Dal dhokli has been a childhood favorite of mine, sort of like soul food for me. Incidentally, in my home it was called dal baati. But it is nothing like the elaborate Rajasthani stuff. It is a simple dal and roti recipe with a twist. This is not the Gujarati dal dhokli recipe either but how it was made in my home on many afternoons. When you have it piping hot, it is bliss! I do crave for it sometimes and now the kids have taken onto it as well.
Here is how to make dal dhokli:
Ingredients:
Tuar/Arhar dal or pigeon peas 1 cup (or use a combination of lentils)
½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Salt
For the dumplings:
Whole wheat atta dough just like for chapatis kneaded with salt and ajwain seeds (carrom seeds). You may also use pearl millet dough to make this recipe gluten free and more nutritious.
For the tempering (tadka):
2 tbsp. ghee
2 tbsp. peanuts
1 tsp. jeera (cumin seeds)
1 pinch heeng (asafoetida)
2-3 broken dry red chillies
1 small onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
For garnish:
Chopped coriander leaves
Lime juice
Step-by-step Recipe:
- Wash the dal well. Keep it soaked for half an hour.
2. Add water to cover it and add turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder.
3. Boil it in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles till cooked.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. To make these, roll out large, slightly thick rotis with your rolling pin. Cut them in diamond shapes. Mine are looking more rectangular than diamond shaped here. 🙂
5. Now drop them one by one into the boiling dal mixture. I normally put around 2 such rotis per person. Keep making them, cutting them and putting them in the boiling dal. Take care not to mish mash them together.
6. Add more water if needed. Now cook them along with the dal for about 5-10 minutes till they are cooked. You may add some peanuts to the boiling dal dhokli or fry the peanuts along with tempering. Add more water if the dal seems too thick. Check taste for salt.
7. Before serving, prepare the tempering. Take ghee in a pan. Let it heat. Now add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter. Add in the heeng and broken dry chillies. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the peanuts. Now add in the chopped onion and garlic. Fry till they are slightly caramelized/browned. I love that taste. Now tip in this tempering into the dal dhokli.
Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve after sprinkling lime juice. You must serve this hot else it becomes thick and sticky later. A simple dish, it is a complete meal and very satisfying too. Enjoy!
Notes
- This is not Gujarati but more a UP dish similar to dal ka dulha.
- You can make your roti dough more spicy with addition of other spice powders if you like and even other flours as well.
- The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity.
- Have it hot or it gets very thick.
If you try it, let me know how it turned out.
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Dal Dhokli Recipe step-by-step Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- Tuar/Arhar dal or pigeon peas 1 cup or use a combination of lentils
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- Salt
For the dumplings:
- 1 cup Whole wheat flour kneaded with ajwain and salt
For the tempering (tadka):
For garnish:
- Chopped coriander leaves
- Lime juice
Instructions
- Wash the dal well. Keep it soaked for half an hour.
- Add water to cover it and add turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder.
- Boil it in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles till cooked.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. To make these, roll out large, slightly thick rotis with your rolling pin. Cut them in diamond shapes. Mine are looking more rectangular than diamond shaped here. 🙂
- Now drop them one by one into the boiling dal mixture. I normally put around 2 such rotis per person. Keep making them, cutting them and putting them in the boiling dal. Take care not to mish mash them together.
- Add more water if needed. Now cook them along with the dal for about 5-10 minutes till they are cooked. You may add some peanuts to the boiling dal dhokli or fry the peanuts along with tempering. Add more water if the dal seems too thick. Check taste for salt.
- Before serving, prepare the tempering. Take ghee in a pan. Let it heat. Now add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter. Add in the heeng and broken dry chillies. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the peanuts. Now add in the chopped onion and garlic. Fry till they are slightly caramelized/browned. I love that taste. Now tip in this tempering into the dal dhokli.
- Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve after sprinkling lime juice. You must serve this hot else it becomes thick and sticky later. A simple dish, it is a complete meal and very satisfying too. Enjoy!
Notes
2. You can make your roti dough more spicy with addition of other spice powders if you like and even other flours as well.
3. The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity.
4. Have it hot or it gets very thick.
If you try it, let me know how it turned out.
Nutrition
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nabanita says
Interesting..I've never tasted it...I'll share it with mom and let her make it when she is here 🙂
Rachna says
I am sure you will like it. 🙂
nabanita says
Interesting..I've never tasted it...I'll share it with mom and let her make it when she is here 🙂
Rachna says
I am sure you will like it. 🙂
Shilpa Garg says
I have never had this dish, but this is something that I must try and make, as now-a-days, my hot favorites are one-pot meals. 🙂
Rachna says
Yes, one-pot meals are so wonderful especially when you don't want to slog over the stove. 🙂
Shilpa Garg says
I have never had this dish, but this is something that I must try and make, as now-a-days, my hot favorites are one-pot meals. 🙂
Rachna says
Yes, one-pot meals are so wonderful especially when you don't want to slog over the stove. 🙂
purbaray says
Yum...think I'll try this recipe.
What do I have it with? Rice or roti?
Rachna says
Nothing. It already has boiled roti in it. It is your dal roti one-pot meal. 🙂
purbaray says
Yum...think I'll try this recipe.
What do I have it with? Rice or roti?
Rachna says
Nothing. It already has boiled roti in it. It is your dal roti one-pot meal. 🙂
Kaddu says
Okkkk. So this is daal dhokli. I have heard about it so many times, but never knew what it was or how it was made. Never tasted it either. Will try it on one of my weekly offs.
Rachna says
Oh yes! Though my version is different from the Gujarati one. They put boiled peanuts in the dal and sweeten it too. This is my mum's recipe. Hope you like it.
