Steamed Chickpea Bread

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Time: 1 hour, plus time for the batter to rest

This steamed cakelike bread from the Gujarat state of India, called dhokla, is straight magic; fluffy, aromatic, and with a delicious topping of toasted whole spices, cilantro, and coconut. There are multiple approaches to preparing the batter, some of which include soaking, grinding, and fermenting rice or dried legumes. I use chickpea flour, which adds a wonderfully nutty flavor but doesn’t require all that effort. Serve this as a side dish, snack, or even breakfast.

• ½ inch fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 fresh chile, like jalapeño or serrano
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¾ cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed or corn), plus more for greasing
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
• ½ cup grated fresh coconut (optional)
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Finely chop the ginger, chile, and garlic all together in one pile; sprinkle with the salt and continue chopping and mashing the mixture with the flat side of your knife until it turns into as fine a paste as you can make it (a mortar and pestle does the job faster).

2. Put the paste in a large bowl; add the chickpea flour, baking soda, turmeric, yogurt, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Slowly add ¾ cup warm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. The batter should be the consistency of thick pancake batter; if it isn’t, whisk in more water or chickpea flour as necessary. Let the batter rest at room temperature for anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.

3. When you’re ready to cook the bread, grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with a little oil and set it in a Dutch oven or pot large enough to hold the pan (at least 13 inches in diameter for a 9-inch pan; nestle the pan inside before greasing it to be sure). Whisk the batter one more time, then pour it into the prepared pan and cover tightly with foil. Add enough boiling water to the pot to come about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan, put the lid on the pot, and bring the water to a simmer. Steam the bread until a skewer inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

4. Let the bread cool for a few minutes, then run a paring knife around the edges to loosen it and carefully invert the bread onto a large plate. Cut it into squares or whatever shape you like.

5. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small or medium skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook until they begin to crackle, a minute or 2. Spoon the seeds and oil over each piece of bread, garnish with the coconut, if using, and cilantro, and serve.