Name: Rava Dhokla / Suji Dhokla
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups rava/suji/semolina; 1 cup yogurt; 1/2 tbsp avocado oil; 3/4 tsp salt; 1 inch ginger (grated); pinch of turmeric; 3/4 cup water; 1 1/4 tsp ENO; 1 1/2 tbsp oil; 2 tsp mustard seeds; pinch of asafoetida; 2 green chilies (sliced in half); 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds; 12 curry leaves; 1/4 cup water; to taste fresh cilantro (chopped)

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Mummy's Rava Dhokla that's soft, light, and fluffy. Perfect for brunch, pair it with a cup of masala chai.

Growing up in a Punjabi household, my mom introduced us to various foods all over India. I grew up eating Dhokla, the popular Gujurati snack. It's one of my mom specialties and we all love it so much.

What is Rava Dhokla / Suji Dhokla?

Rava / Suji is semolina which is part of the wheat family. Rava/Suji is mixed with yogurt, ginger, turmeric (optional), green chilies (optional), salt, water, oil, and ENO (fruit salt). The batter is then steamed for 20 minutes. A flavorful tempering of mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, and green chilies is added as a garnish.

Should I add Turmeric to Rava Dhokla or not?

The ongoing Dhokla Debate! My mom adds turmeric to Dhokla, but I'm Punjabi, so my mom has her own way of making Dhokla.

I recently learned there are various types of dhokla besides Rava Dhokla and Khaman Dhokla. Rava Dhokla or Suji Dhokla usually doesn't consist of turmeric, and it's referred to as "white" dhokla. To add turmeric or not? After doing a poll on Instastories, I'm happy to know that those from a certain part of Gujrat add turmeric to dhokla and the rest don't.

Since this recipe is originally from my mom, I wanted to make it exactly how she makes it. Personally, I like the flavor and color.

Rava Dhokla using an Instant Pot vs. Stovetop?

I've tried my mom's recipe a few times in the Instant Pot, and although it was good, it was not fluffy and spongy. The results are far better using the stovetop method.

How do I make Dhokla without a Dhokla Steamer Set?

Since I don't have the Dhokla Steamer set for stovetop, I sort of used my imagination and created my own. Here's how.

Take a wok - I use Calphalon. Place the Instant Pot Trivet. Use a 9" round cake pan and place it over the trivet. Cover with the wok lid. This works amazingly well!

Rava Dhokla is:

Moist
Soft & Fluffy
Delicious
Light
Perfect with Masala Chai
Mom's Recipe

How to make Rava Dhokla recipe or Suji Dhokla recipe step by step?

Prep

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine rava/suji, yogurt, freshly grated ginger, turmeric, green chilies (optional), avocado oil, salt, and water.
2. Mix batter well. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.
3. In the meantime, take a wok, add 3 cups of water along with the Instant Pot Trivet.
4. Cover with a lid and turn on the stove on medium heat until the water boils. This will take roughly 5-8 minutes. Then turn off the stove.

5. Once 15 minutes are up, add ENO (fruit salt) to the batter. Mix well, but DO NOT OVER MIX.
6. Brush oil all over the 9" cake pan and on the sides.

Steam the Dhokla

7. Transfer the batter to the cake pan. Sprinkle red chili powder on top.
8. Place the cake pan over the steaming hot water and trivet. Cover with a lid. Steam for 20 minutes on medium heat.
9. After 20 minutes, using a butter knife, check if the knife comes out clean.
10. It does, your dhokla is ready. Remove pan from the wok and set aside.

Prepare the Tadka

1. Here's what you'll need - oil, curry leaves, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, green chilies, and asafoetida (hing).
2. Heat up a little pot (tadka pot) on medium heat, add oil, once hot, add the sesame seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida, and green chilies. Saute for about 20 seconds.
3. Add curry leaves and cover with a lid. Remove from the stove. At this point, add a ¼ cup of water to the tadka and swirl around.
4. Evenly pour the tadka over the dhokla.
5. Cut into diamond shapes and serve.

Enjoy with Masala Chai!

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