Our Dal Dhokli Recipe

One-pot recipes are some of the most convenient dishes to make, especially if, like us, you don’t like a meal that makes a mess along the way! 

No need to worry about moving ingredients from one vessel to another or how many stovetop pans you need. The name says it all.

One-pot dishes are a popular staple of both American and European cuisines, but pretty much every cuisine has at least one or two one-pot dishes of its own. 

For Indian-style cooking, our favorite has to be a good dal dhokli dish. Cooked in one pot, relatively easy to make, and it tastes great. It’s everything that you could want in a recipe.

Today, we’ll show you how you can make it for yourself!

How To Make This Dal Dhokli

Ingredients

For the Dal

• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), rinsed and soaked for 15-20 minutes
• ¼ cup raw peanuts
• 3½ cups water (for cooking dal)
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped (adjust for heat preference)
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp jaggery (or brown sugar)
• Salt, to taste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

For the Dumplings (Dhokli)

• 1 cup wheat flour
• ¼ cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• ¼ tsp asafetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp oil
• Water, as needed (for kneading)

For the Tadka (Tempering)

• 1½ tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 dried red chili
• 8-10 curry leaves
• ¼ tsp asafetida (hing)

Garnish

• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Method

Step 1: Cook the Dal

1. Place the rinsed toor dal in a pressure cooker with 3½ cups water and a pinch of salt. Add peanuts in a small steel bowl if possible and place them inside the cooker with the dal.
2. Cook the dal on medium heat until 3 whistles. Once done, let the pressure release naturally, then remove peanuts and set aside.

Step 2: Make the Dumpling Dough

1. In a mixing bowl, combine wheat flour, gram flour, carom seeds, and asafetida. Mix well.
2. Add oil to the flour mixture and gradually add water, kneading until a soft but slightly firm dough forms.
3. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. After resting, divide it into two equal portions, roll out each portion into a thin disc (around 12 cm diameter), and cut into diamond shapes.

Step 3: Prepare the Dal

1. Once the dal is cooked, blend it with an immersion blender until smooth. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, chopped tomatoes, green chilies, ginger paste, jaggery, and salt. Stir well.
2. Bring the dal to a boil on medium heat, then reduce to a simmer.

Step 4: Make the Tadka

1. In a small pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin and fenugreek seeds and cook until aromatic.
2. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and dried red chili. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add curry leaves and asafetida, then immediately pour this tadka into the simmering dal.

Step 5: Add Dumplings to the Dal

1. Gradually add the diamond-shaped dhokli pieces to the dal, stirring gently to avoid them sticking together.
2. Let the dal dhokli simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the dhokli is fully cooked and tender.

Step 6: Final Touches and Garnish

1. Add lemon or lime juice to the dal and the reserved boiled peanuts, stirring well.
2. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions For Dal Dhokli

Dal Dhokli, being a dal curry dish, is a main meal in itself and is often served on its own with no need for extra sides for it to be a delicious and filling recipe.

However, if you’re looking to share a curry with an entire table or simply looking for some extra interesting flavor combinations, there are a few dishes that are perfect for serving alongside it.

As far as sides go, you can’t go wrong with some good rice, whether it’s plain, pilaf, or turmeric-flavored.

Our Tips, Tricks, And Advice For Making Dal Dhokli

Storage Suggestions

So, after all that effort of cooking up this deal for yourself, you’ll probably want to save any leftovers that you may have.

Put your dal dhokli in an airtight container after cooking it, and keep it in the fridge. This will remain good to eat up to 2 days after it was made.

Eat It Before It Cools

This feels like it should be clear to most people. You should eat your fresh and hot-piping soup dish before it cools!

But it’s doubly important for dal dhokli, because of how the soup changes as it drops in temperature. As the dal dhokli cools, the soup will start to noticeably thicken.

If you like the change in consistency, then this isn’t much of an issue for you. But if you like your dal piping hot and smooth to the taste, you’ll want to keep this in mind.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it. This is a delicious Indian soup dish that you can enjoy. Complete with dumplings!

It might not be the simplest Indian recipe to make out there. It took us a few tries before we got our ideal result.

But when you get it, you’ll have a new favorite meal on your hands!

Frequently Asked Questions