Dhokla Sandwich (Savoury & Steamed)

There are times when I get a huge urge of eating something attractive and delicious, but also something that does not come with loads of calories! Sandwich Dhokla, a delicacy originated from Gujarat, is one such low-fat recipe that is not only beautiful to look at, but tastes great too. With 2 kinds of dhoklas (savory steamed cake) layered one on top of the other, sandwiching a spicy cilantro sauce in between, serve to be perfect finger food served with your choice of dipping sauce. The color of the dish is pleasing to the eye, and with hardly any calories or fat content, these savory sandwich dhoklas are a healthy alternative to other fried appetizer choices. Not only that, as you can see in the picture, the Tri-colored Sandwich Dhoklas look great on a plate too!

Ingredients

Yellow Dhokla

1 cup Besan (Chickpea flour/gram flour)
2 tbsp Rava (Sooji)
1/2 tsp Citric acid crystals (or Eno Fruit salt)
Salt - to taste
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Baking soda

Green Dhokla

2 cups Rava (semolina)
1/2 cup sour curd or buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1 tsp soda bicarb
2 tbsp oil
3-4 green chillies - chopped
salt - to taste
2 cups water (use only 1 1/2 cup if you have used buttermilk instead of curd)

Method
Mix all the ingredients for the Yellow Dhokla except the baking soda. Add about 3/4 cup of water. The batter should be about the consistancy of dosa batter. Add little more water if required. Cover the batter and keep it aside, allowing it to ferment for at least an hour or two if possible (this makes softer dhoklas).

Take the chopped coriander and green chillies, and blend to form a smooth paste with about 2 tbsp water. Repeat the same procedure as above by mixing all the ingredients for the Green Dhokla, except the soda bicarb and keep aside.

Steaming the Dhoklas
Apply some oil to a deep, flat bottomed stainless steel vessel (like a cake pan) that fits into your pressure cooker. Pour some water into the cooker and let it boil.

Once the water boils, add the baking soda to both the batters and mix it up. You should see the batter froth up a little.

Pour it into the prepared vessel to half the height, leaving ample space for the steamed batter to rise up and expand. If you are going to do this in batches, add the baking soda to the divided batter each time before steaming rather than adding it to the whole mixture. This ensures that the dhokla will become soft and fluffy.

Place it into the cooker and let it steam for about 10 minutes. Do not put the whistle on the cooker (just like idlis) Insert a toothpick in the center to see if its cooked through, then remove from the cooker and allow to cool a little.

Repeat this process for both the batters.

Layering and Assembling the Sandwich Dhokla
Cut squares (or other shapes) for both types of steamed cakes. Take the yellow dhokla pieces and apply some green cilantro chutney liberally on top of it. Now layer the green dhokla slices on top of it like a sandwich.

You can use any other desired spread for the sandwich, like salsa or cheese. Then add a dollop of ketchup on the top.

Serve the Sandwich Dhokla with your favorite dip as an attractive and healthy appetizer!

Related Recipes:
Soft & Fluffy Khaman Dhokla
Methi-Palak na Muthiya(Steamed Dumplings)
Chana-Masala Sandwich-Indian Bruschetta