Vegan Chettinad Corn Dhokla | Steamed Corn Cakes

Vegan Corn Dhokla is a savory steamed snack made with corn rawa. These cakes are soft, porous & very delicious. Chettinad sauce gives it that extra flavor.

I was in India, few months back on a holiday. Whenever I am there, one of the things I love to do is explore the local markets. I like going back to the same old grocery stores to meet the staff who still remember me and to see what new products have come up recently. What amazes me now is that you nearly get everything there that you get here. The same brands that I buy here are available there. I don't think this was the scene six years back when I was living there. Anyways, while I am there, I also discover some new products or something which never caught my attention before. My trips to such stores always end with me exiting with a bag full of products and a silly broad smile slapped on my face. But I really have to wait to get back to my home in the US to try these products out, since I do not have the right setup there needed for a food blog. But that's fine I guess. 

On this trip, I got many interesting items and one of them was corn rawa. I never knew such a thing existed. I of course had heard of corn flour but not corn rawa. This corn was broken down such that it resembled coarse rawa/semolina in texture. Since I had never cooked with it before, it stayed in my pantry untouched. I wanted to use it for a special recipe. While talking to my friend in India yesterday, she mentioned that she was eating dhokla. Now for those who don't know what a Dhokla. It is a traditional vegetarian Gujarati snack that's steamed. You can make dhokla with fermented batter or you can satisfy your cravings by making instant dhokla. You can prepare this delicious snack using a variety of flours and other other ingredients. Dhokla being such a versatile dish, it can be eaten for breakfast, as a main course, as a side dish, or as a snack. 

Dhokla is very similar to Khaman, however Dhokla is made from rice gram batter and is white in color, whereas Khaman is typically made from Chickpeas flour/besan and looks yellow in color. But this Corn Dhokla is a fusion of sorts. For those who like the flavor of corn, you will like the taste of this. Now talking about steamed food. There a many reasons why a steamed snack is a good idea. Here are some - steamed food retains the fiber, color and flavor of the vegetables, retains vitamins and minerals, is easy to digest, requires zero to minimal oil for cooking, its a quick and easy cooking technique, the food cooks faster, it cooks almost anything and everything and its a perfect tool when you don’t have the time or energy to commit to cooking. That is why, Steamed Corn Dhokla is a great snack option for everybody. It's healthy, vegan and gluten-free. Let me share the recipe with you now. 

I wanted to give the dhokla a different flavor, so give it a South Indian twist. You need a steamer or an Idli Cooker with dhokla plate attachment. In a big bowl, add corn rawa. Add Chettinad paste, salt, curry leaves powder, cumin powder, ginger paste, chopped green chillies, semolina/rawa, chopped cilantro, green peas and yogurt. Give it all a good mix. Add little water to give it a thick batter consistency. Now add baking soda to the batter, once it starts to become frothy, mix it into the batter. Grease a dhokla plate using a cooking spray. Place it in a steamer/Idli cooker/Instant Pot and steam it for 12 minutes. Once done, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Then using a pizza cutter, cut in squares (refer above pic). Then its time to to prepare the tadka. Heat oil in a tadka pan and temper mustard seeds and asafoetida once its hot. Pour this tadka over the dhokla and serve immediately with chutney or ketchup. It is a very nourishing and low calorie delicious snack that can be enjoyed anytime of the day!

Vegan Chettinad Corn Dhokla | Steamed Corn Cakes

Vegan Corn Dhokla is a savory steamed snack made with corn rawa. These cakes are soft, porous & very delicious. Chettinad sauce gives it that extra flavor.

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Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, gujarati, Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Idli Cooker with dhokla plate attachment

Ingredients 

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To prepare the Dhokla batter

• ▢ 2 cups corn rawa
• ▢ 2-3 tbsp Chettinad paste
• ▢ 2 tbsp curry leaves powder
• ▢ 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp ginger paste
• ▢ 3-4 green chillies
• ▢ 2-3 tbsp semolina/rawa
• ▢ 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• ▢ 1/4 cup frozen green peas
• ▢ 1 cup yogurt
• ▢ salt as required
• ▢ 1 tsp baking soda

To prepare tadka

• ▢ 1 tsp oil
• ▢ 2 tsp mustard seeds
• ▢ Pinch of asafoetida

Instructions

To prepare the Dhokla batter

• In a big bowl, add corn rawa.
• Add Chettinad paste, salt, curry leaves powder, cumin powder, ginger paste, chopped green chillies, semolina/rawa, chopped cilantro, green peas and yogurt.
• Give it all a good mix. Add little water to give it a thick batter consistency.
• Now add baking soda to the batter, once it starts to become frothy, mix it into the batter.
• Grease a dhokla plate using a cooking spray. Place it in a steamer/Idli cooker/Instant Pot and steam it for 12 minutes.
• Once done, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Then using a pizza cutter, cut in squares

To prepare tadka

• Heat oil in a tadka pan and temper mustard seeds and asafoetida once its hot.
• Pour this tadka over the dhokla, mix and serve immediately with chutney or ketchup.

Notes

You can steam dhokla in an Instant Pot. Follow the instructions to steam veggies. 

Feel free to add more veggies to the batter like chopped carrots, beans, bell peppers to make it more nutritious.

You can enjoy these dhoklas without the tadka on top if you want to go completely oil-free.

Corn Rawa can be found at any Indian grocery store. 

If you cannot find corn rawa, just use semolina/rawa instead.

Baking soda needs to be added to the batter just before steaming the dhokla. 

Baking soda makes fluffy and soft dhokla. 

You can add fresh curry leaves instead of powder.

If unable to find Chettinad paste, add any curry powder/Madras curry masala.

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