Tuesday, February 12, 2013

IDADA / WHITE DHOKLA




Idada / White Dhokla

This is a zesty snack made of rice and lentils. It is popular in the state of Gujarat, located in the western part of India. Gujarat is famous for its wide varieties of sweet and savoury snacks. Idada also works great as a starter for dinner/lunch when paired with coriander chutney. Today I am writing this for my friend who had asked me for this particular recipe.

This recipe needs some preparation time as you need to soak the rice and lentils for hours and then ferment the batter for 7-8 hours before using it. You will need a steamer to steam these idada. It also uses Eno, which is a kind of fruit salt readily available in Indian grocery stores. If you are unable to find Eno, you may substitute it with baking soda. Note that this might not give the same fluffy texture and color to the idada. Both the variety of lentils are easily available in Indian grocery stores.


Yummy mouth-watering idada!


Ingredients :-
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1 cup white rice
1/2 cup urad dal (split matpe beans)
1/4 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
Salt to taste
3 tbsp plain yogurt/dahi
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger
3-4 green chillies
5-6 garlic cloves
1 tsp Eno (fruit salt)
Coriander, chopped for garnish

Tempering
~~~~~~~~~

1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp asafoetida/hing
5-6 curry leaves (optional)
3-4 dried red chillies (optional)


Directions :-
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1.  Mix rice, urad dal and chana dal in a big container, wash properly and soak them in enough water for 7-8 hours.

2.  Now drain the extra water. Add yogurt and grind it into a coarse batter, use water if needed. The batter should be like the consistency of pancake batter - not too thick, nor too thin.  

3.  Add salt to the batter and leave it to ferment for 7-8 hours     in a warm place like a cupboard (which is not opened often). If you are making this recipe in winter, pre-heat the oven to 200 F, turn off and place the container inside the oven, do not open the oven door frequently. 

 Always use a bigger container when fermenting any batter as it tends to rise. It will need space or else the batter will overflow and the container will be messy. 

4.  Grind green chilles, ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Add it to the fermented batter. 

5.  Fill the steamer with water and place it on medium heat. Grease the steamer plate with oil. Before pouring the batter, add Eno and mix the batter properly removing any lumps. Pour the batter onto the greased plate till it reaches around 1/2 inch thickness. Steam the idada for 25-30 mins. To check, insert a toothpick in the idada, if it comes out clean, idada are done. Cut them into diamonds or any shape you like.


Idada getting cooked in the steamer



Use the remaining batter to cook more idada or refrigerate
it for later use. Batter stays good for 3-4 days.

6.  For tempering, heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add mustard seeds, once they start to crackle add asafoetida, dried red chillies and curry leaves. 


Idada ready to get served!


7.  Arrange idada on the serving platter, spoon the tempering on all the pieces, garnish with coriander. Serve with coriander chutney or serve them with tea/coffee as a mid-afternoon snack. Enjoy!!!


Spicy, savoury idada


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