5 Gujarati breakfast dishes for a rainy morning

Steamed and fried, enjoy these various recipes at your home.

The first rains have already hit the city, turning the weather cooler, much to everyone's relief. How about adding to that fun with a few some piping-hot dishes? Chefs show how to whip up these Gujarati dishes …

Soft, spongy dhoklas make for the perfect start to a rainy day (Shutterstock)

Khaman Dhokla
By Shital Kakad

Ingredients

Chana dal (split Bengal gram) - 1.5 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Sour curd - 4 tbsp
Green chilli-ginger paste - 2 tbsp
Eno fruit salt - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Oil - 1 tsp (to grease)
Water - 1 cup
Salt

For the tempering
Oil - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida (hing) - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Green chillies, chopped - 4 to 5
Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Freshly grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Method
Soak chana dal for 7 hours, drain and grind with green chili ginger paste, lemon juice, salt, sugar and yogurt to a coarse and thick paste (use half cup of water, adding only a little more only if required). Cover and ferment overnight for 6 hours.
Add fruit salt to your batter and fill into the greased plate in the steamer (fill only ¾ plate). Cook on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes. Open and check if ready by inserting a knife or toothpick. Allow it to come to room temperature then cut it into pieces. Heat the oil for tempering and add the ingredients to it. Pour it over the khaman dhokla and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and coconut.

Rice Khichu
By Shital Kakad

Khichu, a rice flour treat, takes hardly any time to make (Shital Kakad)

Ingredients
Rice flour - 1 cup
Water - 3.5 cups
Chilli ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Cumin/jeera - 1 tsp
Ajwain/carom seeds - ½ tsp
Baking soda - ½ tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
Boil water and add the chilli-ginger paste, cumin, ajwain, baking soda oil and salt. Add the rice flour and mix well with a wooden spoon continuously till there are no lumps. Cook for 5 minutes more on a medium flame until it becomes soft and fluffy. Serve hot drizzled with oil and red chilli powder


Gujarati Masala Puri
By Shital Kakad

Enjoy these masala puris with a touch of sweet chhundo and some tea (Shital Kakad)

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 ½ tsp
Asafoetida - ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water to knead the dough
Oil for deep frying

Method
Mix the ingredients in a bowl and add enough water to make into a semi-hard dough. Keep aside for 15 mins. Now make small dough balls and roll them into small circles (not very thin or thick). Heat oil and fry the puris. Remove and drain out the excess oil. Serve the hot masala puris with Gujarati chhundo.

Kutchi Dabeli
By Reetu Uday Kugaji

Kutchi dabeli, with a variety of textures, makes for a morning or anytime snack (Shutterstock)

Ingredients

For the dabeli masala:

Coriander seeds - ¼ cup
Black cardamom - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - ½ tsp
Cloves - 2
Black peppercorns - 1/2 tsp
Star anise - 1
Mace - 1
Dry Kashmiri red chillies - 2
Grated dry coconut- 2 tbsp
Bay leaf - 1
Dry ginger powder - ½ tsp
Sesame seeds - ½ tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Rock salt - ½ tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Oil - ½ tbsp
Stone flower - ½ tsp

Method

For the dabeli masala, roast and grind spices. To this, add masala peanuts with a pinch of turmeric and red chilli powder, jaggery and salt.

Add some garlic chutney and imli chutney to it. Heat oil, add one tsp turmeric and red chilli powder plus a little water. Mash six boiled potatoes and add it to the dabeli masala with some salt. Garnish with ½ cup each of coriander leaves and coconut, a few pomegranate pearls and some nylon sev. Add the chutney, peanuts, onions and potato mix to the sliced pav.

Khatta Dhokla
By Natasha Gandhi

Khatta dhokla is a nutritious, fermented dish (Natasha Gandhi)

Ingredients
For the dhokla
Urad dal - ½ cup
Rice - 1.5 cups
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Water, as needed
Sour curd - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt, to taste
Groundnut oil, for greasing and brushing
Crushed black pepper, for sprinkling

Method
Wash and soak urad dal and rice. Add fenugreek seeds and soak for 3-4 hours. To make batter, grind the ingredients to a semi-fine texture (use water to keep it thick). Add sour curd, sugar, and salt, mix and let it ferment overnight.
When steaming, grease the steaming plate with groundnut oil and pour a thin layer of the fermented batter onto the plate. Sprinkle crushed black pepper on top. Steam for 12-15 minutes. Once done, brush the top with groundnut oil and cut the dhokla into squares for serving. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with freshly made green chutney.