Daal Dhokli

I had my first experience of this traditional Gujarati breakfast dish in Om Restaurant, Koramangala. I had no clue what to expect when I ordered it but what came in a small pot was a mouth watering dish which is so light and so filling at the same time. The main ingredient is daal or lenthil and the twist is added by atta or wheat flour. Basically it is a one-pot-meal which can be taken best as breakfast but not a bad idea to have for dinner as well.

Preparation and cooking time: 1.5hrs

Ingredients:

• Toor dal / Yellow split pea / Thuvaram parippu - 1 cups
• Peanuts - 3-4 spoons 
• Fenugreek seeds / Methi - 1 spoon
• For dough:
• Atta / Wheat flour or all purpose flour - 1 cup
• Besan / Chick pea flour / Kadala maavu - 3 spoons
• Ajwain / Carom seeds / Omam - 1 spoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
• Red chilly powder - 1 spoon
• Salt - to taste
• Spices - set 1
• Dry red chilly - 1
• Cloves - 4
• Ajwain / Carom seeds / Omam - 1/2 spoon
• Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
• Jeera - 1 spoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
• Asafoetida - 1/2 spoon
• Ginger paste - 1 spoon
• Curry leaves
• Tomatoes - 2
• Green chilies - 2
• Lemon - 1/2
• Tamarind extract - 1/2 small cup
• Spices set 2 -
• Jeera powder/ Cumin powder - 1 spoon
• Coriander powder - 1 spoon
• Red chilly powder - 1 spoon
• Salt - to taste
• Edible oil

Preparation:

• Cook lenthil (dal), peanuts and fenugreek in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water for 3 whistles.

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients mentioned above for dough.

• Make a thick dough out of this mixture by adding warm water. Knead well and keep it closed for 20 mins.

• Wait for the pressure to come down and open the pressure cooker. Dal should be very mushy by now. You can mash it with a spoon to make it further mushy.

• Heat a cooking pan and pour 4 spoon of edible oil.
• Add dry red chilly, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them flutter. 
• Add all the spices mentioned in set 1 and saute well.
• Add chopped green chilies and curry leaves. Saute well.

• Add chopped tomatoes and saute well for 2-3 mins. 

• Add dal and mix well. 

• Add all the spices mentioned under spice set 2 and tamarind extract and mix well. Let it cook for 5mins.
• Add 2-3 cups of water so that the dish is not too thick.

• Meanwhile, take the dough and roll it to make chapathis. Roll it to medium thickness. It should not be too thin nor too thick. 
• Cut them into diamond shapes and keep aside.

• Slowly add the atta pieces into the cooking dal. Stir slowly.

• Add more salt if required.
• Cook it closed for 20 mins in low flame. Switch off after 20 mins.
• Squeeze lemon and mix well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and also chopped onions (optional).

Serve hot!

I have seen that in authentic dal dhokli, jaggery is also added. I have not used jaggery as I am not a fan of sweet-spice mixture. You can add jaggery if you are okay with sweet-spicy mixed taste.

The dish has a long list of ingredients and is also time consuming. So do not prepare it when you are in a hurry. Weekend is probably the best time for first timers to try this dish. Enjoy this wonderful and healthy Gujarati dish!