White Dhokla

Recipe: White Dhokla

White Dhokla also known as Idra, Idada, Idla or Khatta Dhokla is a traditional Gujarati steamed snack made from a batter of rice and lentils or dals. Enjoyed usually as a snack or as a part of a thali, it is commonly served with mango ras and puri. It is different from idli in the ratio of rice to urad dal. Also my mum would add a bit of chana and moong dal. Some add flattened rice or poha too. Khatta means sour, so the batter is allowed to ferment overnight so that it becomes a bit sour.

A Bit About Gujarati Food

Let us get one misconception straight – Most believe  that Gujarati food is  very sweet. Yes we do use sugar and jaggery but it has to be a balance of both sweet and sour. Modern times with much health awareness, many Gujarati homes do not use sugar or jaggery in their daily cooking. Actually,  many parts of Gujarat get slightly salty water. I can vouch that some parts of Ahmedabad do. Therefore, adding sugar or jaggery became a norm to balance out the flavours. Also addition of jaggery or sugar helps to keep our bodies hydrated during the hot summers.

The land of Lions and Legends has countless varieties of dishes. As a Gujarati I can make out from which region the food has originated. For example kadhi made by Charotar Patel Community is so different in taste and texture from the one made by any other Gujarati community. Besides the slight variations, Gujaratis are so proud of their ever popular snacks.

Gujaratis readily adapt to any type of cuisine but I must warn you we tend to ‘gujjufy’ it, meaning we add our spices to make it taste like Gujarati food. Gujaratis take their food very seriously. No wonder most of us spend so much time in the kitchen. Hot breakfast, lunch, fresh snack and then dinner. And don’t forget the in between farsans like sev, chakri, chevdo, ganthia, farsi puri, etc.

Some Gujarati Food Recipes You May Want To Check Out

Sharing White Dhokla Recipe With Shhh Secretly Cooking Group

Memories

This recipe was first published on 28/03/2018 as for March that year the theme was Gujarati Food.  My partner back then was Poonam who blogs at Annapurna. She gave me rice and sesame seeds as my secret ingredients. And immediately khatta dhokla came to my mind. In return I gave her wheat flour and toor dal. Using those 2 ingredients she made the traditional Dal Dhokli.

Present Time

For the month of August 2025 my partner Priya Srinivasan and I decided to redo old post as the theme is Fermented Food.  She suggested I use fenugreek seeds and yogurt as the secret ingredients. Immediately I thought of my white dhokla or Idra recipe which needed better photos. I gave Priya who blogs at I Camp In My Kitchen broccoli and chilli flakes. Using those two she has prepared healthy, delicious Chilli Cheese Kuzhipaniyaram

My Heritage

Today I’m not going to give your facts and figures about Gujarat as one can easily find it on the internet but write a bit about my heritage.  I’m so proud to be a Gujarati. Gujarat the land of dandiya raas, garbas, dhoklas and welcoming people. As a matter of fact,  I’ll share a bit about my family. Patels  will proudly mention the village they come from (even though weren’t  born there or lived there!). I come from the village Umreth, known as Silk City of Charotar, Anand District. After Umreth comes the famous pilgrimage place Dakor where the famous Ranchhodrai Temple is located. On a clear day we can see the flag of the temple from the ancestral home’s top floor.

My  Paternal Grandfather

My grandfather was born and brought up in Umreth.  His eldest brother was the chief of the taluk. As a young man, my grandfather decided to travel by ship to Mombasa, Kenya. During the British Rule, Asians were employed to work on laying the railways (called the Lunatic Line from Mombasa to Kampala). Back then my grandfather got a job as an inspector at one of the stations. After the British left, he opened up his own business. As a matter of fact, my father and his siblings were all born and brought up in Kenya.

My Family

Also my siblings and I too are born and brought up in Kenya. And my paternal grandmother was born and brought up in the village Sokhada (Kheda District). My mum was born and brought up in the village Koyali which is near Vadodara. I still have aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews who live in the villages. My children have visited all three villages, including Deva and Kanjari (both in Kheda District). Deva is where my father in law was born and brought up. My mother in law’s family came from Kanjari. In spite of us growing up outside India we still follow the traditions and cultures of India. It was very important for my kids to understand where their maternal and paternal families come from.

Ingredients Required For White Dhokla,Idra, Idada, Idla or Khatta Dhokla |

Rice

Any rice of your choice. Generally, I use short grain rice or broken rice. If you don’t have any of those then basmati too works fine.

Urad Dal

White split urad dal without the skin. It is known as black gram in English. Urad dal without the skin is readily available in all Indian Stores or online. Urad dal helps to ferment the batter well.

Chana Dal

Split brown chickpea lentils. That also is available readily in any Indian Store or online.

Moong Dal

Also known as green gram, here we need the split moong without the skin. And yes easily available in any Indian Store or online.

Fenugreek Seeds

Methi dana, we need a bit as it helps to ferment the batter well. Easy to find fenugreek seeds in any Indian Store or online.

Water

To soak the rice and dals or lentils. Also we will need some for the batter and for steaming. Normal tap water is fine.

Yogurt

We will be using some plain slightly sour yogurt. Usually the yogurts available in Indian stores are slightly sour which makes it perfect for cooking.

Fresh Ginger

Peel and mince the ginger. About an inch of ginger should be enough.

Green Chillis

Add according to your taste. Wash and process 1-3 green chillis into a paste.

Salt

Add according to your taste.

Oil

Any oil of your choice. I have used sunflower oil. We need oil for tempering (vaghar), add a bit in the batter and also for greasing the plate we will use for steaming. Adding a bit of oil to the batter makes then softer and moist.

Eno

Though the batter is fermented by leaving it in a warm place for 8 hours or overnight, sometimes we need to add Eno or baking soda as a leavening agent. It helps to make the white dhokla  softer and spongier.

Red Chilli Powder

We will be sprinkling some on the batter before steaming. Can omit if you don’t like hot food or are making them for kids.

Black Pepper Powder

A bit of black pepper powder, a little coarse is adding on top. Makes the white dhokla tasty.

Sesame Seeds

We will be using some sesame seeds or tal for tempering or vaghar.

Cumin Seeds

Jeera, jiru. We need some for tempering or vaghar.

Curry Leaves

A sprig or 8-10 leaves for tempering or vaghar. If you don’t have fresh curry leaves use frozen or dried ones.

Fresh Coriander

Wash, dried on a kitchen towel and chopped finely. We will be using some for the tempering.

Mustard Seeds

Sarson ke dane, rai, we need some for tempering or vaghar.

Asafoetida

An optional ingredient as hing powder contains wheat flour. If you want a gluten free version of white dhokla then omit asafoetida.