1,000 Indian Recipes (100 page)

5.
Let cool and remove each iddli from the mold with a spoon or with clean fingers. Pry lightly with a knife or a small spatula if they get stuck. Serve.

Steamed Spicy Fermented Rice Cakes

Masala Iddli

Makes 16 to 20 pieces

These cakes are a category all their own, although they are basically made in the same manner as other
iddlis
. The difference is that herbs and spices are mixed into the batter before the
iddlis
are steamed and, once done, they are topped with a fragrant
tarka
(sizzling flavor topping).

1 recipe batter for
Traditional Steamed Fermented Rice Cakes
or
Instant Steamed Semolina Cakes with Yogurt

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground asafoetida

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 to 4 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, whole or broken

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh curry leaves

1.
Prepare either of the iddli batters. When the fermented batter is ready (through step 2 in either recipe), mix in the onion, ginger, green chile peppers, cilantro, and half (
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon) the asafoetida. Then continue with Step 3 of the recipe.

2.
When the iddlis are steamed, transfer them to a serving plate. Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers and mustard seeds. They should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the remaining asafoetida and curry leaves, and stir about 30 seconds. Add to the iddlis and toss lightly to mix. Serve.

Variation:
In Step 1, mix in 1 to 2 cups finely chopped steamed vegetables and
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or 1 tablespoon masala from any mango pickle, or be creative and mix in some sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

Savory Bean and Rice Cakes (
Dhokla
)

Dhoklas
—a signature Gujarati snack, are spongy, bite-size (or large) savory, cake-like pieces of steamed
dals
(legumes), rice, chickpea flour, or semolina. There are two basic
dhokla
recipes: One is the time-consuming soak-grind-ferment-and-steam recipe, and the other is the instant mix-and-steam recipe; both yield excellent results.

Dhoklas
are typically steamed in flat round trays that have straight, 1-inch-high raised edges (
thalis
). The authentic
dhokla
mold is a 3- to 4-tier tree-like stand with a base that stands at least 1 inch high to keep all the trays well above the water line. But 8-inch or 9-inch metal cake pans, pie dishes, and other similar containers all work well. Just rest them on metal bowls (or thoroughly washed tuna cans) placed in a large pot of water into which the pan can fit. (I like using a pressure cooker.) Make sure the batter is well above the water level, then steam them.

Traditional Steamed Split Chickpea Cakes

Khaman Dhokla

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made the traditional way by soaking yellow split chickpeas (
channa dal
), these routinely made, spicy
dhoklas
are as delicious with a hot cup of tea as they are when served as appetizers with a glass of chilled beer or wine.

Prepare the batter in advance; the
dal
soaks overnight and the batter has to sit 12 hours. The batter should be semi-thick, with the tiniest bit of a grain. If the batter is thin, add 1 to 2 teaspoons semolina.

1 cup dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

¹
⁄
₂
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₂
cup water, or more as needed

¹
⁄
₄
cup peanut oil

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon baking soda

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon citric acid

4 to 6 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, with stems

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, whole or split in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh curry leaves

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 tablespoon fresh or frozen grated coconut

1.
Soak the dal overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain and process in a food processor, adding the yogurt and the water to make a smooth semi-thick batter, yet with a soft grain. Transfer to a bowl and set in a warm, dry place at least 12 hours to ferment.

2.
Mix in 2 tablespoons oil, asafoetida, and salt, and with a whisk or a fork, whip well to incorporate air into the batter, about 1 minute.

3.
Put about a 1-inch layer of water in a pressure cooker or a large pot to be used for steaming the dhokla. Grease well the dhokla tray or trays, or a metal pie pan with raised edges. Mix the baking soda and citric acid into the batter, which will make it foam immediately. Working quickly, transfer to the dhokla tray or pie pan and place the tray in the steaming pot, making sure it sits about 1 inch above the water level. Cover the pot, leaving the vent open if you're using a pressure cooker, or leaving the cover a little askew if you're using a regular pot, to allow the steam to escape. Cook over high heat about 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove trays from the pot.

4.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the red chile peppers and mustard seeds. They should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the green chile peppers, curry leaves, cilantro, and coconut, and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Spread the mixture evenly over the dhokla cake. Let cool, cut into the desired size squares, rectangles or other shapes, place them on a serving platter and serve.

Falguni's Steamed Chickpea Flour Cakes

Falguni ka Khaman Dhokla

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This traditional recipe comes to me from my Gujarati friend, Falguni Jalota. Made with chickpea flour (instead of soaked split chickpea
dal
), these are about the simplest of the
dhoklas
—but are also somewhat drier. To compensate for this, Falguni adds water to the final
tarka
(sizzling flavor topping).

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger and Green Chile Pepper Paste

1 cup chickpea flour (besan)

¹
⁄
₂
cup water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon citric acid

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, quartered lengthwise

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

1 teaspoon sugar, dissolved in
¹
⁄
₃
cup water

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₂
cup fresh or frozen grated coconut

1.
Prepare the ginger-green chile paste. Then, in a bowl, mix together the chickpea flour and water and, using a whisk or a fork, whip well to incorporate air and make a semi-thick batter, about 1 minute. Add the ginger-green chile paste, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, and mix well.

2.
Put about 1 inch of water in a pressure cooker or in a large pot that will be used for steaming the dhokla. Grease well 1 large or 2 small dhokla trays or metal pie pans with raised edges.

3.
Mix the citric acid and baking soda into the batter, which will make it foam immediately. Working quickly, transfer the batter to the trays and place the tray in the pot, making sure it sits about 1 inch above the water level. Cover the pot, leaving the vent open if you're using a pressure cooker or leaving the cover a little askew if you're using a regular pot, to allow the steam to escape. Cook over high heat about 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the dhokla comes out clean. Remove from the pot.