dal Dhokli with step-by-step pictures and a full video.
When you want soul-warming one-pot meal, just one bowl, deeply satisfying.
Check out my Khaman recipe and Khandvi recipe in this website.
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What is Dal Dhokli?
Dal Dhokli (દાળ ઢોકળી in Gujarati) is a traditional Gujarati one-pot meal in which small pieces of spiced whole wheat dough are cooked directly in a simmering lentil gravy. Dhokli comes from dhok meaning small lumps or pieces. So Dhokli literally points to small dumplings or bits of dough. In this everyday dish, it simply means bite-sized wheat flour dumplings added to dal.
About
I came to know only few years back and got tempted by this reel from Srujan so bookmarked it and kept. Finally prepared and enjoyed this week. First time making a Gujarati style dal and totally enjoyed the flavour and taste. I make dal weekly once or twice, and try to make small variations. This is totally new flavor profile for me with methi seeds in it and the jaggery, tamarind combo is a super hit one for me. So I adapted the recipe and slightly modified to suit my taste, convenience.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make Dal dhokli.
For Dhokli Dough
- Wheat flour – I used Indian atta
- Besan – Gram flour – Softens the dough, enhances flavour, prevents dhokli turning rubbery
- Ajwain – Carom seeds – Digestive spice, adds a lot of aroma
- Red chilli powder – For spice
- Turmeric powder – Add for it’s goodness and color
- Coriander powder – Flavor
- Oil – Softens and makes the dough pliable. Helps dhokli stay tender.
- Salt & Water
For Gujarati Dal
- Toor dal – The classic base for Gujarati dal
- Peanuts – Adds lovely texture, nutty flavor that goes well with asafoetida and methi seeds flavor
- Jaggery – This gives Gujarati dal it’s signature character
- Tamarind – The tanginess together with jaggery balance is the soul of Gujarati cooking
- Salt
To temper
- Mustard seeds
- Methi seeds – Fenugreek seeds – adds lovely flavor
- Dry red chilli – for a smoky aroma
- Cumin seeds
- Asafoetida – Hing – Smells great in dal
- Ginger, garlic, green chilli paste – Main flavor for the entire dal
- Curry leaves
- Tomato – Adds body, colour and gentle acidity
Spice powders
- Turmeric powder, Red chili powder and Coriander powder
Garnish
- Lemon juice – Brightens everything, adds a fresh aroma
- Coriander leaves – Cilantro- Adds a herbal note, fresh finish.
Please see recipe card below for quantities.
Step by step images
Let’s see how to make Dal dhokli with step by step images.
- To start with, wash ½ cup toor dal. In a pressure cooker, take washed dal, 1 tablespoon of peanuts, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of oil and 2 cups water.
- Pressure cook for 5 whistles in medium flame.
- Once done, mash it well until creamy.
- If you have peanuts in separate bowl, you can also use an immersion blender to grind. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, take ½ cup wheat flour, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 & ½ teaspoon oil.
- Mix well and add little water.
- Make a non-sticky stiff dough, no cracks.
- Keep covered for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes knead again to soften & smoothen.
- Divide into two portions.
- Take a portion of dough, flatern, dust with little flour.
- Spread it thin like we do for a roti.
- It should be thin, not thick. Otherwise it will take long time to cook.
- Cut into strips.
- Then cut diagonally into bite size diamonds.
- Dhokli ready. You can do this as the dal simmers too. If you prepare ahead, keep covered.
Gujarati Dal Dhokli
- Now let’s prepare dal. In a heavy bottomed pot, add oil. Once hot, add methi seeds, dry red chili, black mustard seeds and let the mustard splutter. After that, add cumin seeds and asafetida. Give it a stir.
- Then add ginger, green chilli, garlic paste (I used crushed) Let it turn aromatic.
- Add chopped tomato.
- In goes salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
- Cook until tomato turns soft and mushy and oil ooze out.
- Pour in the cooked dal. Add 2 & ½ to 3 cups water.
- Mix well.
- Add salt, jaggery and tamarind paste.
- Bring to boil.
- Add dhokli in small batches in scattered way.
- Let it cook in medium flame.
- Cook covered for 10 minutes. Make sure to stir in between once or twice.
- Check dhokli for doneness.
- It should be soft, juicy and non sticky like a cooked pasta.
- Switch off the flame and add lemon juice.
- Finally add coriander leaves. Dal dhokli is ready.
Serve dal dhokli as such or with cooked rice with a side of papad, pickle and dahi.
Substitutions & Variations
Toor dal – You can use Moong dal or a mix of both. Moong dal gives a lighter dal
Tamarind – Replace with 1 piece of kokum
Ajwain – If you want you can replace with roasted cumin seeds powder
Dal dhokli is naturally vegan, but if you do not mind, you can add a teaspoon of ghee to the finished dal just before serving for a beautiful touch.
If you like, you can use whole spices like dalchini (cinnamon), cloves while tempering or use ½ teaspoon Garam masala in this recipe along with other spice powders.
Storage
Best eaten the day it is made, the dhokli absorbs the dal and becomes softer the longer it sits. If refrigerated, dal will thicken significantly. reheat by adding ½ a cup of water and gently simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
Top Tip
- After the dal comes to a boil, simmer it when adding dhokli.
