Quick Moong Dal Dhokla| Steamed Savoury Yellow Lentil Cake

These Moong Dal Dhokla make for a delicious snack that you can whip up in a jiffy. They can also double up as a breakfast option or a light dinner.

I had soaked some moong dal the other day, to use in kosumalli, but I ended up getting busy with some work and being unable to make it. I had to think up some way to use the soaked moong dal, and that was how these dhokla came about. They turned out so good!

Quick Moong Dal Dhokla

Let me show you how I made them.

Please note that this is an almost instant version of dhokla. I made them without much of prior preparation, so I did not ferment the batter.

A Look At The Ingredients Used

Split and de-skinned moong dal aka yellow lentils are the major ingredient used in this recipe. I have also added in some sooji/rava aka semolina to add an extra layer of texture.

Green chillies and ginger have been used for flavour, as well as sugar. Being brought up in Gujarat, I am used to having dhokla with a tinge of sweet to them, but you can definitely skip the sugar if you do not prefer using it.

Lastly, since the batter is not fermented, I have used a bit of citric acid to sour it. I have used Eno fruit salt to make the dhokla light and fluffy. I have learnt from Gujarati family friends that the combination of citric acid and Eno yields the softest of dhokla and khaman (the two are completely different things!), but I have mentioned some substitutes in the ‘Tips & Tricks’ section of this post, if you are not comfortable using these ingredients.

Quick Moong Dal Dhokla Recipe

Here is how I made the dhokla.

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1. 1/2 cup moong dal

2. 1 green chilli or as per taste

3. A 1-inch piece of ginger

4. 1/4 cup semolina (sooji/rava)

5. Salt to taste

6. 3 tablespoons sugar or to taste

7. 2 fat pinches of citric acid

8. 1 sachet Eno fruit salt (plain)

9. Oil, as needed to grease the vessel used for steaming

For the tempering and garnishing:

1. 3/4 tablespoon oil

2. 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

3. 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

4. 2 pinches of asafoetida

5. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Top left: Step 1, Top right, centre left and right: Step 2, Bottom left and right: Step 3

1. Wash the moong dal well under running water, then drain the lentils. Take the washed and drained moong dal in a bowl, add in enough fresh water to cover them fully, and let them soak for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

2. When the moong dal is done soaking, drain out the water from it. Transfer the soaked and drained moong dal to a mixer jar. Peel the ginger, chop roughly, and add it to the jar. Chop up the green chilli roughly, and add it to the jar as well. Add in a little water. Grind everything together to a slightly coarse batter.

3. Transfer the ground batter to a mixing bowl. Add in the semolina, salt to taste, sugar and citric acid. Mix well together. Add enough water to bring the batter to a thick but runny consistency. Keep aside.

Top left and centre: Step 4, Top right and below: Step 5, Bottom right: Step 6, Bottom centre: Step 7, Bottom left: Step 8

4. Pour about a cup of water in a pressure cooker bottom, and place it on high flame. Place a trivet inside the cooker, to avoid water entering inside the vessel you will use for steaming. Grease a wide vessel, using a little oil, and place this in the pressure cooker, over the trivet. Let the water in the cooker come to a boil and start steaming – the vessel will also get hot in the process.

5. When the greased vessel is hot, add the Eno fruit salt to the batter and mix well. The batter will start frothing. Immediately pour the batter into the hot vessel and close the pressure cooker. Steam for about 15 minutes on high flame, without putting the whistle on. Switch off gas when done, and wait for 10-15 minutes to open the cooker.

6. After 10-15 minutes, open the cooker and get the dhokla out. Now, we will do the tempering. Heat 3/4 tablespoon oil in a small tempering pan. Add in the mustard seeds, and let them sputter. Now, add in the sesame seeds and the asafoetida. Switch off gas. Let the ingredients stay in the hot oil for a few seconds, taking care not to let them burn. Pour this tempering over the dhokla and spread it out evenly.

7. Spread the finely chopped coriander evenly over the dhokla. Your Moong Dal Dhokla is ready.

8. Allow the dhokla to cool down completely, then cut into small pieces using a spatula. Serve at room temperature.

Vegan, But Not Gluten-Free

This recipe is completely vegetarian and vegan, suited to those following a plant-based diet.

