The basic idea in this recipe is to combine vegetables with some form of grains, both to make the veggies less boring, and to balance out the nutritional value. It sounds a bit tricky, but it actually has a lot of room for adaptation in terms of the spices as per one's taste, the use of ingredients based on availability, and even the relative proportion of vegetable and dumplings. With more dumplings, it could also be a complete one-pot meal. I do like to keep it mildly spiced to really allow the taste of the green beans to come through. Ajwain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajwain), or carom seeds are the predominant flavor here, but if you can't find it, you could use cumin, and maybe add a bit of fennel. You could also just eliminate it, and use other spices of your choice and follow the main concept of the dish. Ajwain is pretty strong, so use carefully.
Here's a version by the queen of Gujarati cooking:
https://www.tarladalal.com/Fansi-Dhokli-(-Gujarati-Recipe)-587r
For the dhokli, or dumplings, there are many options, but the two variations that I make often are the following:
Version 1 - with dough: In a bowl, take ~1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (preferably roti atta, which is made from a softer breed of wheat, Any other substitute might work too). Optionally, you can also add about a tbsp of besan, or chickpea flour. Now add salt, a big pinch of ajwain, a good tbsp of oil, and enough water to make a semi-soft dough. You can also add other spices like turmeric and red chilli powder of you like, but I don't. Oil your hands, roll the dough into a long, thin roll, and with a knife, cut into very small pieces (something like gnocchis, but about a third of the size). Now roll and press each piece between two fingers to form flat dumplings. Small and flat dumplings will cook quickly and evenly. Cover and set aside.
Version 2 - with batter: Mix ~1/2 cup of chickpea flour (besan), salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, a pinch of baking powder, a tablespoon of oil, and add enough water to make a medium batter (the batter should flow, but not be too thin). Set it aside.
Clean and chop green beans into small pieces, almost diced, and set aside. Prepare a coarse paste of equal parts green chillies and ginger (I often keep these frozen). Heat oil in a deep pan. Add a pinch of ajwain (it won't really crackle like mustard or cumin). Add the chopped green beans, saute for a few seconds, and add enough water to cover the beans. Add salt and ~1 tbsp green chillies + ginger paste. At this point, you could again consider adding other spices to your liking, but I basically only add a few pinches of sugar. Let the water come to a boil. Now, with the flame on high, start adding the dumplings.
For version 1, with dough: simply add them to the pot, making sure they don't stick to each other. Ensure there's enough water in the pan, and the water is at a rolling boil.
For version 2, with batter: with your hands (or a very small spoon), add small blobs of the batter into the rolling water. Again, make sure the water is hot enough, and adjust the consistency of the batter if required to make sure the dumplings hold their shape in the water. Think small pakodas, but in water instead of oil.
Once the dumplings have had a chance to settle a bit, very gently stir everything, cover the pot, reduce the flame, and let it cook for about 5-7 mins or so, until the beans are fork tender, and the dumplings have cooked through. Check every few minutes to make sure there's enough water in the pot (since it might get absorbed by the dumplings). Some of the flour from the dumplings will seep through into the water, making it a bit more starchy, and essentially creamer (like pasta water, but here you don't drain it). Adjust the consistency of the dish by adding water to make it as dry or soupy as you like. Serve warm with fulkas, or by itself.
A few more notes on the dhoklis:
- For the dough method, remember to oil your hands properly before making the dhoklis to make sure it doesn't stick. You can form the roll on any flat surface, like a chopping board, and then cut it into small pieces to make it go quickly. You can also just pinch small bits of flour, if you find that easier.
- The size and thickness of the dhoklis should be such that it should cook roughly around the same time as the beans. If the dough is too hard, or the dhoklis are too thick, they will be raw and tough in the middle. If you feel a bit unsure, it's ok to add a pinch of baking powder for extra insurance.
- You could also use all chickpea flour if you prefer, but the dough will be pretty sticky to work with. The best way to deal with that is to wash hands thoroughly after forming the dough, oiling them well and then start forming the dhoklis.
Here's a version by the queen of Gujarati cooking:
https://www.tarladalal.com/Fansi-Dhokli-(-Gujarati-Recipe)-587r
For the dhokli, or dumplings, there are many options, but the two variations that I make often are the following:
Version 1 - with dough: In a bowl, take ~1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (preferably roti atta, which is made from a softer breed of wheat, Any other substitute might work too). Optionally, you can also add about a tbsp of besan, or chickpea flour. Now add salt, a big pinch of ajwain, a good tbsp of oil, and enough water to make a semi-soft dough. You can also add other spices like turmeric and red chilli powder of you like, but I don't. Oil your hands, roll the dough into a long, thin roll, and with a knife, cut into very small pieces (something like gnocchis, but about a third of the size). Now roll and press each piece between two fingers to form flat dumplings. Small and flat dumplings will cook quickly and evenly. Cover and set aside.
Version 2 - with batter: Mix ~1/2 cup of chickpea flour (besan), salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, a pinch of baking powder, a tablespoon of oil, and add enough water to make a medium batter (the batter should flow, but not be too thin). Set it aside.
Clean and chop green beans into small pieces, almost diced, and set aside. Prepare a coarse paste of equal parts green chillies and ginger (I often keep these frozen). Heat oil in a deep pan. Add a pinch of ajwain (it won't really crackle like mustard or cumin). Add the chopped green beans, saute for a few seconds, and add enough water to cover the beans. Add salt and ~1 tbsp green chillies + ginger paste. At this point, you could again consider adding other spices to your liking, but I basically only add a few pinches of sugar. Let the water come to a boil. Now, with the flame on high, start adding the dumplings.
For version 1, with dough: simply add them to the pot, making sure they don't stick to each other. Ensure there's enough water in the pan, and the water is at a rolling boil.
For version 2, with batter: with your hands (or a very small spoon), add small blobs of the batter into the rolling water. Again, make sure the water is hot enough, and adjust the consistency of the batter if required to make sure the dumplings hold their shape in the water. Think small pakodas, but in water instead of oil.
Once the dumplings have had a chance to settle a bit, very gently stir everything, cover the pot, reduce the flame, and let it cook for about 5-7 mins or so, until the beans are fork tender, and the dumplings have cooked through. Check every few minutes to make sure there's enough water in the pot (since it might get absorbed by the dumplings). Some of the flour from the dumplings will seep through into the water, making it a bit more starchy, and essentially creamer (like pasta water, but here you don't drain it). Adjust the consistency of the dish by adding water to make it as dry or soupy as you like. Serve warm with fulkas, or by itself.
A few more notes on the dhoklis:
- For the dough method, remember to oil your hands properly before making the dhoklis to make sure it doesn't stick. You can form the roll on any flat surface, like a chopping board, and then cut it into small pieces to make it go quickly. You can also just pinch small bits of flour, if you find that easier.
- The size and thickness of the dhoklis should be such that it should cook roughly around the same time as the beans. If the dough is too hard, or the dhoklis are too thick, they will be raw and tough in the middle. If you feel a bit unsure, it's ok to add a pinch of baking powder for extra insurance.
- You could also use all chickpea flour if you prefer, but the dough will be pretty sticky to work with. The best way to deal with that is to wash hands thoroughly after forming the dough, oiling them well and then start forming the dhoklis.
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