Tandoori Masala Dhokla: A Healthy Teatime Snack

Do you also like dhokla? It is a savoury sponge dish that originated in the Indian state of Gujarat and some of its neighbouring states. It is well-liked across the entire nation. It is made from a fermented batter that has been cooked until it resembles a cake. To make this, soaked Bengal gram and rice are blended together to form a batter, although there are other variations as well in which chickpeas, pigeon peas, or urad beans are used instead of the gram. It is an easy-to-prepare dish that is light on the stomach but heavy on flavour. 

Dhokla is a fermented dish that is rich in nutrients like folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, biotin, and vitamin K. It is popular among those trying to reduce weight because it is steam-cooked rather than fried. You can digest fermented foods more easily. Complex proteins, carbs, and lipids are broken down by the microorganisms into simpler molecules to digest.

Tandoori masala dhokla is an amped-up variation of the usual plain dhokla. It is made by adding extra spices to the batter and topping up the dhokla with some tandoori masala. Tandoori dhokla has a spicy and smoky flavour that hits the right spot on our taste buds. It is a perfect dish for those who don't like plain dhokla and find it very bland and boring. This mouthwatering snack won't even take that long to prepare and will be ready in less than 10 minutes. You can serve it at celebrations or even with your evening tea for a healthy combination. The tandoori flavours of the dhokla will be pleasing to your taste buds if you enjoy mirch-masala. For improved flavour, you can garnish the dhokla with coconut flakes and coriander leaves. Serve it with fried green chillies and tamarind chutney.

Here's how you can make tandoori dhokla at home:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of gram flour (besan)
• 1 teaspoon of ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon fruit salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1/2 tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup yoghurt (curd)
• 1 tablespoon tandoori masala
• 2 stalks of curry leaves
• salt as required.

Method

• Add besan, turmeric, ginger paste, curd, fruit salt, half a tablespoon of tandoori masala, red chilli powder, and salt to a bowl. Add some water and mix all the ingredients to get a thick and smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into a circular thali that has been lightly greased with oil. Place it in a steamer and steam it for 10 to 12 minutes. Once finished, remove it and allow it to cool.
• Place the Tandoori Dhokla on a plate and cut it into cubes. Now it is time to finish the tempering. Heat oil in a skillet, add curry leaves and mustard seeds and let them sizzle for about a minute. Pour this tadka onto the dhokla cubes. Lastly, top it up with 1/2 tbsp of tandoori masala.
• Serve the tandoori dhokla with tamarind chutney or any other chutney of your choice, along with fried green chillies.