The other day, I was trying to come up with a name for this dish in English, and the closest thing I could get to was “Indian pasta soup.” Which might make it sound like minestrone soup, but they are definitely not the same. Don’t get me wrong — I love me some good minestrone. But this dal dhokli is on a completely different level. It features rich flavors from a variety of spices and a soft and chewy texture in its tortilla squares. Along with the traditional dal base, we like to add in more nutrition from plenty of vegetables. Ultimately, the warmth and ease of one-bowl dal dhokli makes it the perfect comfort food for a rainy day. It’s made even easier by using the Instant Pot; it requires a grand total of 10 minutes of time in there.
Want more Indian cuisine? If it’s a hot day, check out my recipe for Shikanji (Indian lemonade). Or, if you’re having tea, you might want to try some Nankhatai (Indian cardamom cookies).
Dal Dhokli
Course: MainsCuisine: Indian6
servings50
minutes10
minutesIngredients
- For the dal
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
3-4 stalks fresh curry leaves (about 50-60 leaves total)
3/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 inch ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
4 tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp salt
2 tsp peanuts
1 cup toor dal
3 cups water
3 carrots, chopped
4 cups spinach, chopped
5 cups (additional) water
ghee and cilantro (for garnishing)
- For the dhokli
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups chickpea flour (besan)
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
pinch of red chili powder
1/3/ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
about 1 cup water (as needed to make dough)
Directions
- Set the Instant Pot insert on the stove on a medium flame and pour in the vegetable oil. When it’s warm, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
- When those spices have started to sizzle, add the curry leaves, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic and green chili. Let them cook a little.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, and peanuts. When the tomatoes have softened a bit, add the carrots, dal, and 3 cups of water. Mix everything and cook at high pressure in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients for the dhokli in a bowl. Add water and oil and knead to form a firm, pliable dough. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Form the dough into 5 balls and roll each out into a tortilla about 10″ in diameter (use additional flour to do so). Cut each tortilla into 1″ squares using a pizza cutter.
- Once the pressure has released from the Instant Pot, whisk the dal for a few seconds so that it blends with the rest of the liquid. Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode and add the spinach, tamarind paste and the additional 5 cups of water. When the dal is bubbling, start adding the dhokli squares.
- Mix everything and cook at high pressure for 2 minutes, then do a quick release. Add ghee and cilantro for garnish, if desired, and serve warm.
This recipe was adapted from Ministry of Curry’s Instant Pot Dal Dhokli.
