Name: Gujarati Dabka Nu Shaak
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup Gram Flour, besan, for making the dabka (dumplings); ½ cup Indian-Style Yogurt, whisked, for the gravy; ¼ cup Tomato Puree, freshly pureed; ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds, divided (half for batter, half for gravy); ¼ tsp Asafoetida, divided; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric, divided; 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder, divided; ¾ tsp Ground Coriander; ⅛ tsp Baking Soda, a pinch for the batter to make dumplings soft; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil, divided (for batter and gravy); 1½ cup Water, hot, for the gravy; ¾ tsp Salt, divided; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped for garnish

35 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

Add to your week

Method

Make the dabka batter: mix the gram flour with half the cumin seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder, baking soda, salt, a little of the oil and a splash of water into a thick, sticky batter you can drop from a spoon.
Make the Gravy Base: Heat the remaining oil in a wide, deep pan. Add the mustard seeds, remaining cumin seeds, and a sharp pinch of asafoetida. Let them splutter actively.
Incorporate the tomato puree, the remaining turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Cook down until the oil distinctly separates from the paste.
Lower the flame and whisk the curd in steadily so it does not split. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the measured hot water. Add salt and bring the thin gravy to a rolling boil.
2 min
Drop the Dabka: Wet your fingers. Take small, uneven portions of the sticky besan batter and drop them directly into the fiercely boiling gravy. DO NOT STIR immediately under any circumstances.
Allow the dumplings to boil undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. The intense heat will seal their exterior, causing them to cook, fluff up, and gracefully float to the top.
3–4 min
Once completely floating, gently stir the sabzi. Cover the pan and let it simmer on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the gravy thickens by absorbing the released starch from the dumplings.
10–12 min
Turn off the heat, garnish freshly with coriander, and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

Soft, incredibly spongy and airy gram flour dumplings that have soaked up a tangy, intensely spicy, and moderately thick reddish-orange broth.

Getting it right

Tip

The secret to perfect Dabka is a rolling boil. If the gravy is not boiling fiercely when you drop the batter, the dumplings will dissolve into a mushy soup. The boiling liquid instantly seals the outside of the batter.

What to serve it with

A Kathiyawadi delicacy traditionally eaten during the monsoons. Best enjoyed with Bajra Rotla and a side of raw onions (if not strictly following Jain diet).

Upwas Sweet Potato Poriyal

Upwas sweet potato poriyal cooks diced sweet potato dry with cumin, for fasting days.

25 minvegan

Upwasachi Batata Bhaji

Upwasachi batata bhaji is a Maharashtrian fasting-day potato dish, cooked in ghee with cumin, green chilli and crushed peanuts.

1 hr 20 minvegetarian

Upwasachi Suran Bhaji

Suran bhaji cooks elephant foot yam in ghee with cumin, a Maharashtrian fasting dish.

35 minvegan

Restaurant Style Veg Jalfrezi

Veg jalfrezi keeps its vegetables and paneer in strips, cooked fast so everything stays crisp.

35 minvegetarian

Veg Kolhapuri

Veg Kolhapuri cooks mixed vegetables in the fiery Kolhapuri masala of roasted coconut, sesame and red chilli.

1 hr 5 minvegan

Restaurant Style Veg Tawa Masala

Veg tawa masala cooks mixed vegetables hard on a flat griddle, so the masala catches and browns rather than simmering.

1 hr 10 minvegan

Ingredients