Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle Indian Bread Instant Pot Recipes Main Course Rupali Agarwal Share23TweetPin100YumWhatsAppShare123 SharesJump to Recipe Print RecipeOnce again back to my Rajasthani Marwari roots. Makka ke dhokle is a very famous winter food in Rajasthani Marwari community. What is Dhokla? Dhokla refers to steam cook food such as these cornmeal dumplings, Kaman dhokla, moong dal dhokla and rava dhokla, etc. In today’s health conscious society, steam cooking is a much healthier way of preparing food compared to other cooked meal options. These are shaped as round bati (popular as dal-bati-churma) but they are very different in many ways. Cornmeal dumplings are made of corm meal vs. whole wheat flour in case of bati, which makes cornmeal dumplings gluten free. These dumplings are steamed vs baking, grilling or frying required in case ofbati. Cornmeal dumplings are usually served with either Urad-chana dal (Split black gram lentil soup) or Panchmel Dal (Five lentil soup), which makes this combination rich in protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates in cornmeal and lentils are broken down slowly therefore make you feel fuller for longer period of time. I have enhanced this recipe further by adding fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves and daikon / radish (mooli) to make it even more fiber rich. This is also a great way to add greens to the meal. Another accompaniment for this recipe is jaggery, which is known to generate heat in body. Hence, overall a great meal choice for winter times to enjoy while embracing the Rajasthani Marwari culture. How to assemble your bite to eat this dish? Traditional way to eat this recipe is to crush the cornmeal dumplings by hand and then pour urad or panchmel dal over the dhoklas. Then pour some ghee and finely chopped mixture of onion tomato and cilantro over it. Relish this finger licking mixture with jaggery after every few bites. Ingredients: Cornmeal (Makkai ka aata) – 4 cup Fenugreek leaves (Meethi) – 2 cups fresh chopped Daikon / radish (Mooli) – 2 cups of grated Yogurt (Dahi) – 1/2 cup Oil – 3 to 4 tbsp Green chilli – 2 or 3 finely chopped Ginger – 1 tbsp grated Water – to knead (I used whey from strained yogurt) Spices Salt as per taste Red chili powder – 1 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Jeera – 1 tsp crushed Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns – ½ tsp crushed (not powder) Papad khar – 1/4 tsp or use 1/4 tsp soda Papad khar (Alkaline Salt) is an essential ingredient for this recipe, but if you do not have it then you can use baking soda. There are different varieties of cornmeal available in the market. For this recipe, we will use the yellow fine grind cornmeal. Method: Mix all ingredients and Knead the dough with water not too stiff and not too soft. Divide the dough into small balls and make a thumb impression. Steam for 15 minutes on a cooktop steamer or for 0 minutes in IP at high pressure setting with natural release. If you don’t have a steamer or IP, you can also use idli plates to steam the dumplings. Enjoy with Urad-Chana dal, chopped onions, green chutney and jaggery. 5 from 4 votes Print Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 12 mins Resting time 10 mins Total Time 27 mins Makka ke dhokle is a very famous winter food in Rajasthani Marwari community. Cornmeal dumplings are usually served with either Urad-chana dal (Split black gram lentil soup) or Panchmel Dal (Five lentil soup), which makes this combination rich in protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates. Course: Main Course Cuisine: Indian Keyword: Cornmeal Dumplings, Makka ke Dhokle, Marwari, Rajasthani Servings: 10 Calories: 314 kcal Author: Rupali Agarwal Ingredients 4 cup Cornmeal - fine grind Makkai ka aata 2 cup Fenugreek leaves Meethi - fresh chopped 2 cup Daikon / radish Mooli - grated 1/2 cup Yogurt Dahi 3 tbsp Oil 5 Green chilli 2 or 3 finely chopped 20 Ginger 1 tbsp grated Water To knead - I used whey from strained yogurt Spices 1/8 tsp Salt As per taste 1 tsp Red chili powder 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Cumin seeds Jeera - crushed 1 tbsp Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns crushed, not powder 1/4 tsp Papad khar or use 1/4 tsp soda Instructions Mix all ingredients and Knead the dough with water not too stiff and not too soft. Divide the dough into small balls and make a thumb impression. Steam for 15 minutes on a cooktop steamer or for 0 minutes in IP at high pressure setting with natural release. If you don’t have a steamer or IP, you can also use idli plates to steam the dumplings. Recipe Notes Enjoy with Urad-Chana dal, chopped onions, green chutney and jaggery. Nutrition Facts Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle Amount Per Serving Calories 314 Calories from Fat 72 % Daily Value* Fat 8g12%Saturated Fat 1g6%Cholesterol 1mg0%Sodium 155mg7%Potassium 353mg10%Carbohydrates 52g17%Fiber 7g29%Sugar 3g3%Protein 7g14% Vitamin A 90IU2%Vitamin C 8.7mg11%Calcium 36mg4%Iron 2.4mg13% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. If you are interested in other Rajasthani authentic food, then these other recipes or meal plans might also attract you: Bati (Unleavened Bread)Five Lentil Soup (Panchmel Rajasthani Dal)Shahi GatteBajra KhichdiMangodi Papad KadhiBaingan Bharta
I made these with Panchmel dal and they are so good! My first batch the dough was too soft–still good–but I’m looking forward to refining the technique. One question, could these be baked after or instead of steaming to get a crust? Thank you. Reply
Repeating my comment because I forgot to give the 5 star rating in my last posting–this is delicious, and easy! With Panchmel dal, seriously awesome! A treat, yet clearly home-cooked comfort food. Thank you! Question–could this be baked after steaming or instead of it, to get a crust on the bati/dumplings? Thank you again. Reply
Thank you so much Angana for trying the recipe and giving me the feedback. These feedbacks are really really important to know what other think and if they are able to get it or do the recipes needs further improvement/modifications. I can’t tell how much more confident and charge I get to put more energy. Regarding baking, actually I had tried that many times in past baking these and Makka ki roti but for reason Makka don’t get the right texture when you bake them. The main reason can think of is there is not enough fat in the dough to get that crispier texture. But if you want to try then you really need to add more fat in the dough. Hope this makes some sense. Thank you once again for providing your feedback. Happy Cooking Rupali Reply
Would I be able to use corn flour for this or does this alter the texture significantly? Loved trying your dal recipe, matri and many more! Keep them coming Thanks Rupali! Reply
Corn flour would be too fine for this recipe. If your corn flour is not too fine has some coarseness in it, you are good to go Thank you for trying my recipes! Reply
Yes you can! Traditionally methi leaves haas been used but you can use spinach as well. Thank you-Rupali Reply