Garlicky Spicy Dal Dhokli
Garlicky Spicy Dal Dhokli is Boiled thick wheat flour noodles (dhokli) in a spicy garlicky pigeon pea stew (dal).
This Rajasthani, Gujarati and Maharashtrian dish is made by boiling thick wheat flour noodles (dhokli or phal) in a spicy pigeon pea stew (dal or varan). It has different name in different parts of India like Dal Dhokli, Varan Phal or Chakolya. It is widely believed that the Marwaris who had migrated to Gujarat invented this dish. While the dish remains popular in Marwar part of Rajasthan, it is Gujaratis who have made this comfort food a staple in their homes.
Traditional dal dhokli is sweet, spicy and tangy, loaded with peanuts and sesame! This version of dal dhokli is a bit different. It does not have any sweetness to it. It has lots of garlic, garam masala and fresh spicy green chilis. The tempering for this dhokli is also different from traditional version. This garlicky dhokli is tempered with fried green chilis and sliced garlic and garnished with lots of cilantro. SOme lemon juice to this dhokli and all the flavors come together incredibly! I bet you’ll love this version as much as the traditional version, well may be even more!!
Making dal dhokli is a little tricky though. It can get very lumpy and sticky if not made right. My MIL tough me a trick for alway making it perfect, and not lumpy at all. The trick is to cook the rotlis for dhokli partially for 10 seconds on each side before cutting and adding it to the dal. I know it sounds like an extra step but trust me it is well worth an extra effort! This extra step also makes this recipe prep ahead recipe. You can prepare dal with masala without boiling and partially cooked dhoklis. Keep them seperate. When you are ready to eat, just boil the dal, dump the prepared dhoklis in boiling dal and temper it. You have warm comfy food ready in minutes!
Everyone in my family loves this Indian lasagna soup! It is very comforting and very healthy. It is naturally vegan and has lots of fiber and protein which is a plus! I hope you and your family like it as much as we do! If you happen to make it and end up liking it, tag me on Instagram @myvegetarianroots.
Happy and healthy eating!
Garlicky Spicy Dal Dhokli
Ingredients
Ingredients for Boiled Dal
- ¾ cup Split pigeon peas lentils (Toor Dal) washed and soaked in warm water for 20-30 minutes
- 2 cup Water
Dhokli Dough
- 1½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 tsp Ajwain Carom Seeds
- 2 tsp Dhana Jiru
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Oil
- ¾ cup water more or less as required
Additional Ingredients for making Dal
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tsp Grated Ginger
- 2 tsp Chopped Thai Green Chilis or jalapeños or serranos
- 3 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tbsp Dhana Jiru
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 9 cup Water
Tempering Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 1 Serrano or Jalapeno sliced
- 2 big cloves Garlic sliced, of small use 3-4 cloves
Garnishing
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice
- ½ cup Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
Boil Toor Dal
- Wash toor dal thoroughly, specially if you have the oily version. Soak it in warm water for 20-30 minutes.
- Pressure cook it with 2 cups of water by doing 5 whistles in Indian Pressure Cooker.
- If using IP, Set instant pot on high pressure setting and cook it for 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and release rest of the pressure manually.
- Once boiled keep it aside.
Dhokli Dough
- While toor dal is cooking, start making dhokli dough.
- In a wide bowl, take all dough ingredients listed above except water and mix it well.
- Start adding little water at a time and kneed the dough. Usually 2 cups of flour takes one cup of water to make a soft dough. Once the dough is formed, add 2 tbsp of peanut oil and kneed it for a minute or two. It makes the dough softer and smoother. Cover it and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Make 8 even dough balls for the dhokli.
- Roll each dough ball with the help of dry flour like wheat flour or rice flour.
- Make 10" to 12" big rotis. It should not be too thick.
- Cook rolled roties on a big flat tawa for 10 seconds on each side. This step is unusual for dhokli recipe. But I like to partially cook dhoklis before I add them to the dal. It helps dhokli not stick together when you add it to the boiling dal and it does not lump up together.
- Roll all 8 rotis and partially cook them.
- Once all the rotis are rolled and cooked. Cut them into diamond shapes using either kitchen shears, knife or pizza cutter. Cover cut dhoklis and keep them aside
Assemble dal dhokli together
- Add all the additional ingredients listed above except for water for "Additional Ingredients for making Dal" in the cooked dal and use a handy mixer to mix it all together very well.
- Add 9 cups of water and use a handy mixer again to mix it all together very well. It will seem very watery but once you boil with dhokli, it will thicken up.
- Bring the dal to boil keeping it on saute mode.
- Once the dal is boiling, slowly add few cut dhoklis at a time to the dal. Keep mixing it while adding the dhokli.
- Bring it to boil again keeping Indian pressure cooker on medium heat or IP on saute mode.
- While the dal dhokli is boiling, prepare for tempering.
Temper Dal Dhokli
- Take ¼ cup of peanut oil in a small pan and heat it up.
- Once the oil is hot, add sliced garlic and slices serrano/jalapeños to hot oil. Keep cooking garlic and serrano on medium heat until the garlic turns golden brown. Do not burn it.
- Add the tempering to the dal dhokli. Mix it very well.
- Keep boiling the dal dhokli for another 5 minutes. Turn of the heat and and cover it for additional 5 minutes.
- Uncover the dal dhokli, garnish it with chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Mix it carefully making sure the dhokli does not break.
- Serve it hot with some drizzled oil on top and side of onions, papad and wedge of lemon!