DAL DHOKLI.....(દાળઢોકળી)

Daal Dhokali
Fresh Pasta ni Lentil sauce


You cannot seperate a Gujarati and either Dhokla or Dal Dhokli.Of these, Dal Dhokli is the freshest Pasta cooked in Lentil soup with spices, yin and yang of jaggery/sugar and Tamarind to add a fine contrast. Green pepper , Ginger and Dry chili pepper powder to tingle your taste buds and pasta to satiate the stomach.I consider Dal Dhokli as a complete food. I usually add an extra pinch of asafoetida in my plate along with a ladle of Ghee .




SERVED ON A PLATTER


Dal Dhokli is prepared in three stages. In first stage, Dal (lentil sauce) is prepared as follows.

Tuver DAL

INGREDIENTS

Tuver Daal(Pigeon pea dal)....1/2 cup
Ginger......... 1/2 "piece(Grated)
Green Chillies...2 nos (thin Sliced)
Tamarind .......small marble sized
Tomato.......... 1 no
Peanuts..... ... 1 tbsp (Soaked in water)
cilantro......... 1/4 cup
Jaggary/brown sugar .1.5 tsp
Salt to taste
Jeera powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp(Optional)
Asafoetida powder 1/4 tsp
Water

Tempering spices

Oil 1 ladle
Curry leaves.... 1 sprig
Mustard 1/4 tspoon
Jeera 1/2 tspoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 spoon
Cloves..2 to 3 nos.
Asafoetida 1/2 tspoon
Red chillies 1 or 2 nos.


Method Of Preparation

Stage 1

Pressure Cook Tuver Daal

When the Dal is cooked thoroughly, churn and keep aside. Grate ginger and chop Green chillies in small pieces first and then using a stone/pound-mortar, make rough paste and set aside
Cut tomato in small pieces and set aside. Soak peanuts in a little water. Better still boil. I love to pressure cook peanuts along with Dal , remove brown skin after they become cold.
Soak Tamarind in 45 ml of water for ten to fifteen minutes to make it softer and facilitate
easy release from fibres. Remove fibers and seeds and retain thick concentrate.

Take churned daal in a deep pan/Patela add about 500 ml of water Add salt,
Chili-Ginger paste and soaked peanuts and Tamarind juice, Turmeric and chilli powders.

Set aside and prepare to add cut pieces of rolled theplas .

Stage 2

Prepare Theplas( pasta)for adding to Dal Dhokli as under.

INGREDIENTS

1 cups of Whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Chickpea flour/Besan
1/2 spoon Salt (to taste)
1/8 Spoon Chilli powder
1/8 tsp Turmeric powder
1/8 spoon Asafoetida powder
1/2 ladle of oil for mixing in dough
Enough water for dough


METHOD OF PREPARATION

Add Oil and salt to wheat and chickpea flours and slowly rub between two palms and mix the whole thing thoroughly. Now add Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Make sure that the dough is hard and not soft like that of Rotis or poories.

Make 6 to 8 equal portions of the dough and ball them up
Now roll the dough on a rolling stone or flat surface and make a round roti of at least 10 " inches diameterand thickness of a paratha.
Place the rolled theplas on tissue papers to dry for 20 to 30 minutes. See that both sides are dry and do not stick to fingers or palm.

After 30 minutes, cut the theplas in squares of 1.5 " size

3rd stage

Start boiling the dal now and add cut pieces of Thepla at this stage. Keep stirring gently to avoid pieces sticking together. BOIL THE DAL FOR TEN MORE MINUTES TO LET PASTA GET COOKED.

Now add Jeera powder and jaggery and boil for 3 more minutes. Taste for salt and other spices
Now take the tempering ladle and add oil and tempering spices. When mustard starts popping, add Asafoetida, cloves and curry leaves and temper the dal. Immediately cover the vessel and set aside. Heat up the Dal Dhokli, Garnish with cilantro and Serve. It is best to prepare the Dal Dhokli and let it stand for 30 minutesbefore you serve.

Enjoy