Dal Dhokliદાળ ઢોકળી

Name: Dal Dhokli
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Gujarati
Ingredients: 1 cup toor dal — pigeon peas; 1 cup whole wheat flour — atta; 2 medium tomato, chopped; 1 1/2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste; 1/2 tsp turmeric — haldi; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp coriander powder — dhana; 1 tsp sugar or jaggery — the Gujarati sweet balance; 1 tbsp tamarind pulp; 1 sprig curry leaves; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds — rai; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds — jeera; 1/4 tsp asafoetida — hing; 2 tbsp ghee or oil; 1/4 tsp carom seeds — ajwain, for the dhokli dough; to taste salt and fresh coriander to finish

⏱ Prep 20m🍳 Cook 40m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Vegetarian

Video: Your Food Lab (YouTube)

Dal Dhokli is the Gujarati equivalent of pasta in soup — spiced wheat-flour dumplings dropped directly into a tangy toor dal and simmered until they soak up the broth and turn glossy and soft. It is a complete one-pot meal, balancing Gujarat's characteristic sweet-sour-spicy triangle, and it needs nothing alongside it.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

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Ingredients

▪toor dal — pigeon peas1 cup
▪whole wheat flour — atta1 cup
▪tomato, chopped2 medium
▪ginger-green chilli paste1 1/2 tsp
▪turmeric — haldi1/2 tsp
▪red chilli powder1 tsp
▪coriander powder — dhana1 tsp
▪sugar or jaggery — the Gujarati sweet balance1 tsp
▪tamarind pulp1 tbsp
▪curry leaves1 sprig
▪mustard seeds — rai1/2 tsp
▪cumin seeds — jeera1/2 tsp
▪asafoetida — hing1/4 tsp
▪ghee or oil2 tbsp
▪carom seeds — ajwain, for the dhokli dough1/4 tsp
▪salt and fresh coriander to finishto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Toor dal: Chana dal (split Bengal gram) makes a thicker, nuttier variation traditional in some Gujarati homes. Increase pressure cooking time by 1 whistle.
Tamarind pulp: Fresh lemon juice (1.5 tbsp) or dry mango powder (amchur, 1/2 tsp) approximates the sourness. The tart element is essential to the dish's character.
Curry leaves: Fresh are best; dried curry leaves are available at Indian stores though much less aromatic. Curry leaf powder sold in UK and US South Asian grocery stores (use 1/4 tsp) is a better substitute than dried whole leaves.

Method

1Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric and 3 cups water for 3-4 whistles until completely soft. Whisk smooth and set aside.
2Make the dhokli dough: mix wheat flour with ajwain, a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of red chilli powder, salt, and 1 tsp oil. Add warm water gradually to form a firm, smooth dough. Rest for 10 minutes.
3Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each thin, about 2mm, and cut into 1.5-inch diamond or square shapes. Keep covered so they don't dry out.
4Bring the whisked dal to a gentle boil in a wide pot. Stir in tomatoes, tamarind pulp, sugar, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5Slide the dhokli pieces into the simmering dal in batches, stirring gently after each addition to prevent sticking. Cook on medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dhokli is cooked through and looks glossy rather than doughy.
6Heat ghee in a small pan. Splutter mustard seeds, then add cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and ginger-green chilli paste. Stir for 30 seconds and pour this tadka over the dal dhokli.
7Simmer together for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust the balance of salt, sugar, and tamarind — the sweet-sour-spicy harmony is what defines this dish.
8Serve immediately with a drizzle of ghee and a scatter of fresh coriander. Dal dhokli thickens quickly as it cools, so eat it straight from the pot.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.