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.
To Serve:
WHITE DHOKLA | IDADA |IDRA
Ingredients
FOR THE WHITE DHOKLA BATTER
- ¾ cup rice
- 2 tbsp moong dal yellow
- 2 tbsp chana dal
- ¼ cup urad dal white
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- enough warm water
- ½ cup sour yogurt
- ⅓ -½ cup water
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp chilli paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp eno fruit salt or kharo
TO SPRINKLE ON TOP
- ¼ - ⅓ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- extra oil for greasing
INGREDIENTS FOR TEMPERING | VAGHAR
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp asafetida
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- 1 green chilli, optional sliced
Instructions
PREPARATION OF WHITE DHOKLA BATTER
- Soak rice and dalsl separately in warm water for 6-8 hours.
- Add the fenugreek seeds to the dal mixture so they soak at the same time.
- Remove the water, wash the rice and dals separately using a colander or sieve.
- Using the measured yogurt, first grind the dal mixture to a fine paste.
- Then using ½ cup water, process the soaked rice to a fine texture.
- Mix the dal and rice batter together in a large bowl or contianer. It should be a thick.
- Cover it with a lid or cling film and leave it overnight or for 8-10 hours to ferment.
- The batter should be thick and fermented.
- Add salt, ginger, chilli pastes and oil.
- At this point you may need to add ⅓ cup or less of water if the batter is too thick. It should be thick and pourable.
- Whip the batter gently to mix.
STEAMING WHITE DHOKLA
- Get your steaming device ready.
- Add water quarter way full. The water should not touch the plates which we will be using to steam the dhokla.
- Cover the pan and let the water become hot.
- In the meantime, grease the steaming plates with some oil.
- Use either
- When the water becomes hot, add the kharo or Eno into the batter.
- Mix it well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared greased plate.
- It is best to use either 6, 8 or 9 inch steel plates. If you don't have one then use a 9 inch cake tin. In the cake tin the dhokla will come out thicker.
- Sprinkle red chilli powder and pepper powder over the batter.
- Place the plates on the steaming ring or tray.
- Cover and steam for 10 minutes.
- Open the lid and remove the plates with dhokla.
PREPARATION OF TEMPERING OR VAGHAR
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- When it is hot add mustard, cumin and sesame seeds.
- Let it crackle a bit.
- Add curry leaves, chopped green chilli and coriander leaves.
- Mix with a spoon.
- Add asafoetida and mix well.
- Pour the vaghar or tempering over the steamed dhokla.
- Let it cool down completely before you cut the dhokla into pieces.
TO SERVE
- Cut the dhokla into square or diamond shapes and serve with a chutney of your choice.
- I love serving it with green or garlic chutney.
Notes
- If the batter gets fermented well, then there is no need to use Eno.
- Can substitute the Eno with baking soda.
- Sometimes ready made white dhokra flour is available. In that case you mix it with yogurt and leave it overnight.
- To serve them warm just warm them up in a microwave oven or steam them again for 5 minutes.
Left over dhokla can easily be warmed up in a wide pan over medium heat. Stir them gently so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Pin For Later
https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/237776055321805651/
A Small Request
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62