Rava Dhokla – Fluffy and soft savory semolina cakes that are lightly spiced with ginger, green chilies and an earthy tempering of black mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Served with fresh cilantro-mint chutney, rava dhokla is a great make-ahead snack or appetizer.
A popular Gujarati dish, dhokla or steamed savory cake, comes in many different variations and flavors. Rava dhokla, Khaman dhokla and Daal Dhokla, just to name a few, are all healthy and delicious .
Traditionally, Rava Dhokla is steamed in a steamer or stove-top pressure cooker with out the whistle. Here is my first Instant Pot dhokla recipe, which works great using the steam function on the Instant Pot. Unlike most Instant Pot recipes this recipe works well with the pressure handle to venting position that allows the dhokla to raise and steam to a perfectly fluffy and soft texture.
Few tips on making perfect, soft Rava Dhokla:
- Use coarse rava available in Indian grocery stores.
- Make sure the batter is not too thick. It should be the consistency of Idli or cake batter.
- Heat the water in the Instant Pot and start the steaming within 2 minutes of adding the baking soda in the batter.
- 1 teaspoon of Fruit salt/Eno can be used in place of baking soda.
Quick video to show this easy Rava Dhokla recipe in the Instant Pot using a stainless steel bowl:
Here is a recipe for the Cilantro Chutney to serve with Rava Dhokla:
- 1 cup cilantro (you can use up stems too)
- handful of mint leaves (no stems, optional)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seds
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons grated coconut (fresh or dried)
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Savory, soft steamed semolina cake lightly spiced with ginger, chilies with a mustard seed and sesame seed tempering.
- 1 cup coarse rava semolina from Indian stores
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon green chillies minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch of hing/asafetida optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Add rava, yogurt, water, ginger, chillies and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix well, cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.
- Make the tadka - In a small pot heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Turn the heat off, once the seeds start popping. Add asafetida and sesame seeds. Reserve the tadka.
- Add 1 ½ cups water to the Instant Pot insert. Set on Sauté mode so the water starts to heat. Heating up the water before placing the batter in the Instant Pot will result in light dhoklas. Make sure to do this about 5 minutes before you are ready place the batter in the Instant Pot for steaming. Boiling it for too long may cause a lot if water to evaporate.
- Grease 7-½ inch stainless steel bowl with cooking oil or spray.
- Add baking soda and mix well. Quickly pour the batter in the greased bowl. Place the bowl on the instant pot trivet and carefully place the trivet inside the Instant Pot. Note: It is important to start the steaming process within couple of minutes for the baking soda to work. Close Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to venting.
- Set Instant Pot to Steam mode, with an external timer for 12 mins. Note: Timer function does not work with Steam/Venting, so an external timer is needed.
- Once the timer goes off, Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot after 5 minutes.
- Carefuly take out the dhokla bowl. Run a knife around the edges so the dhokla can be released on a plate. Cut into small squares. Pout the tadka over and spread all over with a spoon. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with cilantro mint chutney.
Recipe Video
It is important to start the steaming process within couple of minutes after the baking soda has been mixed in for lighter dhokla.
Timer function does not work with Steam/Venting, so an external timer is needed.
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Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
This is new to me but I look forward to trying it. Thank you!
Thank you!
Absolutely love this
Thank you Sonal!
What is the bowl you recommend for this to use in a 6qt IP?
Here is a link to the bowl I used – https://amzn.to/2HAI36C
Hey Archana-really a tasty and healthy side dish. I made it today. My husband does not like baking soda in his food so I substituted it with 1/4 tsp fast acting yeast and 1/4 tsp sugar and mixed them in the water, wait for 5 minutes, and then add it to the cream of wheat and yogurt mixture. Keep aside for 1/2 hour to 1 hour till the mixture shows bubbles before proceeding with the rest of the procedure.
This recipe is somewahat similar to rava appams.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Kalyani! Thank you for your lovely feedback. I am glad you enjoyed the dish. And Thank you for giving us another option for baking soda.
Hi Archana , I made this today , came out really well . Can I soak Rava, yogurt and water in the night just to save 20 minutes if soaking.
Thank you for the feedback. Yes you can soak it overnight, in fact it it ferments then you do not need baking soda.
Hi! Was so excited to make these since I’ve had a craving recently– I found that the cake wasn’t steamed all the way through when I removed from the instant pot (after the 5 minute waiting period)… what’s the best way to continue steaming if this happens? I put the insert back on steam but it took many minutes for the dhokla to heat up again. Also, should I cover the pot insert or keep exposed when I’m steaming? I have a vented lid for my insert, but since I left the pan exposed since there was no mention of covering, the top seemed a little uneven.
All this being said, it turned out very well and tasted delicious! The local indian grocery didn’t have course rava so I just got a bag of their dhokla flour which was a chickpea/rava/lentil/rice flour mix, and worked very well!
Hi Susannah, So the dhokla flour is very different than coarse rava and that explains the problem of the dhokla not being cooked. I do not cover the pan while steaming, having said that you also have to be careful when you open the Instant Pot lid so the excess steam water does not get into the pot. For next time, with the flour you have, simply steam it for 15 to 17 minutes. And you are right if the Instant Pot has cooled down then it will take longer for it to heat up again. Although you had a right idea of steaming it again. I always do a knife test, just like cakes, if it does not come out clean then steam for additional 5 minutes.
Hi Archana, can Eno fruit salt be substituted for baking soda? Also, if one wants to add chopped spinach to the batter, are there any changes that would need to be made to the recipe?
Hi, Yes you can add 1/2 teaspoon of Eno fruit salt. And yes, may be a cup of fresh chopped spinach will work. Traditionally dholka does not have any greens in it while cooking.
Hi Archana! I love your recipes – started with the pasta ones! Have a question. Have you ever stacked two containers for dhokla? That is, not just the one compartment container as shown in the video, but two containers, stacked? What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Sona! Thank you for your kind words. Yes you can stack 2 containers. Use the same cook time.
Hi Archana.. I tried this recipe and came out really good! Was wondering if the cook time will remain same if I double the ingredients and cook it once.
Hi Sonia, So glad you enjoyed the rava dhokla. If you make a thick layer of dhokla you will have to increase the cook time. Or use stackable pans and then same time could work.
Hi Archana, Can I use roasted coarse rava for this recipe! Will the taste be too different?
Hi Sunny, You can use roasted coarse rava