A spongy, steamed savoury cake of gram flour or fermented rice and lentils, tempered with mustard seed, curry leaves and green chilli and soaked in a sweetened water.
What makes it dhokla
A batter steamed, never fried.
Airy and spongy, from fermentation or a raising agent.
A tempering of mustard seed, curry leaves and green chilli, with sweetened water poured over.
Fresh coriander and coconut on top.
Where it comes from
The best-known of Gujarat's farsan. Strictly, dhokla is made from rice and split chickpeas, soaked, ground and fermented, while khaman is the yellow, quicker kind raised from gram flour — but outside Gujarat, and in many homes inside it, both are called dhokla.
It is steamed in a tray, cut into squares, and finished with a tempering of mustard seed, sesame, curry leaves and green chilli poured over with sugared water, so it is soft, damp and sweet-sour. It's eaten at breakfast or with tea, with green chutney.
How it varies
Khatta dhokla
White, sour dhokla of fermented rice and urad dal.