I am not a DDhokla fan (yes, my Gujju roots can be questioned 😉!) which might be one of the reasons I have steered away from Dhokla recipes. Add to it the fact that the husband takes his love for the traditional, overnight fermented, hence soured Dhokla very seriously and does not like much experimentation with the regular Dhokla we make a few times a week. But every now and then, while exploring regional Gujarati foods, I come across a new way to make Dhokla that breaks my Dhokla hiatus! And so I did with Math ni Dal na Padiya/Moth dal Dhokla in leaf bowls. Padiya are leaf bowls, the leaf plates and bowls are called Patrada-Padiya in Gujarati, and I have recently learned that the traditional way gives us the liberty to steam Dhokla in leaf bowls, it might be the way Dhokals might were steamed before the plates came into being!! So when I came across this moth bean dhoklas steamed in Padiya, I knew they had to be tried. The batter is made by soaking broken rice, moth dal, and urad dal and flavored with green chili and ginger paste. Winter is the season we eat a lot of Moth beans for its body warming properties. Math na Khakhra, Mathiya, Khichu are our favorite ways, and this Dhokla makes a refreshing twist.
To make the batter:
- 5 parts broken rice (I used Krishna Kamod kanki)
- 2 parts math dal
- 1 part Urad dal
Take small katori or 1/2 cup as measure. Wash and soak the grains for 5-6 hours. Drain and grind the grains to a coarse batter (sooji like texture). Do not add too much water while grinding. We need thick batter. Ferment the batter for 7-8 hours or overnight. The batter ferments really well.
Next day and hour before you decide to steam and serve the padiya, add little water to the batter to bring it to dosa batter consistency (a little thiner than idli batter) and add the following ingredients:
- 1/4 teaspoon Ajwain seeds
- 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
- 3 green chillies, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
- A pinch of hing
- Salt to taste
- Allow the batter to rest for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the streamer.
Wipe the padiya and coat the bowl cavity with groundnut oil. Place 4-5 padiya over a steamer plate that could be lowered in steamer (it is difficult to lift batter filled padiya)
For spongy dhokla, take enough batter for 4-5 padiya in a bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon soda-bi-carb, mix it well and fill the prepared padiya with the batter. Sprinkle pepper powder or methiyo masala over the padiya and steam on high for 7-10 minutes. Smear groundnut oil while the padiya dhokla are still hot. Serve with coriander chutney.
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