Dhoka (lentil cakes)

Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the cakes
1½ cup of Cholar Dal/Chana Dal/Bengal Gram (lentils)
6 green chili
A little salt
Oil for frying
¾ tsp Whole cumin seeds/Jeera
Asafoetida/hing
½ tsp sugar
1½ tsp ginger paste

For the Gravy
Oil for frying
1 potato chopped in 8
2 small Bay leaf/Tej Patta,
3/4 tsp of Cumin Seeds/Jeera
A pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
1 tomato finely chopped
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
1 tsp of Yogurt
½ tsp of Coriander Powder
½ tsp of Roasted cumin Powder(or Regular Cumin Powder)
½ tsp of Red Chili Powder
A little turmeric
1½ cups of water
Salt to taste
A little sugar
¼ tsp of Garam Masala
½ tsp of Ghee

To make the cakes
Soak the Cholar Dal in water overnight
Drain the water and grind the lentils + the green chili + little salt to a fine paste. Add little water as required for grinding
Heat Oil in a Kadhai/Frying Pan. Temper the Oil with the Whole Cumin seeds/Jeera, a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing, sugar, and Ginger paste.

Add the lentil paste/ground dal to this and cook until the mix comes off the sides clean. The dal should be cooked so that is moist and soft but not runny or hard. Note: This step is really tricky. You need to stir vigorously else the paste will stick to the sides and you need to be careful to remove the moisture without making it hard. Add little oil as needed to avoid sticking.

Smear a flat plate with oil and pour the soft dal mix on this. While it is warm, pat lightly with your hands to form a flat, slightly raised round structure

With a knife make squares or diamond shapes

Heat some more Oil and fry the lentil cakes till golden brown on both sides. Take care that they do not break

To Make the Gravy
Heat Oil in a Kadhai or any other thick bottomed pan
Fry the potato till golden, remove and keep aside.
Temper the Oil with the bay leaf, cumin seeds, asafetida
Add tomato and the ginger. Sauté till tomato is reduced to a pulp and there is no raw smell.
Mix the yogurt with the coriander powder, the cumin powder, the red chili powder and the turmeric to make a fine paste.
Add this paste to the Kadhai. and fry the masala at low heat.
Add the potatoes and the water. Add salt to taste and cover and cook till potatoes are done.
Adjust for any seasonings, add a little sugar. Add the Garam Masala and the Ghee and gently mix. Now gently slide in the pieces of dhoka or the fried lentil cakes. Simmer for couple of minutes to let the dhoka soak up the gravy.
Note:If like mine some of your dhokas are cracking do not add them to the gravy, rather place them on the serving dish and pour the gravy on them.
Serve with hot white rice.