Dhokla

SERVES 4
225 g/8 oz channa dal
4 tbsp water
3 green chillies
1cm/1/2 in ginger
1 tsp salt
pinch of turmeric
3/4 tsp baking soda
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp coconut, grated
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

1 Soak the channa dal overnight in plenty of cold water. The next morning, wash the dal 2 or 3 times.

2 Place the dal and the water in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

3 Grind the chillies and ginger together to a paste.

4  Add the chilli and ginger paste, salt, turmeric, baking soda and lime juice to the blended dal and mix thoroughly.

5 Pour the mixture into a greased thali or a shallow cake pan, making sure that it does not come more than three quarters of the way up.

6 Place the thali in a steamer, cover and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle to test whether the dhoklas are cooked

7 Cut into 4cm/ 1 1/2 in squares and arrange on a plate.

8 Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the mustard seeds; when they start to splutter, add the asa foetida and, after 2-3 seconds, pour this over the dhoklas.

9 garnish with the coconut and coriander leaves

Opposite steamed lentil cakes/ Dhokla