Phoolkopi'r Dhoka'r Dalna Recipe

 Dhoka is something which we never fancy or love to receive, unless someone puts a spoonful on our plate. Isn’t? While we all had our share of Pyaar mein Dhokas and Dosti mein Dhokas at some point in our lives, there is one good old Dhoka which we can never get scared or tired of, Dhoka’r Dalna. This is not betrayal, but missing out on this dish is surely a betrayal to oneself.

 

While the regular Dhoka is made with Dal, this recipe has a twist and it contains Cauliflower as the main ingredient. Its almost summertime now and the fresh winter vegetables have started bidding us goodbye. So before they completely vanish from the markets, this is one dish I would like all of you to try. Phoolkopi’r dhoka’r dalna (Cauliflower cakes in spicy gravy), a brainchild of my mother-in-love, is a fun and unique recipe that you can try and wow yourself and your loved ones. It tastes delicious, is super easy to make and takes you on a different journey in spite of having common ingredients.

I will be sharing two recipes, a veg and a non-veg version; both have their own specialty, taste and aroma.

NON-VEG:

INGREDIENTS:

1 big Cauliflower
2-3 eggs
Ginger Paste
Garlic Paste
Chopped Tomatoes
Green Chilies
Cumin Powder
Corriander Powder
Turmeric Powder
Red Chili Powder
Salt
Sugar
Oil

1. Grate the cauliflower using a grater or food processor, as per your convenience.

2. Sprinkle salt, mix well and keep aside for about half an hour.

3. Drain out the water completely and add the eggs,ginger-garlic paste, salt, sugar, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix everything well. You can add other vegetables like cauliflower and carrots as well and also chopped onions, but with this dish, we prefer only cauliflower.

4. Transfer this mixture to a greased plate and with the help of spatula or just your palm spread it evenly. Cut into diamond or square shapes.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the pieces till golden brown.

5.  For the gravy, put oil in a pan and temper cumin seeds. Dunk in the chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, ginger paste, cumin powder, haldi powder, salt and sugar as per taste. Saute till oil seperates. Add water. Once it starts boiling, add the dhoka cakes. Cover and cook on medium heat until the gravy thickens. Remember not to thicken the curry too much as dhoka has a tendency to the gravy.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

VEG:

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower
Cornflour
Maida
Ginger Paste
Jeera Paste
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Coriander LEaves
Green Chilies
Corriander Powder
Turmeric Powder
Red Chili Powder
Salt
Sugar
Mustard Oil

1. Grate cauliflower using a grater or food processor, as per your convenience.

2. Sprinkle salt, mix well and keep aside for about half an hour.

3. Drain out excess water and add cornflower, maida, coriander powder, sugar and salt to it. Knead well. Don’t add water, keep kneading and you will see it will turn into a dough pretty well.

4. Transfer this mixture to a greased plate and with the help of spatula or just your palm spread it evenly. Now cut it into diamond or square shapes.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the pieces till golden brown.

5.  For the gravy, put oil in a pan and temper cumin seeds. Now add chopped tomatoes, ginger-jeera paste, green chilies, cumin powder, haldi powder, salt and sugar as per taste. Saute till oil seperates. Add water. Once it starts boiling, add the dhoka cakes. Cover and cook on medium heat until the gravy thickens. Remember not to thicken the curry too much as dhoka has a tendency to the gravy.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

Hope you liked the recipes. Try and let us know...

I always put step by step pictures of the recipe, but I lost all the pictures this time, only had this one which I had posted as a teaser on my Facebook group. Yes, I could have easily recreated this dish, click pictures and then post, but didn’t want to delay posting the recipe as there isn’t much time left before cauliflower vanishes from the market. Anyway, hope you wont have any difficulty understanding it...