dal dhokri
In The Taste of Ginger, one dish stands out to me, and that is this one. It is one of my favorite comfort foods, and is the the first dish I learned to make when I was going off to college. My poor mother, who cooks intuitively, had to turn her measurements that were “by feel” into exacting ones for me to follow as I delved into learning Gujarati cooking. Part of being an immigrant means that the foods we grew up eating at home aren’t available in restaurants or grocery stores, so the only way to get those comforting flavors is to learn to make them ourselves.
I am an avid traveler, and to this day, the dish that I crave most when I return home after a long trip away is a steaming hot bowl of dal dhokri. It’s simple to make, leftovers taste great, and the combination of spices reminds me that I’m home. It’s no accident that this is the dish that Preeti and Monali Auntie are eating during that pivotal moment in The Taste of Ginger when the proverb from which the title of the book is derived is revealed. I hope this dish becomes a part of your regular rotation, just like it is a part of mine.
dal dhokri
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker optional
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
Dhokri
- 1 cup wheat flour (atta)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp red chili powder (may need to adjust for personal spice level)
- ¼ tsp turmeric (hardar)
- ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajamo)
- 2 TBSP oil (olive or neutral-flavored)
- ½ cup water (add slowly and use only as much as needed to get to the right consistency)
Dal
- ½ cup toor dal
- 2 cups water
- 2 TBSP oil (olive or neutral-flavored) or ghee
- ¾ tsp black mustard seeds (rai)
- ¾ tsp carom seeds (ajamo)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric (hardar)
- ½ tsp methi masala
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 10 ounces romano beans, chopping into ½ inch pieces (can use green beens instead)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse the toor dal and then cook in pressure cooker or on stovetop with 2 cups of water. Once cooked, puree with immersion or countertop blender.
make the dough
- In a small bowl, add the flour, salt, red chili powder, turmeric, carom seeds, and oil and mix together. Then add enough water to make a pliable, smooth dough. Set aside, covered for at least 20 minutes so the gluten can relax.
make the vaghar and dal
- Heat 2 TBSP of oil (or ghee, if using) in a medium-sized sauce pot over medium heat.
- When oil shimmers, add the rai and ajamo and let them sizzle and pop. This process of adding spices to a hot oil or ghee is called the vaghar.
- Add the pureed toor dal and be careful of the splatter. Cover immediately until the splatter settles down.
- Remove the lid, then add the salt, turmeric, red chili powder, methi masala, tomato paste, and another 3 cups of water
- While the dal is coming to a boil, begin making the dhokri
make the dhokri
- Divide the rested dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Using a velan or rolling pin, roll each piece into a circle that is about ⅛ inch thick. The circles don't have to be perfect.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dhokri into squares. (I like bigger dhokri so I cut mine into 9 pieces)
- When the dal has come to a boil, add the dhokri and romano beans (if using), and cover the pot and let the dhorki cook in the dal for about 15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes so that the dhokri aren't sticking to the bottom.
- The dhokri should be tender and cooked all the way through. Add the lemon juice and taste for any final seasoning adjustments. Then, ladle into a bowl and serve.
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