The Trio of Dhokris
Dar Dhokri/Mattar Dhokri/Guvar Dhokri

To me weekends on hot East Coast summers means time for one-pot meals like these, fresh hand rolled pasta like dhokri studded with carom seeds for flavor in a creamy lentil sauce, with kokum and lemon juice adding just the right amount of tartness. 

The perfect antidote to end a stressful week, and an even better excuse for an afternoon siesta. I use the traditional pressure cooker with the whistle that can be heard 10 houses down or the Instant Pot, and all you need is a bowl and a spoon and a sunny patch to curl up after.

My Mum made three types of dhokri’s: Dar Dhokri– she would make the Gujarati dal or some days use the leftover dal from lunch and recycle it into the ultimate comfort food for a cold or rainy evening. The second was the Mattar ni Dhokri (Green Pea Dhokri– using just tempering and crushed tomatoes for the gravy before adding the dhokri’s and fresh green peas, and the third was the fresh Guvar ni Dhokri (Cluster Bean Dhokri), sometimes cooked, over an sigri/open fire, or in a pressure cooker.  Served with a splash of oil and puris.

Mum also made three different shaped dhokri’s, the traditional diamond shape, and the small penny sized discs with a slight indent in the middle called thapeli dhokri, or the Phulki/Flower dhokri, which I only found out recently whilst watching Ranveer Brar cook what is popularly known as Dal Ki Dhulan , so Google that to see the shape I am referring to here. I make little gnocchi like dhokri’s for the kids, and if you want you can use a ravioli press and stuff cooked rice and make rice stuffed dhokri’s!

One thing my Mum did differently was to use more chickpea flour than wheat for the dhokri’s, if the dough is a little tacky add chickpea or wheat flour to get a firm dough that does not stick to the rolling pin. Instead of wheat flour, you can also use any of your favorite gluten free flour blends to make this gluten free.  When my kids were younger, I would use the pasta out of the box (Banza brand made with chickpea flour works best) and add that to the dhokri to encourage them to eat. Whichever version you make, serve it piping hot with a good drizzle of oil over it like my grannies did.

Watch me make it here:

Dar Dhokri

Ingredients (for Dal):

• 1 cup Tuvar Dal (split pigeon pea lentils)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon gur/jaggery
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 cups water

Ingredients (for Tempering):

• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 1 cinnamon stick (1 inch)
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 dried red chilies (Kashmiri)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds/rai
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida/hing
• 1 medium tomato (blended)
• 1.5 teaspoons green chili & ginger paste
• 1 kokum piece
• 1 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
• 1 lemon (juiced)

Method:

1. Wash and soak the dal for 30 minutes. In a pressure cooker add dal, gur, salt, turmeric, and water.
   • Instant Pot: cook for 8 minutes
   • Traditional cooker: 5 whistles
2. Once dal is cooked, whisk or blend and sieve it into a silky smooth consistency.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cinnamon stick and cloves. Once they bloom, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them crackle.
4. Add asafetida, dried red chilies, blended tomato, chili-ginger paste, red chili powder, dhana-jeera, and kokum. Mix well.
5. Carefully pour in the dal mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Roll out the dhokri dough, cut into diamond shapes (or thapeli, gnocchi-style, or flower-shaped as described).
7. Drop the dhokri pieces one at a time into the boiling dal. Keep it at a rolling boil so they cook evenly. Stir gently.
8. Add extra boiling water if needed. Adjust seasoning, sweetness, and salt.
9. Finish with lemon juice and cilantro.

Tip: If using leftover dal, ensure you have 3–4 cups bubbling in the Instant Pot before adding dhokri. Cancel Sauté mode and pressure cook for 7 minutes on high.

---

Flower-Shaped (Dulan) Dhokri

• Roll dough into a circle.
• Cut small rounds using a shot glass or donut-hole cutter.
• Shape by folding corners (like 9 & 3 o’clock, then 6 & 12), pinching lightly to form a flower with 4 hollows.
• These hollows capture the lentil sauce beautifully.

---

Guvar ni Dhokri

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups fresh Guvar (cluster beans) de-string & halve
• 1 medium tomato (crushed/chopped)
• ¼ teaspoon carom seeds/ajmo
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds/rai
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (+ ¼ tsp for boiling guvar)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder (coriander-cumin powder)
• ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 4–5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups water

Method:

1. De-string guvar and cut into medium pieces.
2. Boil in salted, turmeric water for 5 minutes. Drain.
3. Heat oil in a pan/Instant Pot/cooker.
4. Add mustard seeds, then ajmo and asafetida.
5. Add the tomato, turmeric, red chili, dhana-jeera, ginger-garlic, sugar, and salt and sauté.
6. Add water and the drained guvar.
7. Bring to a rolling boil.
8. Add dhokri pieces one at a time.
9. Pressure cook:
   • Traditional cooker: 4 whistles
   • Instant Pot: Manual, high pressure, 7 minutes
10. Before serving, squeeze lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

---

Matar Dhokri

Ingredients:

• 2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• ½ cup tomatoes, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder
• 1 teaspoon green chili-ginger paste (optional)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup cilantro (chopped)

Method:

1. Turn Instant Pot on to Sauté mode.
2. Add oil, mustard seeds, and asafetida.
3. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, dhana-jeera, and chili-ginger paste (if using) and sauté.
4. Add the peas and water, and bring it to a boil.
5. Add dhokri pieces one at a time. Stir gently.
6. Cancel Sauté mode. Close lid and set on: Manual, high pressure, for 4 minutes.
7. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes.
8. Open the lid, stir, add lemon juice and cilantro.

---

Serve hot in bowls with a drizzle of oil on top, or pair with puris for the ultimate comfort meal.

Notes from my Kitchen:

My Mum used more chickpea flour than wheat for the dhokri’s; if the dough is a little tacky add chickpea or wheat flour to get a firm dough that does not stick to the rolling pin.

Instead of wheat flour, you can also use any of your favorite gluten free flour blends to make this gluten free.

Shapes: traditional diamond, thapeli (penny-sized with an indent), Phulki/Flower (Dal Ki Dhulan shape), or little gnocchi for the kids.

When my kids were younger, I would use the pasta out of the box (Banza brand made with chickpea flour works best) and add that to the dhokri to encourage them to eat.

Keep the dal at a rolling boil when dropping dhokri so they cook on contact and don’t stick or clump; add extra boiling water as needed.

Leftover dal works great—have about 3–4 cups bubbling; after adding dhokri, pressure cook 7 minutes (Instant Pot).

Serve piping hot with a good drizzle of oil, with kokum and lemon juice adding tartness; puris on the side round of the meal.

Use a traditional pressure cooker or Instant Pot-both work.

Have you tried making dhokri at home? Tell me are you team dar dhokri, mattar dhokri, or guvar dhokri? Or maybe you have your own twist? stuffed, gnocchi-style, or even pasta-from-the-box like I did when my kids were little. I would love to hear your memories and variations! Drop them in the comments, or tag me @spicymemsahib when you make your own so I can see your version of this comfort classic.