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Dhokla

Toooooasted cooooooconut.


For the first in a two-part series of my favorite southern Indian brunch foods, I present dhokla. It's sort of like a heavier version of cornbread, made with a mixture of chickpea and rice flours, with Indian spices and optional vegetables to make it savory and delicious. I can eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

It'll look fancier with the topping.

I make my Indian brunch foods from the mixes that they sell at Asian markets, because that's how I learned. However, it sounds pretty easy to do this totally from scratch if you are so inclined.

The magic is in the topping.

While the whole recipe is pretty flexible, I am going to insist that you top it with toasted coconut flakes and mustard seeds. Think of this as the ketchup to your burger. There is no compromise here.

The Recipe:
1 box khaman dhokla mix
1 tb plain yogurt, plus more for serving
Vegetables of your choice (I used 1 cup chopped spinach and 1 chopped tomato)
1/4 c red onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp ginger root, grated
1 tsp tumeric
pinch ground coriander
pinch chili pepper or chili/garlic paste
pinch cumin
pinch salt
1/2 cup coconut flakes
2 tb mustard seeds
Optional: Indian pickle for serving
  • Combine the dhokla mix with the amount of water directed on the box, minus about 1 tb
  • Add 1 tb yogurt and all other ingredients except coconut and mustard seeds
  • Mix well
  • Pour batter into glass 9x9 baking pan
  • Cover loosely with saran wrap
  • Microwave for 6-8 minutes, until batter is set (or steam on stove)
  • While cooking, put dry coconut flakes and mustard seeds in a pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until coconut flakes start to brown and seeds start to pop. If you have more patience than I do, do the coconut and seeds in separate pans so you can get each one to the perfect doneness.
  • Spread your topping over the cooked dhokla and serve with plain yogurt and Indian pickle.
The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: Tasty, versatile, and I feel great after eating it.
Time to prepare: 20 minutes
Husband quote: (More a note than a quote this time) Every time I make this, Jess looks a bit disappointed at the very simple, vegetarian meal before him, but upon taking his first bite he lights up and devours it. I have to double the recipe if I want leftovers.

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