- Add dhokli in batches. Stir in between if needed and let the dhokli come up before adding the next batch.
- Roll dhokli thin. Thick dhokli does not cook through evenly and takes too long.
- Add lemon juice only after switching off the flame for best results.
- For dhokli dough, use less water and make a stiff, yet pliable non sticky dough. Give 15 minutes resting time and knead well again for rolling easily.
My Notes
- Using a pizza cutter makes it easier to cut than a knife.
- I do not add salt while cooking toor dal and add later after the dal is cooked. This gives soft cooked dal and easily mashable without the need to grind it in hand blender.
- Adding besan to the dough makes it less elastic and easier to spread.
- Oil in dough makes the dhokli soft and stay soft.
Serving suggestions
This is a complete one-pot meal but can also be served with steamed rice.
Serve in a deep bowl while piping hot. Add a drizzle of ghee on top. You can have it with a small bowl of curd (Dahi)/ Plain yoghurt. Or a tall glass of lassi would be nice.
Top it with finely chopped fresh onion, tomato, lots of coriander leaves, lemon juice on top. A crispy papad alongside, is a traditional Gujarat combination.
FAQ
Dal dhokli combines lentils stew (dal) with freshly made wheat flour dumplings (dhokli)
Dal dhokli is a common dish in both Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Dal dhokli provides a balanced combination of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre and plant-based protein, making it a wholesome one-bowl traditional meal. Fats from tempering oil and peanuts. Complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, plant protein from whole wheat flour dhokli and toor dal.
Recipe card
Dal Dhokli Recipe | Gujarati Dal Dhokli
Dal Dhokli is a traditional Gujarati dish where dal is simmered with spiced wheat flour dumplings (dhokli) until they cook through and absorb the flavors of the dal.
Ingredients
Dal
- ½ cup Toor dal
- 1 teaspoon oil for pressure cooking
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Peanuts Raw, see notes
- 2 cups water or as needed
- 1 tablespoon Jaggery
- 1 teaspoon Tamarind paste or thick extract of Indian fresh tamarind
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoon Coriander leaves Finely chopped
Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard Black mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- â…› teaspoon Fenugreek seeds Methi seeds
- 1 Dry red chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida Hing
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic-green chilli paste Refer notes
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 Tomato chopped
- â…› teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
Dhokli
- ½ cup Wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon Besan Gram flour/ chickpea flour
- ¼ teaspoon Ajwain Carom seeds
- ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
- â…› teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
-
Let’s see how to make Dal dhokli with step by step images.
-
To start with, wash ½ cup toor dal. In a pressure cooker, take washed dal, 1 tablespoon of peanuts, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of oil and 2 cups water.
-
Pressure cook for 5 whistles in medium flame.
-
Once done, mash it well until creamy.
-
If you have peanuts in separate bowl, you can also use an immersion blender to grind. Set aside.
-
In a mixing bowl, take ½ cup wheat flour, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 & ½ teaspoon oil.
-
Mix well and add little water.
-
Make a non-sticky stiff dough, no cracks.
-
Keep covered for 15 minutes.
-
After 15 minutes knead again to soften & smoothen.
-
Divide into two portions.
-
Take a portion of dough, flatern, dust with little flour.
-
Spread it thin like we do for a roti.
-
It should be thin, not thick. Otherwise it will take long time to cook.
-
Cut into strips.
-
Then cut diagonally into bite size diamonds.
-
Dhokli ready. You can do this as the dal simmers too. If you prepare ahead, keep covered.
-
Now let’s prepare dal. In a heavy bottomed pot, add oil.
-
Once hot, add methi seeds, dry red chili, black mustard seeds and let the mustard splutter.
-
After that, add cumin seeds and asafetida. Give it a stir.
-
Then add ginger, green chilli, garlic paste (I used crushed) Let it turn aromatic.
-
Add chopped tomato.
-
In goes salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
-
Cook until tomato turns soft and mushy and oil ooze out.
-
Pour in the cooked dal. Add 2 & ½ to 3 cups water.
-
Mix well. Add salt, jaggery and tamarind paste. Bring to boil.
-
Add dhokli in small batches in scattered way. Let it cook in medium flame.
-
Cook covered for 10 minutes. Make sure to stir in between once or twice.
-
Check dhokli for doneness. It should be soft, juicy and non sticky like a cooked pasta.
-
Switch off the flame and add lemon juice.
-
Finally add coriander leaves. Dal dhokli is ready.
Video
Notes
- If adding raw peanuts, add along the dal and if adding roasted peanuts, you can add later while boiling.Â
- In case you decide to use immersion blender for dal after cooking to grind, adding peanuts along with dal is not a good idea. Cook that in a separate bowl. Add after blending.
- I do not add salt while cooking the dal. This makes it soft once cooked and can be mashed easily with ladle itself for smooth, creamy consistency, without any electric blender.
- Indian fresh tamarind is different from the one you get in Asian stores. Indian tamarind are mild, not too acidic.Â
- I ground 2 large green chilies, 2 garlic, 1 tablespoon of ginger in a processor, roughly.Â