However, it is not gluten-free because of the use of semolina and asafoetida, both of which usually contain wheat.

Looking For Other Khaman Or Dhokla Recipes?

I have several on my blog. Do check out this recipe for Instant Khaman, made using gram flour. This is a recipe for instant dhokla, which uses semolina or sooji/rava. This Instant Rava Besan Dhokla recipe makes use of both semolina and gram flour.

This recipe for Khatta Dhokla uses fermented rice and lentil batter, which does not require any rising agents like Eno. This Vati Dal Na Khaman recipe uses lentil batter, not the instant variety, but a lovely naturally fermented version as is popular in Surat, Gujarat. These Mug Na Dhokla are made using fermented batter that uses whole green moong beans.

Tips & Tricks

1. Adjust the quantity of green chillies and sugar as per personal taste preferences.
2. The batter should be thick, but not overly so. It should be runny, but not watery. Adjust the quantity of water you use, depending upon the consistency of the batter.
3. For best results, use the fine Bombay rava, rather than the coarser and thicker Bansi rava.
4. Like I said earlier, the batter is not fermented. I have used a little bit of citric acid to sour the batter. Citric acid – also called ‘nimbu ka phool‘ – is commonly available in several departmental stores and, from what I understand, is fine to use in small quantities occasionally. If you are not comfortable using citric acid, you could use lemon juice or sour curd in the batter – personally, though, I haven’t tried making this variety of dhokla any other way.
5. I have used Eno fruit salt to make the dhokla light and fluffy. Make sure you use the plain one, and not the flavoured ones. Baking soda can be used in place of the Eno, I am guessing, though I have never tried using it in dhokla.
6. Make sure you add the Eno to the batter just before steaming. Letting the batter sit around for some time after adding Eno might cause the dhokla to become dense.
7. Mix the batter well after adding Eno.
8. Make sure you heat the greased vessel for steaming. Dhokla turns out the best when the vessel is well heated.
9. I have steamed the Moong Dal Dhokla in a pressure cooker. You can do the same in a vegetable steamer as well. Remember to steam on high flame for about 15 minutes, without the whistle, similar to how you would steam idlis.
10. Wait till the dhokla has cooled down before cutting into pieces.
11. I am guessing the batter would slightly sour if left to rest for 6-8 hours, thereby eliminating the need to use citric acid. However, I haven’t tried this out personally.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me in your comments!

Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu| Gujarati Stuffed Gumberry Pickle

Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu is a summer-special pickle from the state of Gujarat. This extremely delicious pickle uses gumberries, a special type of berry that make an appearance in the markets during the months of summer. Stuffed with raw mango and spices, doused with groundnut oil, this pickle makes for a beautiful accompaniment to rotis, pooris, parathas, dal–chawal and even curd rice.

I have grown up eating Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu in Ahmedabad, but completely forgot about it as gumberries were never available in Bangalore. Since the last couple of years, though, I am so excited to find these berries in the markets of Bangalore too, and have had a happy time getting reacquainted with them.

Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu, Gujarati Stuffed Gumberry Pickle

In today’s blog post, I am going to share with you all how to make this pickle, a bit of a laborious task but oh, so totally worth it! It is almost the end of summer here in Bangalore, and I know I am late to this board this train – I hope I am not too late, though, for I hear it is still officially summer in northern India. I hope you can still find some gumberries and pickle them!

A Note On Gumberries, The Star Ingredient Of This Pickle

‘Gumberries’, also called ‘glue berries’, refer to a type of berry with the seed encased in sticky, natural gum. You need to smear your fingers with salt to get the seed out.

These berries, which typically make an appearance during the hot months of summer, are most popular in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and a few other parts of North India. Also known as ‘gunda‘ (Gujarati) and ‘bhokar‘, ‘lisoda‘, ‘lesua‘ or ‘lasuda‘, gumberries are most commonly used for pickling.

Gumberries, aka gunda or lisoda

To pickle these berries, they are usually stuffed with a mix of achaar masala and grated raw mango, with heated peanut oil poured over them. This renders them succulent and very delicious. Because of the raw mango filling, this pickle is also known as ‘Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu (stuffed gumberry pickle)’ or ‘Gunda Kairi Nu Athanu (gumberry and raw mango pickle)’ in Gujarati.

