Instant Palak Dhokla / Healthy Spinach Dhokla
Instant Palak Dhokla is spongy, soft, moist, and delicious. This recipe is another version of the famous Gujarati Instant Khaman Dhokla. It is healthy, protein-packed, and nutritious with spinach and chickpea flour!
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Ingredients
For Palak Dhokla
- 1¼ cups (140g) chickpea flour (Besan)
- 1½ tablespoon Sooji (Semolina)
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 2 cups (80g) spinach leaves
- ½ cup (120ml) water plus as needed
- 1 teaspoon green chili paste (or add to taste)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoon fruit salt (ENO)
For Tempering
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 Green chili slitted
- ¼ cup water
For Garnishing
- Finely chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Making Palak Dhokla
- Grease the thali or baking pan (8 - 9 inch diameter) with oil and set aside.
- Add 2-3 cups of water to the steamer (the quantity of water depends on the steamer’s size) and bring the water to a boil.
- Sift chickpea flour in a mixing bowl. Add Sooji (Semolina), sugar, and salt. Whisk well and set aside.
- In a blender jar, combine spinach leaves and ½ cup of water. Blend the mixture into a fine puree. It should be 1¼ cups; if it is less, add more water to make it 1¼ cups.
- Add spinach puree, green chili paste, and lemon juice to the flour mixture. Mix well into a smooth batter.
- The batter should be medium thick but with a flowing consistency. If your batter is too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time. And if it is too thin, add a little more chickpea flour.
- Add fruit salt (ENO) to the batter and a few water drops on top of it. Mix it immediately and gently. The fruit salt should be mixed evenly into the batter. The batter will become almost double in volume.
- Immediately pour the batter into the prepared thali or pan. Place the thali or pan in the steamer and cover.
- Steam the Palak Dhokla on medium to high heat for 12-15 minutes. Check the doneness of Dhokla by inserting a tester or tip of a knife in the center of Dhokla.
- Turn off the heat. After a minute, remove thali or pan from the steamer and set aside. Allow the Dhokla to cool down slightly before tempering.
Tempering the Dhokla
- Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds.
- After mustard seeds start crackling, add slitted green chili. Then, carefully add ¼ cup of water and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat.
- Spread this tempering mixture on Palak Dhokla evenly. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
- Slice Palak Dhokla into a desired shape and size. Serve it with your choice of chutney.
Notes
- Chickpea Flour (Besan): The flour must be sifted or sieved before being used in the recipe. It should be lump-free to make a smooth batter.
- Batter Consistency: The batter should be medium thick with a flowing consistency. If the batter is too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time. And if the batter is thinner, add a bit more chickpea flour.
- Fruit Salt: If you do not have fruit salt, use ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Steaming: Steam the Instant Palak Dhokla for only 12-14 minutes; do not overcook. Check the doneness by inserting the tip of the knife in the center; it should come out clean.
- Tempering: You can also add cumin seeds and sesame seeds to the tempering if you prefer.
- Garnishing: You can skip garnishing or garnish the Dhokla with the elements of your choice.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 170kcalCarbohydrates : 23gProtein : 9gFat : 5gSaturated Fat : 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat : 2gMonounsaturated Fat : 2gTrans Fat : 0.01gSodium : 621mgPotassium : 420mgFiber : 4gSugar : 6gVitamin A : 1937IUVitamin C : 7mgCalcium : 39mgIron : 2mg
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