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    Home » Recipes » Indian Bread Recipes

    Makki ke Dhokle - Cornmeal Dumplings

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    Once again back to my Rajasthani Marwari roots. Makki ke dhokle is a very famous winter food in the 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.

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    • Makki ki Dhokli with Dal - A Complete Meal
    • Recipe
    Makke Ke Dhokle - Cornmeal Dumplings

    What is Dhokla?

    Dhokla refers to steamed 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.

    Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle

    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 the case of bati, which makes cornmeal dumplings gluten-free. These dumplings are steamed vs baking, grilling or frying required in the case of bati. 

    Makki ki Dhokli with Dal - A Complete Meal

    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 a 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 the body. Hence, overall a great meal choice for winter times to enjoy while embracing the Rajasthani Marwari culture.

    Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle

    How to assemble your bite to eat this dish?

    The 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 a finely chopped mixture of onion tomato and cilantro over it. Relish this finger-licking mixture with jaggery after every few bites.

    Let's gather all the ingredients and get started...

    Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle Ingredients

    Recipe

    Cornmeal Dumplings – Makka ke Dhokle
    5 from 10 votes

    Makki ke Dhokle - Cornmeal Dumplings

    Makki 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.
    Review Print Pin Share
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time12 minutes mins
    Resting time10 minutes mins
    Total Time27 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Hindu, Low Fat, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Cornmeal Dumplings, Makka ke Dhokle, Marwari, Rajasthani
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 314kcal
    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
    • ½ cup Yogurt Dahi
    • 3 tablespoon Oil
    • 5 g Green chilli 2 or 3 finely chopped
    • 20 g Ginger 1 tablespoon grated
    • 1 cup Water To knead - I used whey from strained yogurt

    Spices

    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt As per taste
    • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds Jeera - crushed
    • 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds
    • ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns crushed, not powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Papad khar or use ¼ teaspoon soda
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Mix all ingredients and Knead the dough with water not too stiff and not too soft.
      4 cup Cornmeal - fine grind, 2 cup Fenugreek leaves, 2 cup Daikon / radish, ½ cup Yogurt, 3 tablespoon Oil, 5 g Green chilli, 20 g Ginger, 1 cup Water, ⅛ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns, ¼ teaspoon Papad khar
      Makki ke Dhokle ingredients being mixed
    • Divide the dough into small balls and make a thumb impression.
      Cornmeal Dumplings – Makki ke Dhokle before steam cooking
    • 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.
      Cornmeal Dumplings – Makki ke Dhokle being prepared for steam cooking
    • Enjoy with Urad-Chana dal, chopped onions, green chutney and jaggery. 
      Makki ke Dhokle served with urad chana dal, cilantro green chutney and jaggery

    Notes

    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.
    Nutrition Facts
    Makki ke Dhokle - Cornmeal Dumplings
    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.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @enhanceyourpalate on Instagram and hashtag it #enhanceyourpalate
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mala says

      November 08, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks Rupali. The recipe looks simple yet powerful nutritiously?
      Will be making it today.

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        November 25, 2020 at 7:10 am

        Hello Mala,
        Thank you for stopping by, glad you liked the recipe and will give it a try.

        Rupali

        Reply
    2. Su says

      October 27, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      Im new to IP therefore checking. The recipe says steam for 0 minutes is that right?

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        October 28, 2020 at 8:09 am

        The ‘0’ minute steaming time is right if you are steaming with valve on sealing position. If you want to steam with valve on venting position then steam for 12-15 minutes. In this case IP timer would not work so you need to setup an external timer.

        Thank you- Rupali

        Reply
    3. Veena says

      October 27, 2020 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      Your plating and the display around is a work of art...cant imagine how you come up with such ideas...you are very talented and creative Rupali. Love your authentic recipes but even more your display ?

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        October 28, 2020 at 8:10 am

        Thank you so much Veena for your appreciation, means a lot to me.

        Rupali

        Reply
    4. Chitown says

      February 14, 2020 at 1:20 pm

      I don’t know what I did wrong but I couldn’t make it in a dough form - it was very watery. I had to add a cup of besan to it and even then it was a super loose dough 🙁

      Reply
    5. Priyam says

      February 12, 2020 at 2:46 pm

      What I sub for mooli - not a big fan of radish!

      Reply
    6. sonia says

      October 16, 2019 at 3:03 pm

      Thanks for this recipe! It looks great. Can I use chopped spinach instead of fenugreek leaves?

      Reply
      • sonia says

        October 16, 2019 at 3:03 pm

        5 stars
        Rated the recipe 🙂

        Reply
        • Rupali Agarwal says

          October 16, 2019 at 3:33 pm

          Yes you can! Traditionally methi leaves haas been used but you can use spinach as well.
          Thank you-Rupali

          Reply
    7. lakshmi says

      December 14, 2018 at 12:40 am

      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
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        October 16, 2019 at 3:35 pm

        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
        • A says

          February 12, 2020 at 3:27 pm

          I have tried adding RAVA/Semolina (coarse) if I don't have the coarse corn flour in home and it has worked the same, no changes with the water or other portions

          Reply
    8. Marci Buttars says

      December 11, 2018 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      I am so intrigued by this recipe! I can't wait to try it. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        December 12, 2018 at 6:00 pm

        Thank you Marci!!! Waiting to hear your feedback/experience with the recipe.

        Reply
    9. Angana Shah says

      December 06, 2018 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      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
      • Rupali Agarwal says

        December 06, 2018 at 9:18 am

        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
    10. Angana Shah says

      December 06, 2018 at 9:04 am

      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
    5 from 10 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Rupali! Welcome to my food blog where I love to share healthy vegetarian recipes from my North Indian roots and present day. My recipes range from simple to elaborate showstoppers.

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