Oats Dhokla Recipe
Oats Dhokla is a quick, wholesome twist on the classic steamed snack from Gujarat, made using powdered oats instead of rice or semolina. Soft, fluffy, and lightly tangy, this version is perfect if you’re looking for a delicious Indian breakfast or snack.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For The Dhokla
- 1 cup rolled oats or instant oats
- ½ cup sooji (semolina)
- ¾ cup plain yogurt (curd, dahi)
- 2 teaspoons ginger green chili paste
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ENO fruit salt
For Tempering
- 1 tablepsoon oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 2-3 green chilies slit in half
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
Make The Dhokla
- Add oats and sooji to a blender and blend until a fine flour forms. Sieve if needed for extra softness.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix oats sooji flour, yogurt, ginger-chili paste, salt, and lime juice.
- Add ¾ cup of water and mix until a pourable batter forms. Rest for 10 minutes.
- Add more water after 10 minutes to adjust the batter's consistency. It should be like idli batter.
- Grease a dhokla plate or shallow pan. Just before steaming, add ENO fruit salt to the batter and mix gently.
- Pour the batter immediately into the prepared plate. Steam in a preheated steamer for 12–15 minutes on medium heat. Check with a toothpick; it should come out clean.
- Remove the plate from the steamer and cool the dhokla for 10 minutes. Cut into squares using a sharp knife.
Temper The Dhokla
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- Add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies, and let them crackle.
- Add 2 tablespoon water and sugar and mix well.
- Pour tempering evenly over the dhokla. Garnish with coriander and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Adding ENO too early: Fruit salt (ENO) reacts instantly when it comes into contact with moisture. If you add it too early and let the batter sit, the air bubbles escape before steaming. It will result in flat, dense dhokla.
Using thick or dough-like batter: Oats absorb liquid quickly. If the batter is too thick, the dhokla won’t rise properly. The batter should be smooth and pourable, similar to idli batter, not spoon-standing thick.
Over-steaming the dhokla: Steaming longer than needed dries out oats-based batters, resulting in a dry surface, crumbly edges, and a rubber-like bite.
Grinding oats too coarsely: If the oats aren’t powdered finely, the texture suffers. It will have a grainy mouthfeel.
Skipping batter resting time: Oats need time to absorb moisture properly. Rest the batter for 8–10 minutes before adding fruit salt. This allows oats to hydrate fully and stabilizes texture.