The Gujaratis also use gumberries to make a beautiful sabzi, called Bharela Gunda Nu Shaak. The berries are stuffed with a mix of gram flour (besan) and some other dry spice powders, then cooked in a flavourful gravy.

How To Make Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu

The process of pickling gumberries, the Gujarati way, is a little tedious, but by no means difficult. Let us see how to go about this.

Ingredients (makes 1 jam jar of pickle):

1. About 300 grams gumberries (gunda)

2. 3/4 cup achaar/pickle masala

3. 1 large raw mango, about 1 cup when peeled and grated

4. 1/2 cup oil (sesame/groundnut)

5. Salt as needed to dip fingers in

Method:

Top left: Step 1, Top centre and right, below top right: Step 2, Bottom right: Step 3, Bottom centre and left: Step 4

1. Remove the stems from the gumberries, then wash them well. Drain out all the water from them. Rub the berries with a thick cotton cloth to remove all moisture. Similarly, wash and dry the raw mango as well.

2. When completely dry, pound each one of the gumberries using a pestle, to crack it open. Smear some salt on your fingers, and pry open each berry to remove the seed inside. Prep all the berries in the same way.

3. Next, peel the dried raw mango and grate it medium thick.

4. Take the pickle masala in a mixing bowl, and add the grated raw mango to it. Mix well.

Top left and right: Steps 5 and 6, Below top right and bottom right: Steps 7 and 8, Bottom left: Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu, soaked and ready to use

5. Now, stuff a generous amount of the raw mango – pickle masala mixture inside each of the prepared gumberries. Place the stuffed gumberries in another mixing bowl.

6. Once all the gumberries have been stuffed, add any remaining raw mango – pickle masala mixture over it.

7. Heat the oil in a small pan. Once it gets nice and hot, switch off the gas.

8. Pour the hot oil immediately over the stuffed gumberries. Mix gently. Your Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu is ready. Let the pickle cool down completely.

9. Once the pickle has fully cooled down, transfer it to a clean, dry, air-tight bottle. Keep it at room temperature for 2 days, opening the lid and stirring the contents with a dry spoon 2-3 times a day. By this time, the gumberries would have gotten softer and soaked in the masala – at this stage, they are ready to eat. After 2 days, store the pickle in the refrigerator.

Vegan, But Not Gluten-Free Recipe

This recipe for Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu is completely vegetarian and vegan, suited to those following a plant-based diet. However, it is not gluten-free because of the use of asafoetida.

The achaar/pickle masala used in this recipe contains asafoetida. Most commercially available brands of asafoetida powder in India do contain asafoetida, to a lesser or greater extent. Therefore, it is best avoided when one is attempting to follow a gluten-free diet. That said, I believe asafoetida is a crucial element of an Indian pickle – it’s something that constitutes the very heart and soul – and I simply cannot imagine it without. If you are able to find 100% gluten-free asafoetida, do go ahead and use it.

Tips & Tricks

1. I have used home-made pickle masala here. Here’s how to make the masala at home, recorded in an earlier post of mine. You can also use a store-bought version instead.
2. Traditionally, groundnut oil is used in the making of Bharela Gunda Nu Athanu. I have used sesame oil in the pickle masala, and heated groundnut oil to pour over the pickle.
3. For best results, use a firm raw mango that is not squishy or soft. The raw mango I used had started to ripen from inside, so it got liquid-y when I tried to grate it.
4. The raw mango you use should be sour and not sweetish. You can use any variety of raw mango.
5. Remember to let the pickle cool down completely before you bottle it. When refrigerated well and used with a clean, dry spoon only, it stays for over a year.
6. Some families add a tablespoon of fennel seeds (saunf) to the pickle masala, along with the grated raw mango. I haven’t.
7. If the pickle isn’t sour enough (as it happens sometimes), you can add 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar to it.
8. Adjust the quantity of the pickle masala you use, as per personal taste preferences.
9. Make sure the gumberries and raw mango are completely dry, before you begin using them.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!