hi mamta ji. i have tried dhokla many times but it does not get fluffy at all please give tips how to make dhokla fluffy.i always put eno just before steaming but then also no improvement, it does not get fluffy at all.

Harjeet, I am not sure why yours go wrong. One of the recipe here is from my elder sister and the other from my husband's sister. Both are superb cooks and I have eaten both, excellent. I don't make them myself, because neither myself, nor my husband are very fond of them. I know they are a very popular snack in India and sold at every street corner by every snack shop.

I am talking to a Gujrati friend of mine this evening, who makes them very often, and will get back to you about your problem.

Harjeet, I forgot to ask you, which recipe did you use? Can you pease tell me the ingredients and amounts, if it was not the one from this site. I am sure that is the first question my friend will ask me about the failed recipe.

Mamta

Hello Harjeet

I have spoken to my Gujrati friend finally. It has been a few hectic days, that is why it took so long!

This is what she had to say;

In cold country like ours, you have to put ENO fruit salt to each portion just before steaming it, to make it rise properly. It is hard to get it to ferment. After saying that, I have just got my Dosa batter to ferment in 3 days in my kitchen, ready to make dosas tomorrow.

Probably Andrew's fruit salt will work, but my friend says that she always uses ENO and says you must use ENO. Look at this recipe, I know it works, because it was done in front of me and I have eaten the results;

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10320

Mamta,

please put 'Andrew's out of your mind. It is only, as far as I can see, liver salts, not fruit salts, and contain magnesium sulphate as a laxative, whereas Eno's fruit salts contain only bicarbonate and citric acid (and a small amount of carbonate). If people use Andrew's they will likely have an unpleasant reaction, and not one to make the dhokla rise.

In India, they use the wild yeasts that float in the air, not acid/bicarbonate. Unfortunately, that is only possible in the summer months in the UK. However, its not impossible to use yeast to do the raising, as long as a reasonable temperature can be maintained. If trying this, use boiled water, as the chlorine in fresh tap water can have an effect on the yeast.

Thank you for that Lapis, it is always good to understand the chemistry behind these things.

Mamta

mamta ji i am already putting eno. the ingredients i am using is semolina, yoghurt, sodium bicarbonate, green chillies , salt and eno. but when i steam it and open it , my dhokla is not fermented at all. it comes out like khicdi

1. Check out your amounts here; Semolina Dhokla. I know this recipe works. If you are adding too little ENO, that might explain it.

2. Add ENO just before you steam it. If you are making more than one Dhokla tray or 'thali', add only to the amount you are going to steam. In the recipe, the amount is only for one thali full.

3. Also check how old your ENO is, has it been lying around for a long time and not effective any more?

To make the dough I put it in the oven not hot because in winter it is cold also open door after 20 minutes just peeps don't open full door or hot air escape put eno in and in steamer also put a damp cloth or towel on top they will rise my auntie taught me