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Dal dhokli

Name: Dal dhokli
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 250g chapati flour, plus extra for rolling; 2 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder; ½ tsp ajwain seeds (also called carom seeds); 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil; 200-400g leftover dal (see Know-how); Coriander leaves, knob of butter and greek yogurt to serve (optional)

By: Nisha Parmar

Published: 13 Feb 24
Updated: 25 Mar 24

Dal dhokli is a traditional Gujarati dish of thin, silky dal with dumplings. Nisha Parmar shares her recipe, which makes smart use leftover dal.

Nisha says: “Growing up in a Gujarati house, having leftovers was the norm. My mum’s ‘make once, eat twice’ approach meant last night’s dinner could turn into a new dish the next day. Rice might be transformed into dumplings, or chapatis into yogurty porridge. Here I’m sharing how my mum would turn leftover dal into a comforting one-pot bowl of Indian pasta!”

Nisha Parmar is a private chef, cooking up feasts for celebrities and special occasions. She was a MasterChef semi-finalist in 2018 and her first cookbook, Share: Asian-inspired Dinner Party Dishes, is out in March 2024.

Easy
February 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min

Dal dhokli is a traditional Gujarati dish of thin, silky dal with dumplings. Nisha Parmar shares her recipe, which makes smart use leftover dal.

Nutrition: Per serving (depending on your dal)

Calories: 409kcals
Fat: 14g (1.4g saturated)
Protein: 13g
Carbohydrates: 51g (2g sugars)
Fibre: 13g
Salt: 1.7g

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Ingredients

250g chapati flour, plus extra for rolling
2 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder
½ tsp ajwain seeds (also called carom seeds)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
200-400g leftover dal (see Know-how)
Coriander leaves, knob of butter and greek yogurt to serve (optional)

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Method

In a bowl, mix together the flours, turmeric, chilli powder, ajwain seeds, salt and oil. Gradually stir in 125ml hot water until it forms a dough, then knead for at least 5 minutes until it’s firm and smooth. Cover (upturning the bowl over the dough on the work surface works well) and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, get your dal to the right consistency. Thin out the dal with water (or stock), whizzing with a hand blender until smooth and brothy. You’ll need about 1 litre. Put in a large saucepan.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and use your hands to roll into smooth balls. Then flatten each and dip into extra chapati flour to prevent sticking. Roll out into a 30cm round (about 2mm thick). Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut strips lengthways, then diagonally across to create diamond shapes (dhokli). Set aside, taking care not to overlap. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Bring the brothy dal to a rapid boil and gently drop each diamond-shape piece of dough, one by one. This may seem time consuming but it’s to ensure the dhoklis don’t clump and stick together. The dal may thicken as the dhoklis release starch from the flour – this is normal. Once all the dhoklis are added, simmer over a medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Taste to ensure the dhoklis are cooked. The texture should be softer than pasta, not al dente (with bite).
Finish with a knob of butter (unless you want to keep the dish vegan) and serve in bowls with chopped fresh coriander and a spoonful of greek yogurt, if desired.

Recipe from February 2024 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 409kcals
Fat: 14g (1.4g saturated)
Protein: 13g
Carbohydrates: 51g (2g sugars)
Fibre: 13g
Salt: 1.7g

delicious. tips

This dish is traditionally made with toor dal (pigeon peas) but you can use whatever leftover dal you have. Toor dal is smooth, with fresh finely chopped tomatoes, jaggery and lemon juice added at the end of cooking, followed by a tadka of curry leaves, coriander and cumin seeds. You could add these to the dal you have before thinning it down into a broth to make this dish more similar to the original.