Khumun Dhokla, or Spilling Gujarati Culinary Secrets Like Coins From a Purse

So, I had guests of the familial kind this past weekend. After the cleaning, and the hiding of what needed to be hid, I got down to the decision of what to make to eat. My family is from the western part of India, a state called Gujarat, so I thought that making a "traditional" snack might be a good option. This recipe is my mom's, and I was rather nervous at having her taste and critique it, but I guess it passed the test. A good dhokla is spongy, spicy, and a juxtaposition of varied tastes: the bitterness of the mustard seeds, the freshness of the coriander leaves, and the ginger and green chili taste of the dhokla.
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Note:
You'll need steamer set up for cooking the dhokla (which I guess can best be described as a savoury, spicy cake, which is sometimes served to guests as an appetizer). I use a big pot, filled with 3/4 of an inch of water, and three small steel bowls (found at Gerrard India Bazaar, or most Indian housewares stores) also half filled with water, to balance the pans. Use handle-less cake pans that fit in the stock pot, and can be removed easily with a strong set of tongs.


Recipe:

for Dhokla(two 8 inch pans):
2 cups chick pea flour (besan)
1/4 cup wheat germ (sugi)
3 1/2 t grated ginger
3 t chopped small green chilies
1 1/4 t salt
1/2 t tumeric
3 heaping T yoghurt
a little more than 3/4 C of water
oil for greasing 2 cake pans
a little less than 2 T of Eno (unusual, yes, but it's needed to make it rise. Buy the unflavoured one, of course)

for Turka and topping:
2 1/2 T oil, canola or sunflower
1 t fenugreek seeds
3 t mustard seeds
1 1/2 t shredded coconut, unsweetened (or to taste)
1T chopped fresh coriander leaves (or to taste)

The Batter:

• Mix all ingredients for the dhokla. The batter should be a little thicker than cake batter. Stir well.
• Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Grease cake pans with an oil like canola or sunflower (olive oil and Indian cooking are a no go).
• Pour the batter into the pans. Assemble the steamer and set flame to boil. Just before putting pan in, add Eno to the first pan you're going to steam (less than 1 T), stir well, and steam, with the lid covered, for 10-12 minutes.
• You can check the done-ness with a toothpick.
• Repeat Eno mixing and steaming with next pan.
• Remove dhokla from pans and cut into squares. Serve on a plate or tray.
  

Turka (Spice fry) and Dressing:

• Heat oil in a pan (that you have a lid to). Add fenugreek seeds and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add mustard seeds and cover. The seeds will pop, which could get a little dangerous. When they have all popped, remove them from the flame, and pour over dhokla.
• Dress the dhokla with coconut and fresh coriander.