Daldhokali (whole wheat dumplings in lentil soup)

Daldhokali... we gujjus are famous for our love for this dish. It is also one of my favourite dish. Daldhokali is basically made from tuvar dal(split pigeon peas) and dumplings of whole wheat flour. Sometimes the dhokali(dumplings) are stuffed either with potatoes or different spices. My mother use to make different type of daldhokali. Though it is very time consuming, it is worth to try.

Ingredients

For Dhokali dough

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp til (sesame seeds)

1 tsp ajwaiin (carrom seeds)

red chili powder

turmeric powder

coriander-cumin seed powder

salt as per taste

water to knead the dough

For Dal

3/4 cup tuvar dal

1 to 2 tbsp jaggery/sugar

1 tsp aamchur powder (optional)

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 pieces of dried kokum

1 to 2 tbsp peanuts

1 to 2 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 to 2 tsp coriander powder

salt as per taste

2 tbsp coriander(chopped)

For tempering

3-4 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

pinch of asafoetida

For Dal

Wash the dal with water for couple of times. Pressure cook the tuvar dal with water for 3-4 whistles. Make a smooth puree of boiled dal with blender. Add water before blending, to get the consistency like soup. Take one big pot with boiled and pureed dal and put on the stove on medium flame. Add jaggery(sugar),lemon juice, peanuts, kokum, aamchur powder, salt and all the spices. Mix all of them well in the dal and let it boil for 4-5 minutes.

Take one small sauce pan for tempering with 3-4 tbsp of oil. First add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add fenugreek seeds. At the end add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Add the tempering in the boiling dal.

For Dhokali

Knead the dough with all spices and salt. Dough should be little tight than usually we make for chapatis. Keep the dough cover for half an hour.

Grease your palm with oil. Take one part of the dough and roll it into a cylindrical shape. Now take a pinch of dough by your thumb and first finger. Press it with your thumb on flat surface. Repeat this procedure with all the dough. (This part is really time consuming but believe me it is worth trying!!)

Add the dhokali in batches in boiling dal. Make sure you stirr in between while adding dhokalis. They should not stick with each other in the dal, so dal must be boiling. Pressure cook the dal dhokali in cooker for 2 whistles only. Else you can cook them in pot until the dhokalis are thoroughly cooked.

Garnish with corinader and serve hot with rice.

Notes

If you don't want to spend so much time then divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts. Roll one portion on flat surface into circle of 150 mm dia. Cut it with knife into diamond shapes and add them into boiling dal. Repeat the procedure with remaining dough.

Make the dhokalis first and then make dal. At the end add dhokalis in the dal.