Quick and Easy Dhokla in the Microwave

This is one Gujarati dish which is super yummy and easy to make. While there are some twists and turns which can make it a bit more tasty but complicated, I prefer the easier version as it gets ready in just under 30 minutes, maybe even less. It makes for a wonderful evening snack with fewer calories. I googled about the calorie intake and was happy to know that each serving has just about 40 calories which makes it quite a hoggable dish. So enjoy your Dhokla with some nice coriander and tamarind chutney or just as is with a lovely cup of tea.

Ingredients

1 cup besan

1/2 cup sour curd

1 tsp sugar

A pinch of salt

A pinch of hing

1 small sachet of fruit salt/Eno

1 tbsp oil (I used Olive oil)

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp finely grated ginger

1 green chilli, super fine chopped or paste (optional)

For the tempering

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp sugar

Few curry leaves

1-2 slit green chillies

1 cup water

Direction

In a bowl, mix besan, water, curd, salt, sugar, hing, ginger, and chillies. Stir well to form a smooth batter. Grease a microwave safe dish and keep it ready. Now add the fruit salt to the batter and with one good stir to mix everything well, pour immediately into the greased dish. Microwave on a high for 8 minutes, checking after the initial 4 minutes and then readjusting the time depending on how clean a toothpick comes out once inserted. The cooking time varies for different microwave models and baking dish used. So adjust accordingly. It took me exact 8 minutes for my dhokla. Remove from the microwave and with a butter knife, make cuts through the dhokla for taking out the pieces later on. Keep covered lightly while you prepare the tempering.

In a small wok, heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds, curry leaves and slit green chillies. Now add the sugar and the water and bring it to a roaring boil. Stir to check if the sugar has dissolved completely. Now quickly pour this over the cooked dhokla and keep covered for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm with some coriander and tamarind chutney or have just as is with a lovely cup of tea.

                                       

Flavors of Rajasthan- Gatte ki Sabzi

Rajasthan is known for its superb cuisine and has a long list of speciality dishes. One such is Gatte ki Sabzi or gram flour cakes in spicy gravy. It gives a good change of taste and variety to our regular lunch or dinner menu. There are a lot of variations to this recipe. Here, I have done a combination of different recipes and the end result is a superb dish with rich rajasthani flavors.

Ingredients

For the Gatta

1 cup besan (gram flour)

1 tsp garlic paste/grated

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp kasuri methi, lightly roasted and crushed

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp oil

Water to knead the dough

Oil for frying the gattas

For the Gravy

1 medium onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1 tsp garlic paste/grated

2 tbsp whipped yogurt

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp kasuri methi lightly roasted and crushed

Coriander leaves for garnishing

2 green chillies chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp oil

Directions

In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the gatta except water. Knead a stiff dough, adding little water at a time. Make small balls and roll into a cylindrical shapes (similar to sausages). Add these rolls to boiling water and let it remain till they become light and start floating (about 5-7 minutes). Remove and let it cool. You might notice a few cracks appearing in the rolls while boiling. This happens because the dough was not stiff enough. However, there is nothing to worry. Once cool, you can shape it back gently with your hands. Now cut small pieces out of these rolls and fry them on high heat till golden brown. Remove on paper towel and keep aside.

In another pan, heat the oil and add cumin seeds. Let it splutter and then add the chopped onions. Fry till golden brown and then add the garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Stir for sometime. Tip in the dry spices, that is, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder, and kasuri methi. Fry everything well. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and fry on low flame till they become soft. Add the whipped yogurt, salt and mix well. Pour half a cup of water and simmer and bring to a boil. Lastly, add the gattas and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or plain rice.