Gujarati Dal Dhokli Recipe (One-Pot Sweet and Tangy Comfort Food)

Dal dhokli is the dish I make when everyone at home is tired and wants something warm and filling. Little pieces of spiced wheat dough are cooked right inside a pot of tangy-sweet toor dal. You get the dal and the roti in one bowl, and nothing else is needed.

This is the Gujarati way: a touch of jaggery, a squeeze of lemon or a few pieces of kokum, peanuts for crunch, and a tadka of ghee, cloves and curry leaves. It is a one-pot meal that works well for dinner or a Sunday lunch.

Quick facts

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 35 minutes (including pressure cooking the dal)
• Serves: 3 to 4
• Diet: Vegetarian (use oil instead of ghee for vegan)

Ingredients

For the dal:

• 150 g toor dal / arhar dal (about ¾ cup), washed
• 750 ml water (3 cups) for cooking
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the dhokli dough:

• 150 g whole wheat flour / atta (about 1¼ cups)
• 2 tablespoons besan (gram flour), about 15 g
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 tablespoon oil (15 ml)
• About 70 to 80 ml water (a little less than ½ cup)

For the tadka and flavour:

• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil (15 g)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 small piece cinnamon (1 inch)
• 2 dried red chillies
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon ginger and green chilli paste
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (about 100 g)
• 30 g raw peanuts (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon jaggery, grated (about 15 g)
• 3 to 4 pieces kokum, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• Salt to taste
• 600 ml hot water (2½ cups), for thinning the dal

Method

1. Cook the dal

Wash the toor dal until the water runs clear. Put it in a pressure cooker with 750 ml water, turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 4 to 5 whistles on medium heat until the dal is very soft. Let the pressure release on its own. Whisk the dal well with a wooden masher or whisk until smooth.

2. Make the dhokli dough

Mix atta, besan, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and ajwain in a bowl. Add oil and rub it in. Add water little by little and knead a firm, smooth dough. It should be a bit stiffer than chapati dough. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.

3. Roll and cut

Divide the dough into 3 or 4 balls. Roll each into a thin round, about 2 to 3 mm thick. Cut into diamonds or small squares, roughly 3 cm wide. Dust with a little dry flour so the pieces do not stick together.

4. Make the tadka

Heat ghee in a wide, heavy pot or kadhai. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add cumin, hing, cloves, cinnamon and dried red chillies. Then add curry leaves, ginger-chilli paste and peanuts. Stir for 1 minute.

Add the chopped tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add red chilli powder and coriander powder and stir for 20 seconds.

5. Build the dal

Pour in the whisked dal and 600 ml hot water. Add jaggery, kokum (or lemon juice, see note) and salt. Bring it to a boil. The dal should be thin like soup at this stage, because the dhokli will thicken it.

Note: if you use lemon juice, add it at the very end after switching off the heat. If using kokum, add now.

6. Add dhokli

When the dal is boiling well, drop in the dhokli pieces one by one so they do not stick together. Stir gently. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every 3 to 4 minutes, gently, so nothing sticks at the bottom.

The dhokli are done when they look puffed, soft and cooked through. Cut one open to check there is no raw dough in the middle.

7. Finish

Taste and adjust salt, jaggery and sourness. Switch off the heat, add coriander, and add a spoon of ghee on top if you like. Serve hot.

Tips for perfect dal dhokli

• Keep the dal thin before adding dhokli. It thickens quickly. If it becomes too thick, add hot water, never cold.
• Roll thin. Thick dhokli stay raw inside.
• Balance the flavour. Gujarati dal should be slightly sweet, slightly sour and mildly spicy. Taste before you serve.
• Eat fresh. Dhokli soak up the dal as it sits. If you are making it ahead, keep extra hot water ready to loosen it when reheating.

Variations

• Add vegetables: add a handful of chopped bottle gourd (dudhi) or green peas along with the dhokli.
• Masala dhokli: add 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic to the dough for a stronger flavour (skip for Jain).
• Leftover roti version: tear leftover rotis into pieces and simmer them in the dal for 5 minutes. This is a very common way to use extra rotis at home.

Serving suggestions

Dal dhokli is a complete meal on its own. A little pickle (athanu), papad, and a bowl of plain curd on the side make it better.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use moong dal or masoor dal? Toor dal is traditional and gives the right taste. Other dals can work but the flavour will change.

My dhokli dissolved in the dal. Why? The dough was too soft, or the dal was not boiling when you added them. Keep the dough firm and add the pieces to boiling dal.

Can I make it without jaggery? Yes, but a little sweetness is what makes it Gujarati. Use 1 teaspoon sugar if you do not have jaggery.

Is dal dhokli healthy? It has protein from the dal and fibre from the wheat. It is filling, and one bowl is a full meal.

Final words

Try this dal dhokli on a cool evening and you will see why it is a Gujarati favourite. If you make it, leave a comment and tell me how it came out. Next week I will share another simple Kathiyawadi recipe, so keep visiting!