Kaddu says
Okkkk. So this is daal dhokli. I have heard about it so many times, but never knew what it was or how it was made. Never tasted it either. Will try it on one of my weekly offs.
Rachna says
Oh yes! Though my version is different from the Gujarati one. They put boiled peanuts in the dal and sweeten it too. This is my mum's recipe. Hope you like it.
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Hadn't heard of dal dhokli before though I have had Dal Bati and Gujarati dal with peanuts as well.
Rachna says
Oh, there is a dal dhokli in the Gujarati cuisine which is a slightly modified version of this. It has boiled peanuts and some jaggery too.
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Yes I have had this one. Btw do you originally come from Rajasthan Rachna?
Rachna says
No, from UP. 🙂
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Okay. Which place in UP? I have a Lucknow connection, being born there. 🙂
Rachna says
I was born in Agra. My mum's family is from Unnao, near Kanpur. I studied in Lucknow before we moved to Bombay.
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Cool, Lucknow and Mumbai are the common places . 🙂
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Hadn't heard of dal dhokli before though I have had Dal Bati and Gujarati dal with peanuts as well.
Rachna says
Oh, there is a dal dhokli in the Gujarati cuisine which is a slightly modified version of this. It has boiled peanuts and some jaggery too.
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Yes I have had this one. Btw do you originally come from Rajasthan Rachna?
Rachna says
No, from UP. 🙂
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Okay. Which place in UP? I have a Lucknow connection, being born there. 🙂
Rachna says
I was born in Agra. My mum's family is from Unnao, near Kanpur. I studied in Lucknow before we moved to Bombay.
Somali K Chakrabarti says
Cool, Lucknow and Mumbai are the common places . 🙂
kokilagupta says
This is the first time I am hearing about it Rachna ... I thought perhaps you will fry the dough rotis.. but to boil them is again new for me 🙂 will definitely try and tell dear .. Yesss .. I too love the tadka part 🙂
Rachna says
Oh yes, they taste pretty good but different. One could even make the dough more spicy by adding some garam masala, coriander and cumin powder and even besan flour, just like we do for masala paratha. But I prefer it simple this way. I hope you enjoy this recipe. 🙂
kokilagupta says
This is the first time I am hearing about it Rachna ... I thought perhaps you will fry the dough rotis.. but to boil them is again new for me 🙂 will definitely try and tell dear .. Yesss .. I too love the tadka part 🙂
Rachna says
Oh yes, they taste pretty good but different. One could even make the dough more spicy by adding some garam masala, coriander and cumin powder and even besan flour, just like we do for masala paratha. But I prefer it simple this way. I hope you enjoy this recipe. 🙂
Ravish Mani says
I fall in love with it because of its name & look only, and your ingredients also confirm about its great taste. Thanks for sharing, Rachna. 🙂
Rachna says
hahaha You like the name? It feels very close to dholki for me. 🙂 It is simple, home cooking, redolent with memories of my mum's cooking and hence it is really tasty.
Ravish Mani says
I fall in love with it because of its name & look only, and your ingredients also confirm about its great taste. Thanks for sharing, Rachna. 🙂
Rachna says
hahaha You like the name? It feels very close to dholki for me. 🙂 It is simple, home cooking, redolent with memories of my mum's cooking and hence it is really tasty.
Dagny says
Ohh I love this. Do you think it is a good idea to add some veggies to this as well?
Rachna says
I have never tried so far, but I guess it will make the recipe even more complete. 🙂 Do let me know how it tastes if you try with veggies. But first have it only like this.
Dagny says
I will. The thing is, my garden has gone nuts producing bottle gourds. Even my neighbors are fed up. The maids have begun giving me stony silences. Hence the question. 😀
Dagny says
Ohh I love this. Do you think it is a good idea to add some veggies to this as well?
Rachna says
I have never tried so far, but I guess it will make the recipe even more complete. 🙂 Do let me know how it tastes if you try with veggies. But first have it only like this.
Dagny says
I will. The thing is, my garden has gone nuts producing bottle gourds. Even my neighbors are fed up. The maids have begun giving me stony silences. Hence the question. 😀
Rachna says
hahaha Lauki goes so well with chana dal. I am sure you must be making that day and night. Do you make lauki ki muthia? It's tasty and a very healthy snack. Lauki koftis and lauki ke barre are nice too.
Rachna says
hahaha Lauki goes so well with chana dal. I am sure you must be making that day and night. Do you make lauki ki muthia? It's tasty and a very healthy snack. Lauki koftis and lauki ke barre are nice too.
srikri says
Love to try this.Can you please tell for how many person the measuring are given?Thank you for the recipe.
Rachna says
Thanks so much. I use 1 cup tuvar dal for 3 people. For each person use about 2 large rotis cut in diamond shapes.
srikri says
Thank you so much for your quick reply.Will surely try this.Thanks a ton.
srikri says
Love to try this.Can you please tell for how many person the measuring are given?Thank you for the recipe.
Rachna says
Thanks so much. I use 1 cup tuvar dal for 3 people. For each person use about 2 large rotis cut in diamond shapes.
srikri says
Thank you so much for your quick reply.Will surely try this.Thanks a ton.
Srikri says
Tried this recipe last week.It was yummy.Thanks.
Rachna says
Thanks so much. Glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
Srikri says
Tried this recipe last week.It was yummy.Thanks.
Rachna says
Thanks so much. Glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
Obsessivemom says
This sounds absolutely delicious. Next time you make it share a picture of how big those diamonds should be. Bite sized pieces? Or larger? Meanwhile I'll make my own version.
Rachna says
Thanks Tulika. Yes, I will. My pieces are kaju katli size. Will take step-by-step pics next time. It's an absolute favourite of the kids and me. Let me know how you liked it.
Obsessivemom says
Thanks. Shall try it.