Rohit Ghai's apple and roots dhokla salad

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

To make the dhokla, put the gram flour in a bowl. Add the yoghurt and around 225ml warm water and mix, avoiding lumps. Add the salt and mix again, then leave aside to ferment for 3–4 hours.

When the mixture has fermented, stir in the turmeric and the chilli garlic paste. Heat a steamer and grease a thali.

Put the 1tbsp lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and 1tsp of the oil in a small bowl and mix. Add this to the fermented batter and whisk briskly.

Pour the batter into the greased thali and place it in the steamer, then cover with the lid and steam for 10 minutes. Allow to cool a little, then cut the dhokla into squares and arrange on plates.

Meanwhile, peel the apples, cut into wedges, and set aside in a bowl of water with the extra lemon juice. Wash the beetroot and blanch in a pan of boiling water, then drain and set aside to cool. Put the beetroot powder in a bowl and stir in 225ml water. Add the soaked apple and beetroot.

Heat the remaining oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the vinegar, sugar and 200ml water, then remove from the heat and pour over the dhoklas.

Add the soaked apple and beetroot to the plates. Scatter over the coriander and grated coconut, if using, and sprinkle over the ghati masala.

This recipe was taken from the January/February 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.