Gujarati Dal Dhokli

This one-dish-meal wonder, I ate for the very first time at my sister's marital home. Somehow it reminded me of the lovely "churee" (in punjabi) which I used to eat as a child. I am going to try making Dal Dhokli at home soon. I chose the recipe from Tarla Dalal because it has kokum. I prefer kokum over lemon and amchur because unlike others it also adds a hint of color.

Cooking Time : 1 hour
Preparation Time : 20 min.

Serves 4 to 6.

For Dhokli
• 1½ cup Wheat Flour
• ½ cup Chana Dal Flour
• 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
• ¼ tsp Asafetida Powder
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tbsp Oil
• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
• Water (for kneading dough)
• Salt to taste

For the tempering (of the dal)
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
10 curry leaves
2 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 small round red chillies (boriya)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons ghee
1 tablespoon oil

For the dal
2 cups toovar dal (arhar)
2 tablespoons peanuts
8 pieces kokum, soaked
1 tomato, chopped
3 to 4 teaspoons jaggery (gur)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 green chillies, slit
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon grated ginger
salt to taste

How to make Dal Dhokli:
•Add all the ingredients required for the dhokli in the bowl and knead the dough. It can be made smoother by adding a little oil after kneading. Keep it aside.
•Now heat oil in a kadhai and put cumin seeds into it. When seeds start spluttering, add all ingredients for the tempering.
•Fry them for a minute. Add water, salt, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, jaggery, kokum and boiled groundnuts to it. Now boil the dal on medium flame.
•Now roll out chapattis of the dough.
•Cut the chapattis into squares or diamond shape. Add them in the boiling dal and let them cook for 5 minutes.
•Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and little desi ghee.
•Dal Dhokli is ready to serve.

Now Cooking Tip: Add some chopped onions to up the crunchy quotient.