Dhokla

Dhokla is a steamed, spongy gram-flour cake with a tangy edge, finished with a mustard-seed and curry-leaf tempering. It is Gujarat's everyday snack, cut into small squares or diamonds and eaten cold as often as warm.

What it really is

A batter of gram flour and yogurt (or a fermented alternative) is left to rest and slightly sour before being steamed in a wide, shallow tin until it sets into a firm but springy cake. Once cooled and cut into squares, a tadka — mustard seed and curry leaf briefly popped in hot oil, sometimes with a little sugar and lemon syrup — is poured evenly over the top, soaking down into the cut surfaces.

The tempering poured over the top is not a garnish. It carries most of the dish's actual seasoning, since the steamed cake underneath is deliberately mild; a dhokla served without it tastes like plain steamed batter.

How it is served

• Cut into squares or diamonds, tempering poured over just before serving.
• At room temperature or lightly warm, rarely served hot.
• With a green chutney on the side, as a snack rather than a full meal.

How to write it on the menu

• It is gluten-free as standard. Fermented versions made without yogurt can be vegan; instant batters may use yogurt, so confirm the recipe before describing it as vegan.
• Say if it is steamed fresh that day, since a dhokla loses its springy texture after a day or two in the fridge.
• Note the tempering plainly if it includes a touch of sugar, since some versions lean slightly sweet and others stay purely savoury.